The traditional Whidbey Island Fourth of July celebrations return this year, starting July 3 with Celebrate America and continuing July 4 with the annual Maxwelton Fourth of July parade and the Oak Harbor Old Fashioned Fourth.

• The eighth annual Celebrate America festival will begin at about 4 p.m. today at Freeland Park, when roads around the park will close and Island Transit buses will begin a shuttle from to the park from Washington Mutual Bank. Parking is also available in the downtown Freeland area.

  Festival foods will be available and a children’s area will feature face painting, the Glad Tidings puppet and drama team and other activities. Also scheduled for kids only will be an Oreo cookie stacking contest at 6 p.m.

  People with some anxiety to calm can also bash a beater car for a buck starting at 5 p.m., with proceeds helping fund the festival.

  Dave Colburn and Predators of the Heart will present a high-impact program with live animals at 7 p.m. about the dangers of alcohol and drug use, with appearances by a bobcat, a 5-foot alligator, a 12-foot-long python, an augar buzzard, a cougar and an 83-pound snapping turtle.

  Other guest performances include rock ballads by the local band Broken Chains and songs by Northwest performer Dawn Hingson, who has performed with a rock band and opened sports events singing “The Star Spangled Banner.”

  The Blackjacks Flying Club will do several flybys at 9 p.m., including the famous “Missing Man Formation,” honoring those who have lost their lives in the service of their country. A patriotic program with color guard and national anthem will honor America’s veterans with songs and speeches, and a special presentation will recognize emergency services workers who serve the community.

  The fireworks show over Holmes Harbor will begun at dusk, about 10:30 p.m., ending the celebration. See pictures of last year’s event by following the link to Celebrate America at www.swag-online.org.

• On the Fourth of July, the annual Maxwelton Parade will begin at 1 p.m. at the corner of Swede Hill and Maxwelton Roads (the Teel farm) and wind its way down to the park. Participants should meet at noon at Maxwelton and Swede Hill roads.

  Spectators will see Scout troops, floats, costumed marchers and the always popular Procession of the Species, along with this year’s grand marshal, longtime Maxwelton beach resident Myron Brixner. After the parade a color guard will perform a flag raising ceremony and then the old-fashioned Fourth of July picnic will begin.

  The Maxwelton Community Club will serve hot dogs, pop, water and strawberry shortcake near the ball field, and relay races, sprints, one-legged racers and an egg tossing contest will be part of the day’s activities.

  Those attending the parade are urged to park cars at the Maxwelton Christian Fellowship Church on French Road and shuttle to the parade location. Parking spaces at the park are usually filled by noon.

  For more information call parade coordinator Dana Gilroy at 579-5930.

  Anyone with historical photos, stories or documents of the Maxwelton area are asked to bring them to Virginia Price’s home (across from the ballpark). The book about the natural and social history of the Maxwelton Watershed is scheduled for publication this fall. For more information call 579-1272.

• Up north in Oak Harbor, there is a whole day of Fourth of July festivities centered around City Beach Park, from food and games to a carnival that will run through the weekend.

  The July 4th grand parade will begin at Pioneer Way at 11 a.m. with a flyover of planes from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. There will be arts, crafts and food booths from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; a strawberry shortcake feast from 2 to 8 p.m.; the brand new Rubber Ducky Regatta at 3 p.m.; and old fashioned family games from 4-6 p.m.

  At about 10 p.m., a giant fireworks finale will end the day.