Paradise Station, 312 Paradise Lane, Ronks, will host its third annual Celebrate America event on Friday, July 3, from 4 to 10 p.m.

The event will include food trucks, games, a photo booth by South Central Photo Booths, drawings by Caricatures by Courtney, vendors, a patriotic Maker's Market by Creatively Lancaster, opportunities to interact with sponsors, and a train display by the Choo Choo Barn.

This year's vendors will be Casey Jones' Restaurant, the Barn Bistro, PA Boys BBQ, Walk-O Taco, Old Road Pretzels, Perry Pizza Co., Joe on the Go Coffee Co., Penny's Ice Cream, and Kona Ice of Lancaster and York. Only vendors at the Paradise Station property are recognized vendors of this event.

Celebrate America will culminate with a concert and fireworks show at 7:30 p.m. on the lawn. Former WGAL news anchor Anne Shannon will be the master of ceremonies. Patriotic music will be presented by the New Holland Band, along with Perfect Harmony and a choir, and Schaefer Fireworks will present 20 minutes of pyrotechnics.

This year's event will include special activities to celebrate the United States' 250th birthday, including a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, as well as a tie-in to the local importance that Lancaster County played in the birth of the nation.

The event will be held on the doorstep of land chartered by William Penn and given to Marie Ferree, who fled religious persecution in France. As part of Penn's Holy Experiment, Ferree requested a meeting with Penn to negotiate for land, and being impressed by her, he petitioned Queen Anne to grant her an audience. Ferree was given English citizenship and permission to colonize in Pennsylvania. In the New World, Penn's agents received her request for 2,000 acres in 1709. The land was purchased in 1712 under the name of Daniel Ferree, Marie's son, and the land was called Strasburg, after the place in the French region of Alsace where Marie and her family had found safety. The 26-acre Paradise Station property has been stewarded by the Prickett family since 2016.

A freewill offering will be received to help cover the cost of the event. No rain date is scheduled.

On-site parking is available for a fee per vehicle. Anyone planning to park a large bus at the event should contact organizers in advance at 717-687-5000 and dial ext. 117. Cash and credit cards will be accepted for payment. There will be no advance parking sales. All parking contributions at Paradise Station will go directly toward the cost of the fireworks show.

Alternately, for a fee, attendees may ride a Strasburg Rail Road train directly to Paradise Station. The train is not handicapped-accessible, so anyone who needs handicapped-accessible parking should plan to park at Paradise Station and have their handicap placard visible when approaching the parking guides. Spots will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, and drop-off is also available. Those who require advance assistance may call the aforementioned number.

On-site dining will be available at Casey Jones' Restaurant, where visitors may dine on a real P70, 80-ton coach car that once rode the rails of the Pennsylvania Rail Road. For one night only, the restaurant will be open until 11 p.m. Deck seating is also available. Reservations are required by calling the aforementioned number and selecting option 3.

For more information about Paradise Station, visit http://www.paradisestation.us.