A listing of Independence Day observances planned throughout the area.

St. Ignace

Crowning of the royal court Thursday, July 2, will begin St. Ignace Fourth of July festivities, which will include a parade, Fire Department public picnic and open house, and fireworks.

The contests for Miss St. Ignace, Junior Miss St. Ignace, Princess, and Prince will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at City Council chambers in City Hall. The winners will participate in the Fourth of July Ruby Goudreau Memorial Parade, which begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 4.

The Bayside Live! Waterfront Entertainment Series offers its first performance in the series of weekly Thursday concerts. Performing Thursday will be Saints of Steel, the LaSalle High School steel drum band. The event is free to the public and takes place in the pavilion on the dock of the public marina in downtown St. Ignace.

The Fourth of July Ruby Goudreau Memorial Parade begins Saturday, July 4, at 1 p.m. The parade begins at the corner of Stockbridge and North State streets and travels south along State Street, ending on McCann Street.

Immediately after the parade, the St. Ignace Kiwanis Club will have games for children at Dock 3, near the Coast Guard station at the end of Ferry Lane.

St. Ignace Fire Department will host its open house at the City Park and Dock 3 area at 3 p.m. Free hot dogs, brats, ice cream, and soda pop will be available, and karaoke contests will be offered. The open house will beat Little Bear East Arena in the event of rain.

Fireworks are set for dusk in St. Ignace and will be visible from the shoreline throughout the downtown. This will begin the weekly Saturday fireworks displays in St. Ignace, all at dusk, that will continue through Labor Day.

Moran Fireworks will light the sky at dusk over Brevort Lake Sunday, July 5, near the village of Moran. The public is invited, free of charge, to watch the display at the end of Dukes Road.

Mackinac Island

Saturday, July 4, will start with the annual Stone Skipping Tournament at Windermere Point at 10 a.m. The amateur division will be in the morning and professional stone skippers will compete at noon. For $3, contestants can skip six stones, or for $5 a family can participate in the event.

Mackinac 4th of July Fun and Games will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Windermere Point. Children can participate in sack races, a water balloon toss, greasy pole climb, and watermelon roll. Patriotic face painting also will be offered. Activities are hosted by the City of Mackinac Island Recreation Department are open to the pubic at no charge and prizes will be awarded.

The celebration will continue all day as Fort Mackinac celebrates with gun salutes, military demonstrations, and patriotic music. The Star Spangled Fourth celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m., an American Picnic will be held on Fort Mackinac's parade ground. Picnic tickets include fort admission and may be purchased in advance at the Mackinac Island State Park Visitors Center and Grand Hotel. At 7:45 p.m., guests are invited to participate in the interactive 18-century Rose Dance.

Fireworks will be at dusk.

Mackinaw City

On Saturday, July 4, the village will host games at Conkling Heritage Park beginning at 1:30 p.m. Games include penny scramble, disc toss, egg toss, three-legged race, and a basketball shooting contest.

The Mackinaw Woman's Club will have a Strawberry Social at 1 p.m., on the marina lawn.

The American Legion Hot Dog Roast begins at 4 p.m. on the Legion lawn.

A cookout will be hosted by Cedarbrook Senior Living for the public and the Noncommissioned Officers Association Chapter 1656 at the senior living center from noon to 5 p.m. Live entertainment will be included and the picnic meal costs $5.

A performance by the Straits Area Concert Band at 9 p.m. will be followed by a fireworks display.

Les Cheneaux

Independence Day activities in the Les Cheneaux Islands area will start Thursday, July 2, with music at the Maritime Museum in Cedarville. The open house includes storytime at 1 p.m. for students in second grade and older, kids art activities from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., a barbecue hosted by Fund the Future from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the performance of No Strings Attached, a bluegrass string band, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Fun Run/Walk starts Friday, July 3, at 9:30 a.m., at the Alvin Hossack Memorial Field at Les Cheneaux Community Schools in Cedarville. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in the school's Duncan Gymnasium lobby.

The annual July Fourth Arts and Crafts Show in Cedarville will be Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Community Center.

The Lions Club Fish Fry will be Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Les Cheneaux Community Schools cafeteria in Cedarville. The cost is $9 for adults and $4 for children younger than 12. Proceeds will benefit the club's scholarship fund.

Independence Day Saturday, July 4, will begin with a pancake breakfast served by members of the Les Cheneaux Ambulance Auxiliary from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Clark Township Fire and Ambulance Hall on Meridian Street. All proceeds will benefit the ambulance corps.

The Annual Les Cheneaux Independence Day parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday with entries lining up along Grove Street at 10 a.m. The parade travels from Grove Street down Beach Street and west on Hodeck through Cedarville, then along Meridian and M-134 and end at Beach Street.

From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, the Cedarville Trojans Booster Club will offer at sale prices championship and fan athletic apparel at the John Duncan Gymnasium concession stand.

Following the parade, children's games will be offered at the Alvin Hossack Memorial Field on Beach Street from 12:30 p.m. to about 3 p.m. The event includes games, races, face painting, and the Clark Township Volunteer Fire Department children's treasure hunt in a foam tank.

The Clark Township firetruck will be at the park, and volunteers will provide a sprinkler for children to run through after the foam tank event.

A horseshoe tournament at Snows Bar and Grill on 4-Mile Block in Cedarville will be offered at 2 p.m.

Later that evening, there will be Music in the Park with Cruisin' Tunes in memory of Ernie Rauch at 6 p.m., and s'mores roasting from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fireworks will begin at dusk over Cedarville Bay.

