Happy Independence Day, Newton!

Friday is July 4, that special day of the year America gets together and celebrates her birthday. The Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence 249 years ago (it actually took multiple days for them all to sign, because of travel times and the lack of interstate highways), and today families and communities across the nation honor them with grilled meats and explosives.

In Newton, that celebration comes in the form of family fun, a carnival, several bands and a professional fireworks display to dazzle you into the weekend.

Here’s a rundown of events in Newton to celebrate Independence Day.

Kids’ Morning

From 10 a.m. to noon, kids ages 3 to 12 and their families are invited to the Newton Centre Bowl, 69 Tyler Terrace St., for a morning of fun and ice cream provided by Cabot’s.

There will also be arts and crafts, a Patriotic Costume Parade, a Grand Pet Promenade, a decorated bicycle parade and more.

Carnival

From 1 to 10 p.m., the city will hold its July 4 Carnival on Albemarle Field.

This afternoon and evening party will have rides, crafts, food trucks and a 2 p.m. ukulele concert performed by the City Hall Strummers and a 3 p.m. concert by Sharp 11 Bostin Jazz Project.

At 5 p.m., The Displayers will perform on the gazebo followed by FM Collective.

Then at 7 p.m., the Kat Chapman Band will perform, followed by the Beantown Buckaroos, on the main stage.

And right after the sun sets, around 9 p.m., the fireworks display will begin.

The events are free, but the food at the food trucks is not. Part of the proceeds from their food sales, however, will go back to the city to help fund cultural events.

Safety

Leave the explosives to the professionals. Impressing friends is not worth a night in the emergency room.

The weather is expected to be beautiful, with temperatures around 80 degrees most of the day, but that’s hot enough for trouble so make sure you stay hydrated and use sunscreen.

And it’s Newton, so parking requires patience. Police are prohibiting parking on many surrounding streets, and the posted this list on their social media as a guide:

List of streets with parking restrictions during Newton’s July 4 celebration. Newton Police Facebook photo

List of streets with parking restrictions during Newton’s July 4 celebration. Newton Police Facebook photo