Two hundred and fifty years, and we get to celebrate it right here at home. Saturday's Bangor-Brewer parade runs from Acme Road in Brewer across the bridge and down Main Street, same as always — except this year George Hale is the Grand Marshal, and if you grew up listening to Maine radio, you know why that's fitting. Friday's going to be a scorcher, so pace yourself. The full weekend rundown is below.

Friday is the hot one — 96 and humid, the kind of day where the shade finds you before you find it.

Saturday cools to 87 for the parade, but keep one eye on the sky — there's a decent chance a thunderstorm rolls through at some point.

Sunday is the pick of the weekend: 84, sunny, and the humidity finally backs off. 

If Saturday's forecast has you second-guessing, you know my rule — look out the window. If you don't like the weather in Maine, wait five minutes.

Forecast from AccuWeather, pulled Thursday, July 2.

FRIDAY — GODSMACK WITH STONE TEMPLE PILOTS AND DOROTHY
Maine Savings Amphitheater, 1 Railroad Street, Bangor. Gates for a 7 p.m. show. Three rock acts on one bill to open the holiday weekend on the waterfront. Tickets start around $35. No lawn chairs, coolers, or outside food — concessions and a 21+ beer tent are inside.

SATURDAY — BANGOR & BREWER FOURTH OF JULY — AMERICA'S 250TH
This is the anchor of the whole weekend, and it runs all day. The Walter Hunt Memorial 3K — Maine's fastest road race — starts at 9:45 a.m. in Brewer and follows the parade route ($15 registration). The parade steps off at 10 a.m. from Acme Road in Brewer, crosses the bridge, and rolls down Main Street in Bangor to Exchange Street. This year's Grand Marshal is George Hale, who's spent more than seven decades on Maine radio and TV — a fitting choice for the 250th. Food trucks open on the Bangor Waterfront at 1 p.m. The Chords For Cure concert with The Stone Doctors takes the stage at 5:30 p.m. at Railroad and Front streets — free, with a bucket collection for children with cancer through the Pediatric Center in Brewer. Last year the crowd raised over $8,000. Fireworks go up over the Penobscot River at 9:30 p.m. Free concert parking at the Bangor Savings Bank Parkade. Streets along the parade route close to traffic, so plan accordingly — and with the heat, bring water and sunscreen.

SATURDAY — THE DECLARATION AT 250: A RARE VIEWING
Here's something you may never get another chance at. The Bangor Historical Society is bringing out its seldom-displayed William J. Stone copy of the Declaration of Independence — the engraving commissioned in 1820 that took Stone three years to produce, known as the "official copy." It's on view Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Downtown Bangor Welcome Center, 33 State Street, and admission is free. The timing couldn't be better: watch the parade come down Main Street, then walk a couple of blocks and stand in front of the document the whole day is about. On the 250th anniversary, that's not a bad way to spend twenty minutes.

SUNDAY — EUROPEAN MARKET AT INGRID'S
Corner of Franklin and Harlow streets, across from the Bangor Public Library, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Local and world-wide meats, seafood, produce, baked goods, and gifts from Ingrid's German Gift Shop. A quieter way to land the holiday weekend — and Sunday's weather is made for it.

Downtown Bangor is decked out for the Semiquincentennial through July 11 — worth a stroll even if you're just headed to dinner.

First Friday Art Walk hits downtown Bangor Friday evening — local artists hosted in shops and galleries all over the district, free.

Sunday's the day for Hirundo Wildlife Refuge in Old Town — free trails, canoes on Pushaw Stream, and the best weather of the weekend. No dogs, so Scout sits this one out. From experience, I can tell you that you want to protect yourself from mosquitos. I recommend head gear and repellant.  Hirundo is amazing and well worth the trip.

LOCAL STORIES WORTH HEARING ON MAINE THRIVE VOICES

If you've ever dropped your dog off somewhere and spent the whole day wondering how it's going, you'll want to hear this one. Peter Richmond runs Woof LLC in Glenburn — daycare, boarding, and grooming — and on Episode 6 of Maine Thrive Voices, he talks about what it actually takes to build a business where the clients can't tell you what they need. It's a conversation about trust, hard work, and the kind of care you can't fake. Listen on Spotify here

Skip the mowing during a heat wave — or at least raise the deck. Taller grass shades its own roots and holds moisture, and a lawn cut short in 90-degree heat browns out fast.  My wife is gonna laugh at this one; she will think it's another excuse. It is but it's a good one.

Heat sneaks up on you at an all-day event like Saturday's. Drink water before you're thirsty, and if you feel dizzy or stop sweating, get to shade and cool down right away.

This weekend edition is brought to you by North Star Property Solutions. Tony LaPrino is the Penobscot Valley's Property Preparation Specialist — getting homes and properties ready for whatever comes next, done right the first time. Call 207-745-5304. He answers his phone and he shows up when he says he's going to.

That's the weekend — 250 years and one good parade. If you snap a photo Saturday worth sharing, hit reply; I read every one. The next full edition of the Penobscot Valley Voice lands Tuesday morning, July 7. Happy Fourth, neighbors.