NORWICH – Spend the Fourth of July with family, famous musicans and thousands of neighbors at a new kind of holiday celebration in Norwich Wednesday.

The Norwich Career Firefighter’s Union and Millennia Entertainment have come together this year to transform the traditional fireworks display into an all-day extravaganza.

The ‘Fireworks Over the Fairgrounds’ event will be the largest celebration in Chenango County and will act as a focal point of activity for nearly 10,000 residents expected to attend this Independence Day, organizers said.

The day’s events will include a carnival midway and dozens of booths for vendors, eateries and non-profit organizations. The crowd will be treated to the delights of an internationally acclaimed country band, NASCAR race cars, mascots and even a mobile zoo.

Country band Emerson Drive will be lighting up the stage at this year’s first ‘Fireworks Over the Fairgrounds’ celebration. Their song ‘Moments’ reached No. 4 on the Canadian country music charts and reached No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs charts last week. This makes Emerson Drive only one of five Canadian artists to top a U.S. Country Billboard.

In 2002, the group won the Academy of Country Music’s award for Top New Group. Emerson Drive was nominated for Top Vocal Group of the year at the May 15 Country Music awards show, but did not walk away with an award.