Whether you’re looking for fireworks, to sit down with others to read Frederick Douglass and the Declaration of Independence, or to show off an antique car or decorated boat, there’s a little bit of everything in store across Hampshire County this Fourth of July weekend.

This year’s celebrations also coincide with the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding in 1776.

Fireworks, church bells, conch shells, live music, readings of the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglas are all taking place in Amherst over the weekend.

Several road closures will be in effect beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, as vendors and live entertainment will be set up on the South Lawn of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, the University of Massachusetts football field, ahead of fireworks at sunset. A rain date has been set for July 5 at the same time and location.

Those looking to attend can park in several designated campus parking lots, including lots 21, 22 and 33. Parking will also be available on Stadium Drive along Sortino Field and next to the University Child Care and Education Center on Stadium Drive. Lot 11 will be designated for seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. An ADA accessible van will be available to transport from the lot to the event site.

Public transportation options include the PVTA bus routes B43, 31, 33, and 38. Those being dropped off by Rideshare, Uber, Lyft, etc., should set their destination to “UMass Southwest Circle.”

Live entertainers will include the Northampton-based a capella group Green Street Brew from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m., rock band Frost Heaves and Hales from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. and the Amherst Community Band, featuring a program of patriotic favorites from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation,” said Town Manager Paul Bockelman in a statement. “Now, more than ever, it is important for us to unite with our neighbors and friends to reaffirm the principles upon which our fragile democracy was founded. We look forward to celebrating in Amherst with our annual Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks, a cherished tradition that has united our community since 1850.”

While fireworks will be heard Friday night, Saturday’s events start around 9 a.m. at the Fiddlers Green, the common in South Amherst, where the annual South Amherst Community July 4th celebration takes place.

Organized by those who live in the neighborhood and dating back more than a century, there will be a children’s costume parade, games and free watermelon, lemonade and ice cream, though per-family donations are suggested. Volunteers are welcome to assist with the set up and then the clean up.

Following that, the Amherst Historical Society is hosting a community reading of the Declaration of Independence at noon, from the steps of Town Hall.

The event will include the ringing of church bells throughout town and the blowing of a replica conch shell, a device once used to call residents to conduct town business. The Historical Society has several examples of conchs used by town officials over the years, including the original dating back to the 18th century.  The conch to be used was purchased for the event and is not historic.

Members of the Town Council will present a proclamation and state Rep. Mindy Domb will read the preamble. The event concludes with a non-denominational benediction from the Rev. Valentine Nworah of St. Brigid’s Church and a musical musical offering.

Weekend events culminate with the reading of “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” the speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852 in Rochester, New York.

For the fourth time, South Congregational Church is hosting this reading, at 3 p.m. at the 1066 South East St. site, in partnership with the town’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and with support from the Jones Library and the League of Women Voters of Amherst.

Along with the reading will be a performance by the Amherst Area Gospel Choir, a panel discussion of the speech, free books by African-American writers and a reception with refreshments.

The program is part of the church’s Arts and Social Justice Series, which also features a community book group discussion of Yaa Gyasi’s novel “Homegoing” on Sept. 30.

Before Saturday morning’s pancake breakfast and annual parade, a block party will take place in the center of town on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. for food, music and a car show.

The next morning, community members will head to the Fire Station, 5 North Road, for a pancake breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m.

At 10 a.m., the Declaration of Independence will be read, and Parade Marshals Mary Ann Rys and Ed Severance will give Lifetime Achievement awards to Lee Manchester and the family of Pete Banister.

Entertainment will be provided during breakfast, including roaming entertainers, historical exhibits, music, snacks and face-painting. At 11:30 a.m., following the parade, more entertainment will be on tap, including a barbecue at the First Congregational Church, 404 Main Road, and a magic show in Russell Park, 15 South St.

Marchers will include Chesterfield firefighters and police, Select Board members and veterans, Mark Ames from the Registry of Probate, state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Justamere Farm, the Ashmere Project, Hilltown Sleddogs, the Chesterfield Historical society with Clay Hill Farms, and many more.

Fifty people, representing 12 different countries, will become American citizens on the country’s 250th anniversary on Saturday.

With the historic Romanesque Hampshire County Courthouse serving as a backdrop, the Center for New Americans will hold its 18th annual July Fourth naturalization ceremony at 11 a.m. Weather permitting, the ceremony will take place inside the courthouse, located on the corner of Main and King streets.

As part of a 109-year tradition, everything will be old fashioned on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the the Pelham Historic Complex on the corner of Amherst Road and Daniel Shays Highway.

If weather permits, old-fashioned games will be played on the lawn from 1 to 2 p.m., including a burlap sack race, a three-legged race and a hemlock relay race. If it rains, a scavenger hunt with clues will take place in the museum.Then at 2 p.m., the community will meet inside Town Hall for a reading of the Declaration of Independence. The museum’s steeple bell will ring following the reading. Music is then scheduled at 3 p.m., featuring Cindy Naughton and Michael Flaherty and David Boyden while ice cream is served on the Town Hall kitchen counter.From 1 to 4 p.m., the museum will be open for residents to view an exhibit: “Pelham’s townfolk: seeking and defending freedom,” which highlights the role of Pelham in America’s history, including wars, and the Civil Rights Women’s Rights movements.

Parking is available at the Old Town Complex, 351 Amherst Road. Organizers request that parking spots in front of the museum be reserved for people with difficulty walking. Police will be available to assist. Carpooling is encouraged.

Pelham held its first “Old Home Day” in 1917. The event is a traditional New England custom begun in 1899 to welcome former residents back and renew the bonds of the community with shared meals, old-fashioned games, music, and stories of the town’s past.

Frederick Douglas’s words and the Declaration of Independence will be mulled over in the pavilion behind Shaw Hudson Library, 312 Main St., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Since the pavilion’s picnic tables there are gone, organizers advise people to bring a chair. Attendees will read together and texts will be provided. A discussion will follow the reading.

The event, hosted by Plainfield Reads and many other organizations, is funded in part by Mass Humanities, the West Cummington Congregational Church, and the Plainfield, Cummington, and Worthington Cultural Councils, which are funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

May the best boat win when Shutesbury’s annual boat parade and decorating contest sets sail on Friday at dusk on Lake Wyola, 94 Lakeview Road. Registration for boats has already closed.

Boats will circle the lake bedecked with lights beginning at around 8 p.m. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded on July 4. Also on the Fourth, a water carnival will be held at 10 a.m. with kayak races for people of all ages, and there will be a drawing for King and Queen of the lake.

Tickets are already sold out, but South Deerfield will host fireworks beginning at about 8:45 Friday. Community members will gather at Tree House Brewing, 1 Community Place. A rain date has been set for July 11.

South Hadley’s annual Fourth of July celebration at Michael E. Smith Middle School, 100 Mosier St., begins at 5 p.m. The evening will feature food trucks, vendors, children’s rides, and games, along with entertainment includes a DJ and an 8 p.m. performance by the South Hadley Community Band. The celebration concludes with fireworks at about 9:30 p.m.

Since the event is on school grounds, alcohol and tobacco products are prohibited. Parking is not permitted on Routes 116, 202, or 33, or the following streets: Mosier Street, Morgan Street, Brainerd Street, Pine Street, Parkview Drive, West Parkview Drive, Richview Avenue and Belmont Avenue.

Parking will be available at Mosier School and St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, 9 East Parkview Dr., until 7 p.m. or until the parking lots reach full capacity. On Newton Street, Veryl’s Automotive and Beers & Story Funeral Home offer parking for a fee, with proceeds going to charity.