Orland Park to celebrate Fourth of July

Originally Posted: June 23, 2013 Orland Park has a variety of events planned for the week of the Fourth of July, according to the village’s parks and recreation department. Here are some of them:
City Lights Orchestra
From 5 to 7 p.m. on June 30, Rich Daniels and the City Lights Orchestra will perform a free concert at Centennial Park West near the Colette Highlands subdivision. The concert has become an annual event in the village. City Lights has been entertaining audiences since 1974 with a wide variety of music and will feature some holiday-related selections during the concert.
Bring the blankets, lawn chairs and maybe have a picnic with family or friends while enjoying the concert. Concessions will be available for purchase.
Liberty Family Fun Run and Walk
This two-mile fun run and one-mile walk will begin at 7 p.m. July 3 (check-in at 5:30 p.m.) at Centennial Park by the 153rd Street Metra station. It’s open to participants of all ages and will feature a new course layout this year.
The run costs $14 per resident and $20 for non-residents, while the walk costs $8 per resident ($12 for non-residents). Pre-race packets will be available at the Human Race, 15148 LaGrange Road, from June 28 until July 2. Visit the village’s website at www.orland-park.il.us or call (708) 403-PARK for more information.
Independence Day fireworks
From 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. July 4 at Centennial Park, the band Final Say will perform prior to the village’s fireworks show. For more information, call (708) 403-7275.
As for some key events not connected to the Fourth of July, the Check B4 You Drive program of the Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation will be conducted July 12 and 13 at the Tinley Park Fire Department Tower Training Center, 7840 W. 183rd St., Tinley Park.
The foundation sponsors the Safe Driver Initiative and employs the Check B4UDrive model for teaching teens with diabetes about the importance of testing their blood sugar before they take to the road as well as using safe driving techniques when their blood sugar is under control.
The program again this year will use special goggles to give teen drivers an idea of what it’s like to be impaired while driving due to intoxication or low blood sugar.
Registration is under way for this important event, which has a limit of 15 participants. Visit www.jdnolimits.org for more information.
Also, Orland Park’s parks and recreation department, in association with Skyhawks, a sports training company, is offering skills and sports instruction for myriad sports this summer. Beginning June 24, Tennis with Quickstart will be offered for ages 4 to 8 and gold instruction for ages 5 to 9. On July 8, a basketball camp opens for ages 7 to 14 and T-Ball instruction begins for ages 3 and 4 and 5 and 6.
The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls camps will be offered this summer through the department in association with the Bulls/Sox Academy. Instruction for the Bulls camp begins July 15 for ages 6 to 12, while the White Sox camp starts July 22 for ages from 5 to 11.
There are also camps for various other sports, such as volleyball, horseback riding, soccer and lacrosse. Check the department’s spring/summer 2013 program guide or visit www.orland-park.il.us.