Celebrations are gearing up for the Fourth of July festivities this year on Whitefish Lake.

The annual Whitefish Chamber of Commerce fireworks show over Whitefish Lake is set for Wednesday, July 4. New this year Whitefish Marine & Powersports is hosting the first-ever Fourth of July Boat Parade prior to the fireworks show.

The Chamber of Commerce on Monday was still raising funds for the fireworks show. Fundraising was about $3,400 from the goal of $16,000, according to chamber executive director Kevin Gartland.

He said any donation is still welcome and donations have been coming in from $25 up to checks for $3,000.

“Anything helps,” he said. “We really have few costs and everything we raise gets blown up. The community has been amazing and they always come through with the donations.”

The chamber saw cost increases of about 20 percent this year for the fireworks that came from the manufacturer, Gartland noted.

A fireworks fund has been set up at the Whitefish Community Foundation for individuals to make tax deductible contributions, and donations can be made online at www.whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or donations can also be made through the chamber at 862-3501.

Prior to the fireworks show, the Fourth of July Boat Parade is set to be held. Participants are set to gather in the cove off Whitefish Lake State Park beginning at 8:30 p.m. to line-up, then begin the first of two loops along the eastern shoreline of Whitefish Lake passing by the Whitefish River outlet, City Beach, the Bay Point area, the Lodge at Whitefish Lake and Monk’s Bay before heading back to do it all again.

Whitefish Marine is urging local and visiting boat owners to decorate their vessels and passengers and then cruise the lake’s eastern shoreline.

Megan Gonzalez, the brand manager at Whitefish Marine & Powersports, says the theme of the boat parade is “Happy Birthday, USA!”

“We want to help everyone get into the spirit,” Gonzalez said. “And we also want to get them out onto the water. Even if we only get a fraction of the hundreds of boats that’ll be on Whitefish Lake that evening, it’s gonna be one heck of a parade.”

For more information or to register for the boat parade, call Gonzalez at Whitefish Marine & Powersports at 862-8594 or email [email protected], or stop by the shop at 6191 U.S. Highway 93 South in Whitefish.

The fireworks show will start about 10:30 p.m. Fireworks can been seen from around the lake, but most folks gather at City Beach. The boat parade begins at 9 p.m.

People are encouraged to walk or bike to the beach. The Chamber of Commerce is offering a shuttle, compliments of Eagle Transit, from the O’Shaughnessy Center to City Beach between 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.