The third annual Jim Bohn Bike and Hike will be Sunday, July 5, with registration at 9:30 a.m., at The Islander Bar in Hessel. Proceeds will benefit the Cancer Research Foundation. Cost is $35. For more information, call 484-3359.

A community picnic is planned for Monday, July 6, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Les Cheneaux Community Schools lower level parking lot in Cedarville. This is a fundraiser for Fund the Future and will benefit the school district. The picnic will have a homemade salsa competition with business, general public, and youth divisions, and a silent auction.

Trout Lake

Fourth of July celebrations begin in Trout Lake with breakfast served by members of the Trout Lake Volunteer Fire Department. The meal takes place Saturday, July 4, from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Township Hall.

Also at the hall, the Trout Lake Women's Club will hold a Strawberry Social and hot-dog lunch from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

The annual Fourth of July parade begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, with entries lining up at 12:30 p.m. at the Old Town Hall. The parade beings at the Township Hall on M-123 and travels through town to the township park.

At dusk, fireworks will light up the sky and can be viewed from the Trout Lake Township Park.

DeTour

The DeTour Area Chamber of Commerce and participating organizations have two days of activities planned for Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. Registration for the first DeTour Geocache Scavenger Hunt begins Friday at 10 a.m. at the pavilion, followed by the "Success Starts Here" Fresh Whitefish Dinner to benefit the general fund of the DeTour Area Schools from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the school. Registration for the 5th annual 5 K run/walk to support DeTour area cross country and track teams will begin at the pavilion at 5 p.m. with a start time of 6 p.m.

The Union Presbyterian Church annual Ice Cream Social will begin at 5 p.m. The traditional July 3 community event will continue until the ice cream is gone, or 8:30 p.m. Dessert can be enjoyed at tables, either inside or on the church lawn. The day will conclude with the annual DeTour Area Chamber of Commerce dance at 9 p.m. at the pavilion. Music will be by "The Wise Guys."

Fourth of July activities begin with line up for the parade on Sims Street at 11 a.m. Saturday, with the parade beginning at noon. Grand Marshal will be retired DeTour area Fire Chief Red Adams and his wife, Linda. The chamber-sponsored community picnic will begin at noon and feature the Sacred Heart Church Knight of Columbus chicken barbecue. The afternoon will include the youth races and competitions, a bounce house, a bungee run, crafts, and displays by community organizations.

The horseshoe tournament will begin at 2 p.m. and the "Wise Guys" will entertain. The afternoon will conclude with the raffle drawings and, new this year, lawn mower races at 4 p.m.

The fireworks will begin at dark.

Curtis

The 35th Annual Independence Day celebration begins Sunday, July 5, in Curtis with an arts and crafts show opening at 10 a.m.

The Lions Club will offer its "Famous Chicken Barbecue" beginning at 11 a.m. and the Chamber of Commerce will have a food and refreshment tent. The Curtis Women's Club will hold a bake sale. Activities for children are planned, including rock climbing, games, and an inflatable slide.

The "Biggest Little Town Parade in Michigan" begins at 12:30 p.m. Event organizers say they expect 15,000 visitors to attend the celebration, in the town of 650 residents. This year's theme is "The Year of the Child." Parade marshals are Tom and Colleen Clock, representing the work they have done for the Charter School in Curtis.

Several bands are expected to march through town, including the St. Ignace Saints of Steel drum band, Kalamazoo Bagpipe Band, the Newberry High School Band, and the Royal Canadian Legion Brass Band. The U.S. Coast Guard Color Guard will participate, along with the American Legion and the Royal Canadian Legion. Smokey the Bear and companions also will be seen on the parade route. The line-up for the parade is at 11:30 a.m. at Sand Town Road. Entries will be judged and winners will receive plaques.

Fireworks will begin at dusk at Curtis Park.

Naubinway

Garfield Township Independence Day festivities begin with a Kiddie Parade at the fire hall in Naubinway Friday, July 3, at 6:30 p.m. Infants through 16-year-olds can participate on foot or using non-motorized vehicles, including decorated bicycles, strollers, and wagons. The parade begins at 7 p.m. The parade travels along Tuffy Street and around the block to return to the fire hall.

Children's activities and games will follow the parade. The events, along with food booths, will be at the Naubinway Pavilion.

The 27th Annual Black Bear Run begins Saturday, July 4, at 9:30 a.m. Participants must register Friday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. or Saturday, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. at the Engadine Consolidated Schools gymnasium. Entrants also can walk the route, which winds through the Hiawatha Sportsman's Club trails and ends at the Naubinway baseball field.

Sponsored by the Engadine Athletic Booster Club, the race is divided into two parts. The first is a 12-kilometer run and the second is a six-kilometer race. Medals will be given to first, second, and third place winners. For more information, contact Aaron Fulton at (906) 477-9019.

At noon Saturday, the Knights of Columbus of Engadine Catholic Mission will host a fish fry and the parade will begin at 1 p.m. at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Naubinway. This year, the parade has a nautical theme. The parade will loop through the west end of town and return to the church.

At 1 p.m., the Naubinway and Engadine Lions Club booth will open and the children's games will begin at 2 p.m. at the Naubinway Pavilion.

The Merchants Association will sell tickets for a 50-50 raffle, with the drawing set for 3:30 p.m.

At dusk, fireworks will be displayed over the bay. During the fireworks show, the marina will be closed to the public for safety reasons.