Lewiston-Auburn’s much anticipated Liberty Festival will kick off its 28th annual celebration on Friday, July 4, with fireworks, family activities, food and beverage trucks and three days of musical entertainment.

“We’re excited about the whole festival,” said Cathy McDonald, co-chair of the festival’s organizing committee. “We’ve worked hard to try and bring in some good entertainment and variety for everyone.”

To kick off the weekend of music and merriment, the Country Roads band will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in Veterans Memorial Park in Lewiston. 

Zack Pomerleau will follow at 6 p.m. The Maine-born blues musician based out of Bradenton, Florida, will play an hourlong set of blues classics and original compositions.

Following Pomerleau’s performance, the award-winning Elvis Presley impersonator Robert Washington will take the stage at 7 p.m. 

Bazinga! will then fill the air with ’80s and ’90s hits starting at 8 p.m. Fireworks will start around 9:30 p.m. and then the band will return to play for an extra half hour after the fireworks.

Also on Friday, from 4:30-9:30 p.m. the Twisted Steel Car Club Show will present a display of collectible cars in the parking lot of the Lincoln Street Garage.  

Across the river at Great Falls Plaza in Auburn, a karaoke dance party will be led by DJ Scotty Dawg at 6 p.m. followed by an aerial arts presentation by Aerial Jade at 7:30 p.m. and another performance at 8:45 p.m. Auburn will also have face painting by Sasha Michaud and balloon twisting by Party Palooga.

Along both sides of the river, a variety of food vendors will be available throughout the evening, serving everything from pizza to barbecue to Jamaican cuisine.

The fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m. over the Androscoggin River. The show is presented by Nate LaVoie of Central Maine Pyrotechnics. “He takes great pride in putting on a fantastic show and he never fails us,” said McDonald. 

In the event of rain, the fireworks will take place on Saturday, July 5.

On Saturday, the party continues at 5:30 p.m. in Lewiston’s Veterans Memorial Park with Maine’s Got Talent 2024 winner JoAnna Hughes and her band, The Ditch Lilies, playing a mix of favorite country and rock tunes.

At 6:30 p.m. keyboardist Josh Hatfield will take the stage, playing a little bit of everything, followed by Amanda Tubbs and Friends presenting “Just Dance: A Tribute to Lady Gaga” from 7:30-10 p.m.

Food and novelty vendors will be available on Saturday as well. There is no rain date for this event.

Parking in Auburn at the Platz Associates lot will be by a $5 donation to Kaydenz Kitchen. In downtown Lewiston parking garages and lots, a $5 donation will benefit Wildcats Basketball.

“A Salute to the American Flag and Retirement Ceremony” will round out the weekend at 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, in Lewiston’s Veterans Park. All the way from Bangor, both the 195th Maine Army National Guard Brass and Rock Bands will perform. Community members are invited to bring any worn or damaged American flags for a proper retirement.

In the event of rain, the performance will be moved to the Franco Center at 46 Cedar St. and the flag retirement ceremony will be canceled.

McDonald said that thanks to fundraising efforts by the committee, the festival has a few more performances and activities than usual this year. 

“We try to add more excitement every year,” she said.