WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The town is getting a jump on July 4 with a full day and night of activities on Friday to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

 

The three-day holiday weekend begins on Friday at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting at Spring Street’s Images Cinema. The newly renovated movie house will welcome the community to enjoy its new seats and upgraded audio/visual system while watching previews of upcoming films from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

 

At noon, the action shifts to South Williamstown for a full day and night of activities.

 

The Williamstown Historical Museum is hosting a "Family Fun Fest" from noon to 4 with historic tours, music, games, prizes and a reading of the founding documents.

 

The Green Mountain Boys from Vermont are scheduled to do family-friendly drill and musket demonstrations, and the Berkshire Fife and Drum Corps and Flatbed Jazz Band are slated to perform.

 

The day also includes a walking tour of nearby Southlawn Cemetery and a self-guided tour of Williamstown sites that date back to 1776.

 

"Then the action shifts across the street to Waubeeka Golf Links," Select Board member Matthew Neely, a member of the Williamstown 250 organizing committee, told his colleagues at last week’s board meeting.

 

"Starting at 4:30, we have a terrific concert lineup with acts based in Williamstown or Western Mass."

 

The show starts with Latin Grammy-winning children’s artist and author Mister G of Franklin County from 4:30 to 5:30.

 

The Wanda Houston Band takes the stage at 6 for an R&B celebration. It will be followed by Karl Mullen and Dublin Castle Express. And the concert wraps up with classic blues from Albert Cummings and guest James Montgomery.

 

"We do encourage carpooling," Neely said. "You can bring a blanket and a chair like at Tanglewood. The only thing we ask is you don’t bring alcohol. Both events are completely free outside with food and alcohol available for purchase.

 

"We hope this is something that brings the town and the larger community together."

 

Music lovers looking for a different vibe on Friday evening can attend a concert by Folk Singer Melissa Brinton on the lawn at the Williams Inn from 4 to 8 p.m. New York’s Fisher’s Island alcoholic lemonade will be on hand with complimentary samples.

 

Saturday’s festivities will be more familiar to residents, starting with 9 a.m. Yoga and Meditation hosted by Tasha Yoga on the Williams Inn lawn and the town’s weekly farmer’s market from 9 to 1 p.m. in the nearby parking lot at the bottom of Spring Street.

 

At 11 a.m., the town’s annual July 4 parade steps off on Southworth Street for its trek up Main Street and down Spring Street, where, at 11:30, the town will hold its annual hot dog cookout.

 

Starting at noon, there are a variety of family-friendly events, including a concert by the band Brass-O-Maia on the Post Office steps, a free community swim at Sand Springs Pool until 5 p.m., and another open house at Images from noon to 1:30. Images later will screen the Sundance Film Festival’s Short Film Tour from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

 

At 1, Williams College offers a reading of the founding documents at Chapin Hall and a chance to view historic copies of those documents in Sawyer Library from 2 to 3 p.m.

 

Melissa Brinton returns to the Williams Inn lawn from 4 to 8 for anyone who missed Friday evening’s performance.

 

And from 6 to 9, the North Adams Lions Club will offer a charity cookout at the Taconic Golf Club parking lot, leading up to the town’s annual fireworks show at 9 p.m. The grounds to the golf club will be open at 6 p.m. to find your viewing spot.

 

"We have a lot of generous donors who have stepped forward to support these events, and we’ll thank them from the stage at Waubeeka," Neely said. "The fireworks and the bands, everything is paid for to make it free."