Come out for the Ocean County 4th of July Celebrations this weekend and enjoy the fireworks and other festivities along The Jersey Shore.
Saturday
MANCHESTER: 6 p.m. concert; Harry Write Lake, Lake Drive; free children's rides and music by Nicholas King and The Fabulous Grease Band; 732-849-4536.
TUCKERTON: 10 a.m. Parade and fireworks; Tuckerton Seaport, 120 W. Main St.; the parade will begin at the Village Shoppes at 10 a.m. and head down Route 9 to the Tuckerton Seaport, where there will be vendors and music; children's activities begin at 5 p.m.; fireworks at dusk at the Tip Seaman Park; rain date is Sunday, July 3; 609-296-8868.
WARETOWN:9:30 a.m. historical program; Olde Cemetery, 25 Main St.; program includes a vocational prayer by Rev. Terry Martin of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, the Color Guard from the Barnegat American Legion Post 232 and a performance by the Ocean County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band; resident Allison Jakeman will sing the National Anthem and Stan Anderson will portray a Civil War soldier. Adele Shaw, president of the Waretown Historical Society, will portray Mary Todd Lincoln while Bob Costello will portray Abraham Lincoln and read the Gettysburg Address; 609-693-5407.
Sunday
BARNEGAT LIGHT: 7 p.m. parade and concert; Bay Dock Area, Ninth and 10th Streets; parade will assemble at E. 16th St. at 6:30 p.m. and begin at 7 p.m.; awards ceremony and concert by The Liberty Band will follow; in the event of rain the concert will be held in the Firehouse Social Hall; 609-494-9196.<!--Saxotech Paragraph Count: 10<br>-->
LACEY:7:30 p.m. fireworks; Lacey High School Athletic Field, Haines Street; msuic by Jersey Shore DJ's DJ Mike; bring lawn chair.
LAKEWOOD:8 p.m. music and fireworks; Lake Carasaljo, Route 9; DJ JR Mash at 8:00 pm in the amphitheater on North Lake Drive followed by fireworks at 9:15 ; 732-905-3405, ext 6001.
LAVALLETTE: 8 p.m. fireworks and music; Bay Bouleavard and Arnold Avenue; Patriotic Band by John Luckenbill, musical performance by area resident Amanda Ramirez, and American Idol contestant; fireworks at dusk; rain date is July 10.
Monday
BARNEGAT: 7:30 p.m. celebration and concert; Municipal Dock, East Bat Avenue; Hi-Five band will perform at 7:30 p.m. followed by the fireworks at dusk; 609-698-0080.
BEACH HAVEN:9:15 p.m. fireworks; Bayfront, Taylor Avenue; sponsored by the Red, White and Blue Committee; rain date Tuesday, July 5; 609-492-2800.
BEACHWOOD:7 p.m. fireworks; beachfront, Bayside Avenue; there will be a fundraiser at the beachfront; fireworks at 8:45 p.m.; 732-286-6000, ext: 200.
JACKSON: 10 p.m. fireworks; Six Flags Great Adventure, 1 Six Flags Blvd.; fireworks at the Great Lake Grandstand; 732-928-1821.
LAKEHURST:11 a.m. car show and fireworks; Lakehurst Elementary School, 301 Union Ave.; the Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey in partnership with the Lakehurst Historical Society will hold an antique car show along with a town parade at noon, and fireworks will be at dusk over Lake Horicon; 732-797-1456.
LAKEWOOD:7:05 p.m. BlueClaws game and fireworks; FirstEnergy Park, New Hampshire Avenue and Cedar Bridge Road; sponsored by Toyota/Scion World of Lakewood, the fireworks will take place after the game against Hagerstown; 732-901-7000, option 2.
OCEAN GATE:10 a.m. parade; Ocean Gate Avenue; registration for participants begins at 8:30 a.m. in Adrian Hall, where flags for spectators will also be handed out; parade begins on Ocean Gate Avenue ; prizes will be awarded at noon at Wildwood Avenue Beach followed by games and contests; 732-269-3166.<!--Saxotech Paragraph Count: 5<br>-->
PINE BEACH: 9 a.m. parade; Pine Beach Firehouse, 525 Prospect Ave.; sponsored by the mayor and council of Beach Haven; parade will form in front of the firehouse at 8:15 a.m. and begin at 9 a.m. heading through town to end at Vista Park located at Riverside Drive and Midland Avenue; awards and games to follow; 732-349-6425.
POINT PLEASANT BEACH:9:30 p.m. fireworks; Jenkinson's Boardwalk, 300 Ocean Ave.; fireworks to begin at dusk and can be viewed from the boardwalk or Jenkinson's beach.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS: 9 p.m. fireworks; Seaside Heights Boardwalk; sponsored by Coca-Cola; the display can be viewed from anyplace on the boardwalk; 800-732-7467.
SEASIDE PARK: 9:30 a.m. bike parade; Fifth Avenue Pier; the parade begins at the Fifth Avenue Pier and ends at the 14th Avenue Pier; 732-793-3700.
July 6
BERKELEY:6 p.m. concert and fireworks; Veteran's Park, Tinton Boulevard; sponsored by Berkeley Township Recreation Department; The Infernos will perform along with a fireworks display after the show; 732-244-7400.
The Declaration of Independence: The Will, Wants and Hope of the People
"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
Tony Kenny