Festivities are planned in Alleghany and Grayson counties to celebrate the 225th anniversary of America's Declaration of Independence.

• Sparta's Fourth of July Parade will be held downtown this Saturday, June 30, beginning at 11 a.m. The parade, coordinated by the Sparta Revitalization Committee, will begin with a flyover by a U.S. Army National Guard blackhawk helicopter. Floats and a dressed-dog contest will be featured during the parade, with other family events downtown after the parade.
  The parade's theme is "Hometown USA." County Commissioner Charity Gambill is grand marshal and will be honored with a ceremony Saturday afternoon.
  
• Sparta and Alleghany County's fireworks show is slated for the evening of Wednesday, July 4. The town and county are sharing the $2,000 cost of the program, for which they have contracted Hale Artificier Inc. The display will use a total of 279 aerial shells, including special effects, "spiders," "crossettes" and a 50-shell, red, white and blue finale.
  The show will begin at about 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. The rain date is July 5. However, temporary periods of rain will probably not prevent the show from being held on July 4, according to County Manager Don Adams. The fireworks will still be shot that evening if the rain subsides. This year the fireworks will be launched from the new community softball field behind the Alleghany High School, instead of from Woodruff Field as in years past. The road going to the Lion's Club Pavilion will be closed to the public, but the rest of the road to the high school, up to and including the turn-around in front of the building, will remain open.
  
• Also on July 4, day-long holiday festivities in Independence, Va. will begin with the Grayson Mountain Heritage Festival, featuring food vendors and arts and crafts displays. The festival starts at 8 a.m. at the 1908 Courthouse in Independence. Festivities will continue at the Grayson County High School ballfield beginning at noon. A fireworks display will cap off the celebration, ending at about 10 p.m.

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