With the forecast promising sun and temperatures in the mid-80s, the July 4th weekend is gearing up to be a blast.

The Bel Air Independence Celebration, arguably the Grand Poobah of July 4th events, will start the day with a blueberry pancake and sausage breakfast, running from 7 to 11 a.m.

The popular breakfast will be at Bel Air Middle School this year, moved because of construction at the old and new Bel Air High School.

Access to the school will be limited and the July 4th committee will be putting up signs along Kenmore and South Main streets advising people to use Idlewild or MacPhail roads.

Also, unlike last year, the parade route will start at North Main and Gordon streets and will proceed south on Main Street, make a right on Route 1 to Kenmore Avenue, and continue on South Main Street to end at the intersection with Idlewild Street.

The theme for this year’s parade is “American Patriots — Then and Now!” About 150 units will be participating.

Other events during the day will include horseshoe pitching, a hamster race, tours of the Hays House, a turtle derby, a frog-jumping contest, a watermelon-eating contest and trophies for decorated bikes and rodeo.

The day will end with a fireworks display at about 9:30 p.m., launched near the intersection of Route 22 and Lee Way. No parking will be allowed on Route 22 during the display.

For more information on Bel Air events, go to www.belairjuly4.org.

Kingsville in the morning

Also Saturday will be Kingsville’s annual parade.

Bradshaw and Jerusalem roads will be closed at 9:45 a.m. that day for the parade, which starts at 10:50 a.m. at Kingsville’s Volunteer Fire company on Bellvue Avenue.

The formation will start at 9:30 a.m. and pre-parade music and celebrations, sponsored by PNC Bank and Kingsville Market, will start at 10 a.m. at the judges’ viewing stand.

The parade will proceed down Bradshaw to Jerusalem Road, ending at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. There is no rain date.

Opening ceremonies, to be held at the judges’ stand, will be led by master of ceremonies Bruce McCubbin and Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Steve Herpel, with the John Carroll School band performing the national anthem.

This year’s theme for the events will be “In God We Trust, In Freedom We Live” and the line-up for the parade includes John Carroll, Baltimore City Pipe Band, Havre de Grace High, Patterson Mill High, Edgewood High, the 143rd Ordnance Brigade from Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Buttons the Clown.

Participants will be judged in 10 categories and receive trophies at the July 15 meeting of the Greater Kingsville Civic Association. Three judges’ awards will also feature cash prizes.

For more information on Kingsville events, call Linda Alexander, 410-592-7385.

Patriotic kickoff

Havre de Grace kicks off its round-up of events with a patriotic twist on the city’s First Friday series by encouraging residents to wear red, white and blue tonight (Friday).

Tonight will be Military Appreciation Friday in downtown Havre de Grace, with music being played around town, shops and restaurants, which will have specials and stay open late, and antique military vehicles being displayed along Franklin Street.

First Fridays will run from 5 to 9 p.m.

Beaucoup Blue will perform on the stage at Washington and Pennington streets and DaNica will perform outside Bahoukas Collectibles at Franklin and Union streets.

Also, Choo Choo Charlie will be entertaining with balloons and Bambini Face Painters will be doing face-painting.

Havre de Grace’s celebration will continue Sunday.

It will start with a parade on Union Avenue at 2 p.m. and continue with a concert at 7 p.m. at the Yacht Basin at Tydings Park, with fireworks being launched at dark.

The concert will feature Alton Street and Deejay Jeff Thompson and will run until 10:30 p.m.

The parade will include 19 musical groups, including the Ravens Marching Band, the 389th Army Band and corps from Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and New York.

The grand marshal will be Joseph Kochenderfer, former city councilman and community volunteer, and the honorary grand marshal will be Jack McLhinney, the oldest living member of Susquehanna Hose Company.

The carnival will run from 6 to 10 p.m. tonight and 4 to 10 p.m. July 4 and 5, in Tydings Park.

For more information on Havre de Grace events, call the tourism office at 410-939-2100, or the celebration committee at 410-939-4362.

Edgewood-Joppa

Also Sunday is a joint Edgewood-Joppa parade starting at 6 p.m. and running along Hansen, Edgewood and Willoughby Beach roads, ending at Edgewood Elementary School.

It will feature Harford County Executive David Craig as the grand marshal as well as groups such as the Harford County Eagle Scout Honor Guard, the Edgewood High School Marching Band and the Joppa Steps Quad.

For more information on the Edgewood-Joppa parade, call Marlon Gittens at 443-653-2091.

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