This year’s annual Fourth of July celebration in Bangor’s Village Park will offer plenty for kids and adults to do before the big bangs light up the evening sky. It should provide an opportunity for an old-fashioned all-day picnic, topped off by a fireworks display

The affair, put on by the American Legion, will begin with a kids’ trout fishing contest from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The contest will offer three prizes in each of three age groups — under 7, 8 to 10 years old, and 11 to 12 years old.

The afternoon will feature games of all kinds for people of all ages. New this year will be games and crafts for 2-year-olds on up to fifth-graders. Bangor native Jennifer Kvistad proposed the activities for youngsters to replace the sawdust pile used in previous years.

“Jenny is really good with kids,” said Legion adjutant Butch Knutson.

“She said she would organize and arrange everything. In return she just asked us if we (the Legion) could donate money to be used for prizes. That sounded like a good deal to us,” Knutson said. The American Legion Auxiliary also donated money for the kids’ prizes to be awarded.

In addition to the kids’ games, there will be bingo games from 2 to 5:30 p.m. and then again from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Games of a more active sort will take place on the park’s baseball diamond. At 2 p.m, this year’s Bangor Legion team will take on Legion alumni players. At 7 p.m., the Bangor Red Birds will battle a team from Mauston.

All day long, beginning around 10 a.m, charcoal chicken will be available as well as other kinds of food and beverages. Plus, there will be music in the gazebo from 2 to 5 p.m by Dave Kiral and from 6 to 10 p.m. there will be karaoke and recorded music.

Another first this year will be a couple of bird shoots at the adjacent grounds of the Bangor Rod & Gun Club. One shoot will be for those 12 to 18 years of age; another will be open to those older than 18. Both contests are 100-bird shoots at 16 yards. Participants can sign up from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

After the Red Birds game, and just prior to the fireworks at 10 p.m, there will be a raffle drawing that should make at least five winners very happy. “We’ve got five $100 prizes to raffle off,” Knutson said.

He noted that the money raised from the raffle helps pay for the fireworks. “There’ll be Legion members there selling tickets, and I’d encourage people to help us out,” Knutson said.