After back-to-back years of canceled festivities, central Maine is ready to celebrate July Fourth

AUGUSTA — As central Maine slides into summer, organizers of Fourth of July celebrations across the region are putting the final touches on their holiday plans.

Many early-summer festivities have been either curtailed or canceled during the first years of COVID-19 pandemic, but people are ready turn out again.

A motorcyclist passes the flag-lined entrance to the Clinton fairgrounds Thursday on Bangor Road in Clinton. The fairgrounds will be busy this weekend with a full slate of events planned for Sunday and Monday to mark the Fourth of July holiday. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Monmouth kicks off the holiday weekend on Saturday with its 6th Annual Beach Party at Monmouth Beach on the shore of Cochnegwagon Lake. A cardboard canoe race is scheduled for 3 p.m., and leading up to the 9:30 p.m. fireworks display, there will be live music, food vendors and a bounce house for children.

Sunday marks the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s seventh annual July 3rd in the Park event. A Children’s Doll Carriage Parade on Main Street and Duck Race on Haley Pond start the day at 10 a.m. Other activities include the Frost Memorial Art Show, the Great American Dog Parade and live music by the Tom Ball Band. Fireworks over Rangeley Lake begin at dusk.

Hallowell is hosting a public presentation of its original broadside of the Declaration of Independence from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Sunday and Monday at Hallowell City Hall at 1 Winthrop St. Of the 250 copies of the 1776 document originally ordered by the State Council of Massachusetts that at the time included Maine, only 11 are believed to exist.

On Sunday, Clinton is hosting the two-day Central Maine Fourth of July Great American Celebration at the fairgrounds at 1450 Bangor Road. On Sunday, gates open at noon for a full day of events, live music, fair food and a craft fair. Colby Swift, a country musician who competed on a recent season of “American Idol,” is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. On Monday, gates open at 10 a.m. and in addition to live music, a craft fair and kids events, a Maine State Police K-9 demonstration is scheduled as well a horse show and at 2 p.m., professional wrestling. Fireworks get underway at 9 p.m.

A motorcyclist passes the flag-lined entrance to the Clinton fairgrounds on the Bangor Road in Clinton on Thursday. The fairgrounds will be busy this weekend with a full slate of events planned for Sunday and Monday to mark the Fourth of July holiday. The Concerts at Norcross Point kick off Sunday at the south end of Maranacook Lake in Winthrop for the 13th year at 2 p.m., with the Sandy River Ramblers performing. On Monday, the Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce is hosting a fireworks display at 9:15 p.m., at Norcross Point.

Augusta is planning a day of events on Monday, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Old Fort Western opening as a museum. It starts with the annual parade and will be capped by a two fireworks shows over the Kennebec River.

The parade, which starts at the parking lot of the Maine State House and travels down State Street and Water Street to end at Old Fort Western, kicks off at 10 a.m.

“The biggest highlight is the time change of the parade,” said Bruce Chase, director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Augusta, noting that in prior years it has been scheduled for later in the day.

As of Thursday, about 50 organizations had signed up to take part in the parade, but Chase said he’s hoping for twice that number.

Bunting that was hung for Independence Day is seen Thursday at Old Fort Western in Augusta. The city’s annual July Fourth parade will end at the restored colonial-era fort, which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary as a museum on Monday. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Augusta Mayor Mark O’Brien is scheduled to read the Declaration of Independence at noon outside the palisade of Old Fort Western. Independence Day cake will be served and the future of the Fort Western Museum will be toasted with lemonade. Cannons will fire 13 volleys, representing the 13 original colonies.

Following the parade, a slate of activities will get underway at 2 p.m., at Mill Park, with ax throwing, a mechanical bull, bounce houses, arts and crafts activities, and corn hole. Two bands are scheduled to perform — at 4:30 p.m., Martin and Kelly, a country band, and at 7:15 p.m., Zacc Tyler.

At 9 p.m., two simultaneous fireworks displays are scheduled. One will go off from the former Statler Tissue Co. mill site on the Kennebec River; those can be seen from Mill Park. The second, to celebrate the anniversary of Old Fort Western, will go off from the east side boat landing, and the best viewing area will be from Waterfront Park.

“We’re the only community in the state of Maine to do simultaneous fireworks displays,” Chase said. “It will be spectacular.”

In Belgrade, Fourth of July activities kick off at 8 a.m. Monday, with at the Belgrade Lakes farmers market at the Maine Lakes Resource Center and lakes and woods arts activities at 137 Main St. Winterberry Farm, on Route 27, will host self-guided farm tours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. At noon, the town’s boat parade will get underway on Great Pond. The day will be capped off at 9:15 p.m., with a fireworks display over Long Pond.

The Farmington Rotary is planning the return of the Fourth of July parade for 10 a.m. Monday with the theme of “Celebrating America’s Superheroes.” The parade starts at the staging area at the Olsen Student Center parking lot on High Street and will travel along Broadway to Main Street and South Street.

Following a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitefield is resuming its annual parade this year. The parade starts at 10 a.m. Monday at Head Tide Road in Kings Mills, just south of East River Road. From there, the parade will head south on East River Road and turn west on Pittston Road.

Museum educator Stan Novak talks Thursday about the American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes that will be flown for Independence Day observations at Old Fort Western in Augusta. The city’s annual July Fourth parade will end at the restored colonial-era fort, which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary as a museum on Monday. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“It’s the only parade that goes by twice,” Sue McKeen said. “It’s the only way we can do it. We turn around in this guy’s driveway.”

Food will be available during the parade. Festivities also include music, children’s games, an auction by the Kings Mills Volunteer Fire Association and a white elephant sale by the Union Hall.

“We’re hoping for a lot of floats,” McKeen said. “I have no idea. I’d like to see a million floats. Well, not a million because that will clog up traffic.”