5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: Celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, festivals

1. Fireworks shows: Catch an Independence Day fireworks show at dusk. A display is scheduled Friday at Skydive Chicago outside of Ottawa ($5 per car); displays Saturday are in Amboy, Minonk, Sandwich and Utica; Sunday is in Walnut; Monday are in Morris and Peru; and Tuesday are in Hennepin, Henry, Leland, Ottawa, Princeton and Sheridan.

2. Utica fireworks celebration: There’s more than just fireworks Saturday at Carey Memorial Park. Prior to the fireworks show at dusk, there will be food and drinks, face painting, bounce slides and obstacle courses, among other activities.

3. Sheridan Independence Day celebration: A craft show will be set up 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday by the post office. A petting zoo will feature pony rides, a mechanical bull, zip lines and a euro bungee from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Friends of the Library Book Sale is set 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Historical Society will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The parade is scheduled to begin on Church Street at noon followed by a car and tractor show at the grade school, 115 E. Si Johnson Ave. The toilet bowl races are scheduled downtown at 2 p.m. Food trucks will be set up by the baseball fields beginning at 5 p.m. Silver Strings will perform 1 to 4 p.m. and Whiskey Romance from 6 to 9 p.m. Fireworks will go off at dusk. The Sheridan Elevator will have live music Saturday through Monday. The Sheridan Community Club will host its welcome burger 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday with a free meal including hamburger or hot dog, chips, cookie and drink. The welcome burger also will have a touch a firetruck with the Sheridan Fire Department, balloon art with Megan, along with other outdoor games and activities. Go to facebook.com/sheridancommunityclubinfo for more information.

4. 4th of July weekend in Minonk: There are a number of activities this weekend in Minonk, beginning with a performance from the Ashley Victoria Band 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. The kiddie parade and parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by inflatables set up at Fifth and Chestnut streets from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Fifth Street Market Vendor Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., lunch at Minonk Chocolate Company 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., sidewalk chalk from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a bags tournament at noon, bingo 1 to 2:30 p.m., axe throwing 3 to 7 p.m., the Lyn Skynyrd tribute band from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and fireworks at dusk. Then Sunday, a three-on-three basketball tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at Westside Park, followed by a cruise-in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a local smoke-off from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., inflatables noon to 5 p.m., a dunk tank at 2 p.m., axe throwing 3 to 7 p.m. and the Wild Card band from 7 to 10 p.m. Brushville will perform 8 to 11 p.m. Monday.

5. Community/municipal band performances: The Spring Valley Municipal Band is scheduled to perform 7 p.m. Friday, June 30, at Hall High School’s main entrance, 800 W. Erie St. In case of bad weather, concerts will be in the auditorium at the school. The Princeton Community Band will present a patriotic concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 2, in Soldiers and Sailors Park. The concert will feature soloist Gavin Kestner from Festival 56 who will be singing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening.” Other concert selections include “America the Beautiful,” “Washington Post March,” “1812 Overture” and “God Bless America.” The Peru Municipal Band will perform 7 p.m. Monday, July 3, at the Maud Powell Plaza.

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