Las Vegas: For the Fourth weekend, fireworks, food, festivities, more

A fabulous Fourthis planned in Las Vegas as showroom headliners compete with fireworks for your attention.

The Strip will add two new of fireworks displays as the Linq and Mandalay Bay add to the cacophony coming from Caesars Palace.

There are scads of vantage points from which to view the bursting rockets, but the newest option is from the High Roller observation wheel.

Because it’s a holiday, premium pricing on the High Roller will be in effect, meaning it will cost $49.95 to climb into a cabin between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. The Caesars fireworks launch at 9 while the Linq’s, ignited from a parking lot near the Ferris wheel, begin at 9:30.

Fireworks fans can rent their own cabin on the High Roller for an hour. It costs $2,500, but the pod can hold up to 25 people and an open bar is included. To book, call (702) 322-0537.

The aerial display above the Mandalay Bay Beach comes with a concert by Phoenix, a Vegas-based classic rock band. Doors open at 8 p.m. Individual tickets cost $20; four-packs cost $60. They can be purchased online or by calling (800) 745-3000.

Prefer cool tunes to hot fireworks? Then head to the M Resort for a July 4 concert by Michael Grimm, winner of Season 5 of “America’s Got Talent.”

The soul singer and songwriter will perform in Ravello Lounge at 9:30 and 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Admission is free, but there’s a two-drink minimum.

Folks already in Las Vegas on Friday morning can choose from two Fourth of July parades in the suburbs.

The Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade steps off at 9 a.m. It will include giant inflatables similar to those in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. There will also be marching bands and plenty of floats. Atop the one celebrating Nevada’s 150 years of statehood, look for the Gov. Brian Sandoval. For route information, call (702) 341-5500.

A second parade also begins at 9 a.m. in Boulder City. It’s part of the suburban community’s annual 4^th of July Damboree. The celebration gets underway at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast in Bicentennial Park (1100 Colorado St., Boulder City) and continues with midway attractions throughout the day. The festivities conclude with a 9 p.m. fireworks show.

Forgo the typical holiday picnic and let someone else do the cooking – and drinks preparation too. Vegas will be awash in specials, including these:

--Café Bellagio, overlooking the resort’s conservatory, will dish up Independence Day Weekend specials. They include the pulled barbecue pork ($14), served with Johnny cake and bourbon syrup and, for dessert, the Red, White and Blue ($10), which consists of a sweet biscuit topped with marinated blueberries and strawberries and vanilla cream.

--Chayo Mexican Kitchen will serve the Firework Fiesta ($15), a cocktail of red, white and blue layers of frozen daiquiri. A wealth of munchies includes Executive Chef Ernesto Zendejas’ guacamole topped with pomegranate seeds and served with pork rinds or tortilla chips.

--Fizz, a champagne lounge at Caesars, will offer a “Pop & Shop” special from noon to 4 p.m. July 4 and 5. For $50, guests get a signature Champagne flute (theirs to keep) that they can refill with bubbly as often as they want. The deal also includes a gift bag containing samples and special offers from merchants in the nearby Forum Shops.

--STK, the hip steakhouse at the Cosmopolitan, will provide a picnic without the heat and insects July 4-6. For $40, guests can enjoy traditional picnic favorites including crispy chicken, potato salad and corn on the cob. No basket or blanket is required. Reservations: (702) 698-7990

--Trevi, an Italian restaurant at the Forum Shops, invites revelers to a toast with its Red, White and BOOM cocktail ($7.99). Available Thursday through Sunday, the drink is a margarita which, in addition to the usual ingredients, includes Blue Curacao and fresh strawberries.

The fights won’t be for freedom, but instead for entertainment, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. UFC 175 pits Lyoto Machida against Chris Weidman on July 5. Tickets start at $125.

The next afternoon, the Ultimate Fighter Finale will match Frankie Edgar with B.J. Penn. Tickets start at $50.

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