Whether it was a crowd of thousands on The Square Tuesday night, or a dedicated but growing group of early risers at the annual parade, folks in Wilkes County celebrated the Fourth of July with a red-white-and-blue bang. Photographer Mercer Harris caught this wide-angle shot of the evening's fireworks (left) that was enjoyed by Rich and Jack Friedman, (below) along with thousands of others who filled The Square Tuesday night. Tuesday morning's patriotic parade featured all the regular folks, kids with decorated bikes, and many more paraders this year,participants said. Mark Waters, retired U.S. Navy captain, was the morning's speaker. (Photos by Mercer Harris, Lyn Randall, Jane Newsome, and Kip Burke.)