Finally, Independence Day falls on a Friday, granting us a great American three-day weekend. Whether you're planning to go to a fireworks show or simply heading out to the patio for barbecue and beer, we sincerely hope that you enjoy the nice, long weekend ahead.

Entertainment
The Seafair Milk Carton Derby beckons the dairy, er, daring
More than a hundred mighty seafaring vessels made from empty milk cartons compete for fame and fortune at Green Lake on Saturday.
More in Entertainment

Restaurants
Southern cooking meets Caribbean style at Island Soul
The Columbia City restaurant serves up Memphis by way of Trinidad: jerk chicken, bayou gumbo, collards and corn bread.
More in Restaurants

Little Kids, Big City
Ignite your kid's imagination with fireworks, fish, pirates and boats
Find family-friendly events at Gas Works Park, the Aquarium, Alki Beach and the Center for Wooden Boats.
More in Little Kids, Big City

Gentle Snark
Halt Seattle warming at Full Tilt Ice Cream
If you think you can survive this summer without a couple of cool scoops from this White Center artisan ice cream parlor, think again.
More in Gentle Snark

Entertainment
Sample the suds at Seattle International Beerfest
Come down to Seattle Center and sample 140 beers from more than a dozen countries. Your $20 admission includes 10 beer tickets.
More in Entertainment

More in NWsource
"The Can Can Carnival" boasts burlesque superstars and young Johnny Cash impersonator Vince Mira.

Walk your sea legs down to the Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival and get your hands on years of maritime tradition.

How quickly can you visit 30 checkpoints? Stretch your legs on the Fourth with a "Street Scramble" through Wallingford.

Avant-rock lunatics Sleepytime Gorilla Museum bring their custom instruments and interpretive puppets to Neumo's.

Beyond the weekend
It's always fun to sit down and listen to records. It's even more fun when said records are by Beck, produced by Danger Mouse, and are being played in the most interesting of Fremont's live music venues. Nectar Lounge hosts a free listening party for Beck's "Modern Guilt" from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday evening. If you come down, you could win two tickets to see the man himself at Bumbershoot. And if you want the Devil's Haircut, I'll give it to you for fifty cents.

Wednesday evening brings three big chunks of alt-rock down on our city like big, planet-killing meteorites ... of love. Foo Fighters brings its scintillating anthems to KeyArena, the great Todd Rundgren is at the Triple Door and Mike Ness, that tattooed punk Sinatra, is at the Showbox at the Market. Which door will you choose?

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company