Fourth of July brings festivals and fireworks

Check out some of the planned holiday happenings in communities throughout the region.

Here’s a rundown of some of the planned Fourth of July celebrations in the Mid-Hudson Valley, based on information provided to the Freeman.

Kingston

The festivities begin at 4 p.m. today in T.R. Gallo Park along the Rondout Creek waterfront.

Live music will be performed until 9 p.m. by Sass & Brass, The Geezus Butlers, Little Creek and Hot Rod.

Fireworks will be launched from the Wurts Street bridge starting at 9:30 p.m.

Traffic and parking rules will be strictly enforced. There also will be free shuttle service to and from the waterfront area. The pickup and drop-off points are Kingston Plaza (near the baseball field) and the Cornell Street parking lot in Midtown.

There also will be a handicapped parking area at Kingston Point Beach and a shuttle from there to the Rondout waterfront.

Closed to traffic and parking from 3 p.m. to midnight will be: Broadway, from Abeel Street to East Strand; all of West Strand; and East Strand, from Broadway to the municipal parking lot entrance. Also, the Wurts Street Bridge will be closed from 8 a.m. until midnight.

Also, to accommodates shuttle buses, from 2 p.m. to midnight, there will be no parking on either side of Abeel Street, from Wurts Street to Broadway; or in the first three parking spaces on Broadway, from the intersection of Abeel toward Garraghan Drive. There also will be no parking from 7 a.m. to midnight in the three rows of parking spaces closest to Gallo Park in the lot at the intersection of West Strand and Dock Street.

No pedestrians will be allowed on the Wurts Street Bridge from 8 a.m. until midnight, and no pedestrians will be allowed on the U.S. Route 9W bridge from 6 to 10:30 p.m.

Saugerties

A parade will step off at 11 a.m. today on Washington Avenue Extension. Participants will begin lining up at 10 a.m. across from the Saugerties High School, extending toward the Kiwanis Ice Arena.

The parade will proceed down Washington Avenue, cross Main Street, turn right onto Russell Street and then turn right onto Partition Street. At Main Street, the parade will turn left and continue onto Market Street.

An awards ceremony will take place at the large pavilion at Cantine Field following the parade.

Fireworks will be shot off at Cantine Field after dark.

Clermont

The sounds, tastes, and smells of the Colonial era will converge at the Clermont State Historic Site during today’s “Old-Fashioned Independence Day Festival,” planned for 2 to 10 p.m.

From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the museum will be surrounded by hands-on experiences taken from daily life of the 18th century. Visitors will be able to sample numerous activities, attend polite tea parties, hear a speech by George Washington, learn Palatine cooking, and see a musket-firing demonstration by Revolutionary War re-enactors.

From 7 to 10 p.m., the group Sideshow Willie will perform. After dark, visitors can watch the Saugerties fireworks across the Hudson River. Food will be available. The cost is $12 per vehicle, $10 for Friends of Clermont members.

Poughkeepsie

The city of Poughkeepsie fireworks display tonight can be viewed from Walkway Over the Hudson State Park.

Walkway members can purchase tickets for $10 at www.walkway.org. General admission tickets are $12.50 and can be purchased online and at participating stores.

Children 10 and under get in for free, though registration and tickets are required.

Wristbands are required for entrance.

The Walkway Over the

Hudson State Historic Park will close to the public at 4 p,.m. today for set-up and safety preparations, then will reopen at 7 p.m. for those with tickets.

The fireworks display will begin between 9 and 9:30 p.m.

New Paltz

The New Paltz celebration

— featuring music, food and fireworks — will be held July 6 at the Ulster County Fairgrounds, 249 Libertyville Road.

The grounds open at 5 p.m., musical performances start at 6 p.m., and fireworks will be shot off after dark.

Musicians scheduled to

perform include Mark Rust, the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Express and Soul City Groove.

There also will be food vendors, bounce houses, henna body art and face painting.

Admission is free. No pets will be allowed.

The rain date is July 7.