Bath will celebrate Independence Day and Bath’s maritime heritage during Bath Heritage Days July 4-8.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Maine Maritime Museum, this year the event focuses on Bath’s maritime legacy. The festival theme “Celebrating our Maritime History” and Fourth of July parade theme “Life Along the Kennebec” embrace all aspects of this heritage.

Bath Heritage Days takes place over Independence Day weekend with five fun-filled days of activities for the entire family beginning Wednesday, July 4. Events include the holiday’s traditional Fourth of July parade, carnival and fireworks, plus a Kennebec River boat parade, art show, craft show, Kids’ Day, fireman’s muster, fun run and 5K, antique car show, chicken barbecue, chili-chowder fest, Whoopie Pie-eating contest and live music.

The festival’s schedule of free outdoor concerts presents a roster of accomplished regional musicians, the cream of local talent and exciting national acts on two stages at the Library Park gazebo and the Waterfront Park dock overlooking the Kennebec.

Local nonprofits take part with booths and activities at Library Park ranging from a book sale to benefit the Patten Free Library and the Cosmopolitan Club’s Strawberry Shortcake Festival to a Chili/Chowderfest and Maine’s First Ship mast floating at the Freight Shed.

This year will see the introduction of some new healthy community initiatives to the festival. Recyclable as well as standard trash collection bins will be available on the festival grounds. Also new will be the designation of Library Park as a tobacco-free area, which will be posted with signs asking festival-goers to refrain from smoking cigarettes within the park grounds. This healthy community effort is being organized in collaboration with Healthy Maine Partnerships and sponsored by Mid Coast Hospital.

The 40th annual Heritage Days will also see the reinstatement of Kids’ Day after a one-year hiatus. Crafts and other free activities for young children will be offered on Friday, July 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Library Park.

Bath Heritage Days is supported by many local businesses and presenting sponsors, General Dynamics, WPOR, WCLZ, Bud Light, WGME-13 and Shipyard Brewing Company.

For a full schedule of events, go to www.BathHeritageDays.com.