Downtown Bellevue

The Symetra Bellevue Family 4th is getting ready to launch its annual show-stopping fireworks display set to the music of the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra. The celebration, the Eastside’s largest Independence Day event, will be held Sunday, July 4 at Bellevue’s Downtown Park, beginning at 2 p.m.

A total of 60,000 people are expected at the event. During the day, there will be live entertainment on the Main Stage and a full range of events in the Bellevue Parks Family Fun Zone. Festival food and refreshments will be available for purchase in the southwest parking lot near the playground. Event highlights include:

Main Stage

Live entertainment, including performances from top regional bands, will begin at 3:30 p.m.

A C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Lewis-McChord will make a precise flyover around 4:40 p.m.

Throughout the afternoon, winners of Symetra’s kids essay contest will receive a host of prizes, including autographed Seahawks gear, a free week at a Bellevue YMCA camp, $100 gift cards to the Bellevue Collection, and much more. Visit www.symetracommunity.com/programs/family4th for entry form and more information.

The Bellevue Fire and Police Department Honor Guard will conduct the presentation and placement of colors at 8:40 p.m., followed by the National Anthem performed by a trio of student vocalists from Bellevue High School.

At 9:30 p.m., the Bellevue Philharmonic will perform a patriotic concert set, under the direction of Michael Miropolsky, leading up to the countdown of the Eastside’s most spectacular fireworks display with Kaci Aitchison of Q13 Fox.

An array of kids’ activities, including carnival bouncers, slides, a mountain climbing wall, jugglers, stilt walkers, mascot characters, storytellers and face painting, will open in the Bellevue Parks Family Fun Zone at 2 p.m., for ages 3 and up.

Kids of all ages can partake in old-fashioned picnic games, including a sack race, three-legged race,

bean bag toss, tic-tac-toe, a hula-hoop competition, and more. Games will get underway near the Symetra Community Spotlight Pavilion at 3 p.m., and are free of charge.

Symetra Community Spotlight Pavilion

Starting at 3 p.m., representatives from the American Cancer Society, Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra, Look, Listen and Learn, YMCA of Greater Seattle, Senior Services, and the Pacific Science Center will showcase local nonprofit programs and connect guests to volunteer opportunities.

Getting to the Symetra Bellevue Family 4th

The 20-acre Bellevue Downtown Park is located immediately south of Bellevue Square at 10201 NE Fourth Street.

Complimentary event parking is offered after 6 p.m. at Bellevue Square (Garage entrances on Bellevue Way NE, NE Fourth Street, 100th Avenue NE and NE Eighth Street). Free parking also is available in the visitors lot at Bellevue City Hall (450 110th Avenue NE).

After the event, drivers are encouraged to use NE Second Street, NE 10th Street or NE 12th Street to cross

I-405 and exit downtown.

Schedule of Events

2 p.m. Bellevue Parks Family Fun Zone opens Bellevue Downtown Park

3 p.m. Symetra Community Spotlight Pavilion and Old-Fashioned Picnic Games open Bellevue Downtown Park

4:40 p.m. approx. C-17 Flyover from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Bellevue Downtown Park airspace

5:30 p.m. Rae Solomon Country singer, Main Stage

7:30 p.m. 3D R&B, funk and dance hits, Main Stage

8:40 p.m. Honor Guard presentation & placement of the colors Bellevue Fire & Police Departments, Main Stage

8:55 p.m. The National Anthem performed by Bellevue High School trio, Main Stage

9:30 p.m. Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra Special Independence Day performance, Main Stage

10:05 p.m. Fireworks display set to live performance by Bellevue Philharmonic; countdown by Kaci Aitchison of Q13 Fox Bellevue Downtown Park.

Newcastle

Activities begin at 6 p.m. with picnicking at Lake Boren Park, followed by a rock concert at 8 p.m. and fireworks at 10 p.m. Newcastle’s musical prodigy Brandon Willis will lead into the fireworks with his saxophone rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Guests attending the fireworks are encouraged to bring their own picnics. Summertime snack foods will be available for sale on site, including snow cones, kettle corn, chips, soda and bottled water. The concert features Shelley & the Curves.

Lake Boren Park is located at SE 84th Ave. Limited parking is available on site, as well as nearby off Coal Creek Parkway. City walking trails also lead to the site. A free shuttle will be available for rides to and from Newcastle Elementary School at 8400 136th Ave. SE, Newcastle.

Newport Hills

The Newport Hills Community Club, the Newport Hills Community Church, the city of Bellevue and local merchants will host an annual 4th of July Celebration in Newport Hills on Saturday, July 3.

Festivities include a children’s parade at 11:30 a.m., an old fashioned picnic, live performances, field games, arts, Dizzy’s Tumble Bus and more. The event will take place in Newport Hills Park.

The day will begin as Ed Raftery in his 1928 all original Model A Ford Roadster Pick-up leads the children’s parade with decorated bikes, trikes, wagons and strollers around the track at the former Eastside Catholic High School.

After the parade, hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese quesadillas will be prepared and served by Newport Hills volunteers.

As part of the celebration, the Newport Hills Community Church choir members will perform a selection of old time favorites and patriotic songs followed by local performing artists.

The picnic in the park will end at 3 p.m., but free swimming will be provided from 3-7 p.m. at the Newport Swim and Tennis Club, 5464 119th Ave. SE.