Happy 230th Birthday America!

Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, June 28, 2006

In a county that is home to a major military installation and an equally important shipbuilding facility, it’s no surprise that Kitsap County celebrates the birth of the nation in a big way. Or several big ways.

There are no less than four Kitsap towns marking the Fourth of July with festivities ranging from parades and street dances to performing pigs and of course, fireworks.

Starting in the North End of the county, Kingston marks the day with a celebration dubbed “Paint the Town Red White and Blue.” In fact, the celebration is so big it can’t be contained in one day — the fun begins on July 2 and builds to the grand finale, fireworks over Apple Tree Cove at dusk on the Fourth.

Highlights include a blessing of the pets, 10:30 a.m. July 2, a performance by the Navy Band, noon July 3 and a parade down — what else — Main Street at noon on the Fourth.

A favorite of the Kingston event is Tiny Town, where a variety of performances are held and large inflatable toys entertain children of all ages. It’s located on First Street. Just follow the kids. It opens at 10 a.m. each day.

Mike Wallace Memorial Park at the marina will be abuzz with activity on the Fourth. It’s the site of the farmers market as well as performances by JP Patches, Johnny 5, Randy Linder and Jr. Cadillac.

The Kingston Fourth of July celebration shows that Kingston is a true community, not just a Washington State Ferry terminal.

Poulsbo continues its tradition of getting a jump on the holiday, with festivities centered around the Third of July.

Waterfront Park will busy from noon on, culminating in fireworks over Liberty Bay at 10:30 p.m.

Eating contests are a main feature of the day, starting with a seed spitting contest at noon and a crowning of the Seed Spitting King and Queen, followed by competitive gorging on watermelons, ice cream and pizza.

At 7 p.m. the Marines Silent Drill Team performs its choreographed display of discipline, followed at 8 p.m. at Kvelstad Pavilion by the Navy rock-n-roll band, Passage.

Port Orchard wraps up its week-long Fathoms o’ Fun Festival on the Fourth with fireworks over Sinclair Inlet at 10:30 p.m. They will also be clearly visible from the Bremerton side of the inlet.

Bainbridge Island kicks off its 39th Annual Grand Old Fourth of July celebration with a street dance and barbecue July 3 along Winslow Way. It’s actually more of a day of entertainment, with music starting at 1 p.m. at the Gazebo Stage at Winslow Green, leading up to the street dance at 7 p.m. with music by The Original Fenderskirts, on Winslow Way. The main downtown thoroughfare will be closed to traffic from 3 p.m. July 3 through 8 p.m. July 4.

The Kid Zone stage on Winslow Way features performances by Ovation! Musical Theatre, the Swingin’ Hepcats and DJ Brant Butte. There will also be a variety of inflatable toys, face painting sidewalk chalk art and other activities.

Town and Country Market fires up the barbie for a meal of luau chicken, rice and grilled veggies, and new this year, there will be a beer garden in the parking lot behind American Marine Bank.

The Fourth of July events start with a pancake breakfast from 7-11 a.m. in the T&C parking lot, followed by another full day of activities.

A highlight is a performance by the famous Valentine’s Performing Pigs at 11 a.m. at the Waterfront Park stage. This troupe of highly trained pot-bellied pigs from Gig Harbor will perform the daring feats of acrobatics that have won them national fame, including appearances on Oprah and David Letterman.

The much-anticipated “Mile Long Parade” begins at 1 p.m., and makes its way down Madison Avenue and Winslow Way.

Free parking is available at Ace Hardware, Kitsap Bank, Bainbridge High School, Woodward Middle School and Sakai School, with a free Kitsap Transit shuttle to the corner of SR 305 and Winslow Way every 15 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Schedules for the holiday celebrations

Kingston

Fourth of July

8 a.m.: Pancake breakfast, Yacht Club

Noon: Parade

Mike Wallace Park:

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Farmers market

2 p.m.: JP Patches

4 p.m.: Johnny 5

6 p.m.: Randy Linder

8:15 p.m.: Jr. Cadillac

Dusk (approximately 10 p.m.)

Fireworks over Apple Tree Cove

Tiny Town

July 2

10 a.m.: Hula hoop contest

10:30 a.m.: Blessing of the pets

11 a.m.: Ice cream eating contest

1 p.m.: Thrash and Bayside

Community Church Worship Band

2 p.m.: On Foreign Soil

3 p.m.: Katie Webster

3:45 p.m.: Slug races

4 p.m.: Paul Williams

5 p.m. Techno Dance Music with

DJ Steven

July 3

All rides half price

10 a.m.: Native American songs

and storytelling

11 a.m.: Liberty Bay Dance Works

Noon: Navy Band

1 p.m.: Jems

2 p.m.: Maureen and Molly Walmsley

3:45 p.m.: Slug races

4 p.m.: Been There Done That

July 4

10 a.m.: Thrash and Bayside

Community Church Worship Band

1:30 a.m.: “National Anthem” by Katie

Webster

1:30 a.m.: Ball Race

2 p.m.: Kingston Court presents

awards

3 p.m.: Boot-Scootin’ Grannies

3:45 p.m.: Slug Races

Poulsbo Third of July,

Waterfront Park

Noon: Displays and booths open on

Anderson Parkway

1 p.m.: Rhythm n’ Shoes Cloggers

2 p.m.: Liberty Bay Dance Works

3 p.m.: Seed spitting contest,

watermelon eating contest, ice cream

eating contest, pizza eating contest

7 p.m.: Poulsbo Yacht Club and

Poulsbo Marina review parade of

boats. Liberty Bay

7 p.m.: Navy rock and roll band

Passages

10:30 p.m.: Fireworks ceremony and

display over Liberty Bay

Bainbridge Island

July 3

Gazebo Stage at Winslow Green

1 p.m.: Washington Natural Brass

2:30 p.m.: Intensely Vigorous

Dixieland Band

4 p.m.: Kaitlin Rose

5:30 p.m.: The Lubricators

7:30 p.m.: Soundproof Highway

Winslow Mall

5:30 p.m.: Odyssey Marimba Band

6:30 p.m.: Introduction of Strawberry

Festival court

7 p.m.: Street dance with The Original

Fenderskirts

Kid Zone Stage, Winslow Way

5:30 p.m.: Ovation! Musical Theatre

of Bainbridge Island, followed by The

Swingin’ Hepcats

7 p.m.: DJ Brant Butte

July 4

7-11 a.m.: Pancake breakfast, Town

and Country parking lot

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Street fair, Waterfront

Park area

9:30 a.m.: Run for Bainbridge Youth

Services, check-in begins 7:30 a.m.,

Winslow Mall

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Classic Car Show,

American Marine Bank and

Washington Mutual Bank parking lots

11 a.m.: Valentine’s Performing Pigs,

Waterfront Park Stage

11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Beer Garden,

American Marine Band parking lot

Noon: Home Town Band, Winslow

Mall

1 p.m.: Mile Long Parade, Madison

Avenue and Winslow Way

2:15 p.m.: Johnny Sound and the

Furies, Waterfront Park stage