Jun. 27—Fourth of July events gear up Friday in the region and culminate with fireworks shows in Joplin and Carthage on Thursday, July 4.

Seneca

Seneca’s celebration of Independence Day starts Friday with a 6 p.m. car show on Main Street.

Events continue Saturday with a 7 a.m. 5K Run on Main Street. Registration opens at 6 a.m. That will be followed by a 10 a.m. parade. After the parade, activities move to Seneca Park across from the Seneca High School, where there will be games for kids, many of them free. Food trucks will be available and there will be a pie auction.

A tug-of-war contest will be held with a $50 entry fee for teams and cash prizes of $750 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place.

There will be a duck race at 6:30 p.m.

The day will be capped by fireworks at dark.

Neosho

Celebrate Neosho events kick off at 4 p.m. Saturday in the downtown square with an opening ceremony featuring Keith Brumfield that will include a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem.

Activities will include a bounce house, water slides, a giant sandbox, bungee jumping, giant swing, kiddie train and pony rides.

A batting cage will be on site at East Side Social. Water gun wars will be offered by Briar & Thistle. Trouw Nutrition will sponsor craft activities.

Registration will open at 4:30 p.m. for a watermelon seed spitting contest that will start at 5 p.m. The competition will be held for three age groups: 11 years old and younger, ages 12 to 17, and 18 and older.

Registration for a kiddie tractor pull opens at 4:30 p.m., with the event starting at 5:30 p.m. for three age groups: 3 to 4 years old, 5 to 6 years old and 7 to 8 years old. There will be free T-shirts given to the first 50 children registered.

At 5 p.m., registration begins for a 5:30 p.m. cornhole tournament for those 18 and older. After the competition, cornhole will be open to public play.

A balance bike race will start at 5:30 p.m. for children ages 2 to 4. Parents are to bring bikes and helmets for the participants and registration is open in advance online. The form can be accessed by going to https://www.neoshomo.gov/178/Celebrate-Neosho.

A variety of music will be played through the event on the Main Stage. Rebecca Hawkins will perform from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., Devin Hames from 6 to 7:15 p.m., and the Lost Dogs from 7:30 p.m. to dark.

The annual celebration culminates at 9:30 p.m. with fireworks.

Carl Junction

Festivities start with a decorating party for those who intend to enter the annual holiday’s traditional Most Patriotic Firecracker on Wheels parade contest. Decorating will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at The Well United Methodist Church, 601 W. Well St.

That sets the stage for the community’s annual Fourth of July parade at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 4, on Main Street.

Trophies and prizes will be given to the entries judged most patriotic. Parade entries can involve wagons, bikes, lawn mowers, scooters, strollers and such. Awards will given for first, second and third places in age groups of infant to age 6, ages 7 to 12, and those 13 and older.

There also will be parade categories for most patriotic pet; best decorated golf cart; most glorious group, team or business; and coolest vroom,vroom (vehicles).

Parade entries may register from 8:30 to 9 a.m. July 4 between Pennell and Broadway streets at the red tent, where entry numbers will be distributed. Parade participants will line up between the Carl Junction elementary schools, where entrants will directed to park. Judging will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Prizes and trophies will be awarded outside the Community Center directly following the parade. Entrants must be present to receive prizes.

Parade spectators may bring chairs to watch the parade, which begins on Broadway, goes east on Wells Street and north on Main Street.

Carthage

A 5K run and 1-mile fun walk will open festivities at the Carthage Red, White and Boom celebration on July 4. The daylong celebration will be held at Carthage Municipal Park, 521 Robert Ellis Young Drive.

The run will start at 7 a.m. and finish at 10 a.m. The run is a fundraiser for the Carthage cross-country team. Entries are $30 until June 30 and $35 after that. Signups can be done at https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=111938.

Awards will be given to the individual male and female winners and the top three finishers in all age groups.

After the run, a free swim will be offered at the Municipal Pool from noon to 8 p.m.

Food vendors will open at 3 p.m., and there will be face painting and kids games starting at that time.

The Kiwanis Kiddieland will offer free amusement rides for children 12 and younger.

Karaoke in the Park will be offered on stage from 3 to 6 p.m.

A watermelon feed starts at 6 p.m.

Music by Todd East & the BakBeatz will be played from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

The fireworks finale will start at 9:30 p.m.

Joplin

Joplin Parks and Recreation and Missouri Southern State University will join forces again this year to stage Joplin’s Independence Day celebration.

The fest begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4, at Fred G. Hughes Stadium on the MSSU campus. This family event will feature live music, bounce houses, food trucks, and an inflatable batting cage available before the fireworks.

The schedule includes:

—5:30 p.m.: Stadium opens with food trucks and bounce houses.

—7 p.m.: Live music by the New Waves.

—9:45 p.m.: fireworks show, approximate show time is 20 minutes.

The fireworks show will be set to music on 88.7 KXMS.

Seating is available in the stadium and along the grass around the field, and plenty of parking will be available throughout the university campus. Personal fireworks, pets, grills and alcohol are not allowed in the stadium.