Fourth of July celebration one of the area's largest

Fourth of July Celebrations
• July 4: Fourth of July parade 10 a.m. in downtown Reno. The parades starts at Virginia and Court streets, followed by Reno Celebrates America, 5 p.m. at Rancho San Rafael Park. Local musicians along with old-fashioned activities including watermelon and pie-eating contests and much more. Night ends with fireworks. Details: 323-3138.

• July 4: Star Spangled Sparks Fourth of July activities start 4 p.m., Victorian Square, downtown Sparks. The event includes free kids art projects and face painting followed by an aerial performance by The Heliosphere, all topped off by a 20-minute fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. Details: 353-2291 or sparksrec.com.

Each year, the city of Sparks puts on one of the most impressive displays of pyrotechnics in the area. But long before the fireworks go off in Victorian Square, the fun begins at the Sparks Marina.

Starting at 10 a.m. on July 4, the marina will be full of activities, music and food for the whole family. Spend the day soaking up the sun and playing in the water, but make sure you save some energy for the big show. Starting at 5 p.m., the streets around Victorian Square will fill up with folks staking out the best spot to see the fireworks. Vendors will sell food and drinks, and there will be plenty of entertainment, too. The Star Spangled Sparks Fireworks Spectacular begins at 9:30 p.m., right over John Ascuaga's Nugget.