On Thursday, July 4, the United States will mark the 248th anniversary of its founding. On that same day, Lititz Springs Park, 24 N. Broad St., will celebrate the nation's birthday for the 207th time, with one of the longest continuous holiday celebrations in the country.

"July Fourth is that one day that takes me back to what it means to be an American," said Kellye Martin, a member of the Lititz Springs Park board. "It's good to sit back and reflect on how good we have it here. It's the one day that everyone comes together. We salute the flag. We salute our military. We salute our veterans. We put politics aside and we focus on all the things that make us Americans."

One of the biggest events in a downtown filled with annual events, Lititz Springs Park's Fourth of July all-day celebration is expected to draw 10,000 visitors. A combination of tasty food, foot-stomping music, family fun, community spirit and patriotism, the event requires the cooperation of multiple organizations, months of planning and the support of 52 sponsors who donated from $100 to $5,000.

"It's an old-school, small-town vibe," said Martin. "You can just feel the positive energy. You see a lot of enthusiasm in the morning, and it moves you through the day. Everyone in the kids' zone is so happy. They've got the games going and they've got entertainers. Of course, the fireworks is what you wait the whole day for. It's what keeps us volunteers going."

Following a 7 a.m. blanket dash for firework seating in the park, gates will officially open at 11 a.m. After the baby parade at 11:30 a.m. and the Lititz Lions Club holiday parade at 1 p.m., live music will begin at the bandshell at 2:30 p.m., followed by the kids' and adults' pie-eating contests at 4:30 p.m., a special presentation on pilots and flight at 6:30 p.m., the 83rd annual Queen of Candles competition at 8:15 p.m., a DJ-led dance party at the fireworks field at 9 p.m. and finally, the singing of the national anthem and the world-class, choreographed-to-music fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.

The kids' zone, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature games, free cotton candy, barrel train rides, a caricaturist, a martial arts presentation and a reptile presentation. About 30 food trucks will also be on hand throughout the day.

"Our number one goal is to bring the community together," said Martin. "It's a national holiday, and you can feel the sense of community that Lititz is known for."

The Fourth of July celebration costs $130,000 to stage. After those expenses are paid, the Lititz Springs Park board hopes to realize $75,000 to $100,000 for maintaining and operating the park.

"From my understanding, it was a very simple event at the beginning," said Martin of Lititz's Fourth of July celebration in 1818. "They did things like a baseball game, a cake walk - things that were of that time. We look at ourselves as stewards of this event, just holding the baton now until we pass it on to the next generation. We kind of have a responsibility to one-up ourselves each year. We try to be at the forefront of that."

For additional information about Lititz Springs Park, go to http://www.lititzspringspark.org.