Hinsdale families heading to Burlington Park on Saturday, July 4 will mark the nation's 250th birthday with a parade through downtown and an afternoon of food, crafts, and kids activities at the village's "4th for All" celebration.

The parade steps off at 10 a.m. from Sixth Street and Garfield Avenue. The full route map and schedule are posted at villageofhinsdale.org/fourthofjuly.

At Burlington Park, 30 E. Chicago Ave., an arts and craft fair, food vendors, and children's activities fill the afternoon. According to The Hinsdalean, the newspaper's owners Jim Slonoff and Pam Lannom will serve as this year's grand marshals.

The 250th adds a local layer

This isn't just any Fourth. Village President Greg Hart represented Hinsdale at DuPage County's America 250 Time Capsule Ceremony on June 8, contributing a rendering of the planned Burlington Park Pavilion and a signed proclamation outlining the community's plans for the anniversary year.

The celebration's local tie-in started weeks earlier with a Kids Cookie Design Contest at Toni Patisserie & Café, 51 S. Washington St. Children 12 and younger submitted drawings of their vision of America's 250th birthday. The winning design will be printed on real cookies and sold at Saturday's parade.

Looking ahead

America 250 programming continues at Hinsdale Public Library with a Declaration of Independence lecture on Tuesday, July 14 and a "Revolutionary Illinois" program on Tuesday, July 28.

For the full Saturday schedule, visit villageofhinsdale.org/fourthofjuly.