SANTA CRUZ COUNTY >> July has already rolled around, which means you have likely already seen different permutations of red, white and blue along the streets and in people’s yards.

Expect that to intensify this Friday as America observes its 249th birthday for Independence Day. As always, Santa Cruz County will have 4th of July events galore, so no matter where you live, you will not be too far from parades, family activities and other festivities. Below is a sample. All events are Friday.

Abbott Square in downtown Santa Cruz will have a festive party from morning to evening with live music, food and coffee, an exotic car show along Cooper Street and activities for kids like an oversized horseshoe game and spin art. This event is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 118 Cooper St.

As always, the La Selva Beach Business Improvement Association will have a bevy of activities along Playa Boulevard and its side streets. These include a bike ride and fun run at Triangle Park, bounce house and pet show on the Florido Lawn outside the library, sandcastle contest on the beach, watermelon-eating competition and parade with decorated bikes, wagons and Grand Marshal Mike Watts. The parade begins at noon along Playa Boulevard, La Selva Beach.

If there is one thing people love more than a parade, it is seeing jets fly overhead. Scotts Valley, once the home of the Santa Cruz Skypark Airport, will continue its tradition of providing aviation with a flyover in addition to its parade, kids zone, food truck and live music. The kids zone and food trucks will open for business at 9 a.m., the parade and flyover will start at 11. Following the parade, there will be a concert by Anthony Arya, an Americana singer and Santa Cruz native who competed on the 15th season of “The Voice.” All events are along Scotts Valley Drive, and Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible viewing and parking is available at 5007 Scotts Valley Drive.

Want a parade that does not take too much of your time? Once again, Aptos has just that. Stretching all the way from the corner of Soquel and State Park drives to Trout Gulch Road — a whopping 0.6 miles! — the parade is billed as The World’s Shortest Parade. Nonetheless, it will have all the usual trappings of a 4th of July parade with floats, tractors and lots of red, white and blue. The procession is 10 to 11 a.m., but those wanting a little more can mosey over to Aptos Village Park for a concert by The Joint Chiefs, a quartet known for getting audiences shaking to renditions of classic R&B songs like “Pick Up the Pieces” by the Average White Band and “Groove Me” by King Floyd. Road closures for the parade will begin at 9 a.m., and the Party in the Park will get underway at noon at 100 Aptos Creek Road.The Boulder Creek Business Association will be bringing back its annual parade. It all starts at the Boulder Creek Fire Department, 13230 Central Ave., where people can choose between a breakfast of pancakes or eggs, bacon and sausage. This will be followed by the parade down Highway 9 at 10 a.m., featuring the Scouts Color Guard, singing of the national anthem and lots of parade entries.

If that is not enough, the Boulder Creek Recreation and Parks Department will host its afterparty at Junction Park with food, drinks, vendors and live music by the Silver Tongued Devils and August Sun. The party is noon to 5 p.m. at the Junction Park swimming hole, 13264 Middleton Ave.

The development of the transcontinental railroad is a major part of American history, so it makes sense that vintage trains would be a focus of the 4th of July weekend at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton. Following a trip aboard the Redwood Forest Steam Train or the Santa Cruz Beach Train, passengers will find themselves in Roaring Camp — a facsimile of a vintage Western town — where they can take part in family-friendly activities, take in live music and enjoy a chuckwagon barbecue. The event is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton.

Once again, Watsonville will be hosting its annual Spirit of Watsonville parade to highlight all that makes the Pajaro Valley what it is, from farmers to local businesses. This year, the event will feature a flyover by the West Coast Ravens, pilots of RV airplanes who have performed at air shows throughout the western United States and flown alongside the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. The parade is 12:30 to 3 p.m. along Main Street between St. Patrick’s Church and First Street.

It is a parade that historically has drawn thousands of spectators, so anyone wishing to set up chairs is encouraged to do so early in the morning on the day of the parade, but not earlier.

No matter how wild your 4th of July may be, it could always get a little wilder. Wilder Ranch will once again be celebrating with a party whose nostalgia runs way back — to the 1900s, to be precise. The Old Fashioned Independence Day will feature lawn games, machine shop and blacksmith demonstrations, hand-cranked ice cream, treats baked in a Victorian wood-burning oven, living history demonstrations, crafts, a “Star-Spangled Banner” singalong and more. The event is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free, but parking is $10.

Since the 4th of July is a calorie-heavy holiday, before gorging on hot dogs and ice cream, why not take an opportunity to burn them off with the Santa Cruz Firecracker Race? The Rotary Club of Santa Cruz Sunrise will host a 5K, 10K and kids’ 1K at Harvey West Park. This year, runners can pick up their bibs a day early at Woodhouse Blending and Brewing, 119 Madrone St., and the first 200 who do so will get a free beer.

The bib pickup is 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday. The 5K is a flat course contained completely within the Harvey West Business Park area, and the 10K winds through Pogonip Park, Spring Trail and the meadow by UC Santa Cruz. All races will end up at Harvey West Park for live music, a hot dog bar and awards ceremony. The 1K, 10K and 5K begin at 8, 8:30 and 8:40 a.m., respectively. Harvey West Park’s address is 326 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz. To sign up, visit Runsignup.com.