Times Observer file photo The Fourth of July Committee and city officials are working on plans for this year’s three-day celebration, which will include 73rd annual Fourth of July Parade.

Mark the calendar — the City of Warren Fourth of July celebration, including the parade, is on.

The Fourth of July Committee and city officials are working together and moving forward.

“We’re in the planning stages,” Fourth of July Organization Chairman Bill Thompson said. “The city… they’re all good. We’ve had a couple meetings with them.”

The three-day event will open with Music in the Park featuring Smokehouse at 7 p.m. Friday, July 2. Instead of the usual Soldiers and Sailors Park location, this special edition of Music in the Park will be held at Betts Park.

The 73rd annual Fourth of July Parade will be held on Saturday, July 3.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement that he would remove all COVID-related restrictions — with the exception of mask requirements — effective May 31, spectators and participants will not have to worry about distancing.

Parade registrations have started to come in, but they have been slower than usual.

Thompson is in discussions with the Shriners to designate the event as a “point parade.”

If that happens, as it has for two recent Fourth of July parades, all Shriner units in Northwestern Pennsylvania would participate. Thompson said that adds up to 10 to 15 units — enough that they have had their own division.

With the exception of the parade, all Fourth of July events will be held at Betts Park.

South 62 will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, James Patrick Hackett and the Kinzua All-Stars will perform until it gets dark enough for the fireworks to begin.

“I think we’ll get a pretty good crowd,” Thompson said. “People are ready to come out.