JULY 4 CELEBRATIONS TO BURST OUT ALL OVER A.V.

Antelope Valley's Independence Day celebration begins with a parade Friday morning in Acton, peaks with fireworks displays that night in Palmdale and Lancaster, and encores with racing and more fireworks Saturday in Rosamond.

All the entertainment is free.

Here's a list:

ACTON - Acton hosts its annual old-fashioned Independence Day parade, followed by a July 4 festival with games and food at the Acton Community Center.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, the parade rolls south down Crown Valley Road from Aliso Street to the community center, 3748 W. Nickels Ave., where the festival will start up as the parade ends.

The festivities include a tug of war, hay stealing contest, hog calling competition, mock Wild West gunbattle by the Acton Gunslingers, a dunk tank, pony rides, games and food booths. Veterans of Foreign Wars members will raise the U.S. flag at noon.

PALMDALE - A 90-minute performance by Disneyland house band The Bytes precedes the 9 p.m. fireworks show at the Palmdale High School football stadium, on 20th Street East south of Palmdale Boulevard.

Stadium gates open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Both grandstand seating and lawn seating are available. Food and soft drinks will be available, or spectators can bring their own picnic meals. No alcoholic beverages are permitted.

The 25-minute fireworks display will include both air and ground pieces.

LANCASTER - Lancaster's fireworks display, performed to music broadcast on radio station KMIX 106.3, is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 155 E. Ave. I.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the country western group Motherlode from 7 to 8:45 p.m. in the main grandstand. On Park Center Stage, the children's group Sunshine Generation will perform from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m., followed by Mr. Dyer's Daughters from 7 to 8:45 p.m.

Admission is free. Fairground gates open at 6 p.m. Seating is limited in the main arena and in the south bleachers.

Limited food concessions are available. Food and beverages may be brought into the fairgrounds, alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

The fireworks can also be viewed from Eastside Park, on Avenue I at 5th Street East.

ROSAMOND - Willow Springs International Raceway will be the site of a fireworks show at 10:15 p.m. July 5 following the Vintage Auto Racing Association annual race. Admission is free.

For a fee, people can sponsor individual skyrockets. The sponsor's name and dedication will be announced as each skyrocket is launched. The raceway is on Rosamond Boulevard at 80th Street West. Racing starts at 8 p.m.