Shelby Township will celebrate the start of summer and mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Summer Fest, two days of family-friendly fun with free entertainment, activities and a colorful drone light show.

Presented by the Shelby Township Downtown Development Authority, Summer Fest takes place 4-11 p.m. Friday, June 26 and 6:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27 on the of the municipal campus on Van Dyke Avenue, just south of 24 Mile Road.

Township leaders say the Macomb County community is known as being highly patriotic, and they anticipate that feeling will ring true this weekend.

“We always have a lot of kids and families decked out in red, white and blue at Summer Fest, but I have a feeling, this year, it’s going to be even more so,” Shelby Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said in a news release.

Now in its third year, Summer Fest organizers have lined up a bunch of activities tied to the outdoor celebration.

New this year is the Enchanted Storybook Sing-a-Long and Dance Party, which invites families to join in an experience filled with music, dancing and interactive fun at 5 p.m. Friday.

The U.S. Army 338th Band will be part of Summer Fest in Shelby Township. (PHOTO PROVIDED BY SHELBY TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY RELATIONS DEPARTMENT)

Also Friday, there will be a DJ entertainment, touch-a-truck, strolling princesses and superheroes, face painting, magicians and a petting zoo presented by the Friends of the Shelby Township Library.

A craft beer tent and food truck rally, hosted by Connect Macomb, will also be available throughout the evening, with water available for purchase from the Friends of the Shelby Township Library. A live taping of Shelby TV’s award-winning “The Treehouse,” featuring segments including science demonstrations and live animal encounters will take place about 6 p.m.

Detroit cover band Parallel Fifth  will close out the first night when they take the stage at 8:30 p.m.

The event has also added the U.S. Army 338th Concert Band to the Saturday night lineup. The acclaimed military ensemble is made up of United States Army Reserve soldiers who pull double duty as world-class musicians as they launch the evening’s concerts. They will be preceded onstage by the 1st Michigan Colonial Fife & Drum Corps presenting the colors.

Following the 338th Army Band’s opening performance, Saturday’s musical offering turn to the Macomb Symphony Orchestra performing a patriotic symphonic set.

During the Macomb Symphony Orchestra’s grand finale, a drone show will illuminate the sky with various patriotic images.

Parallel Fifth will entertain at Shelby Township’s Summer Fest. (FACEBOOK PHOTO)

Saturday’s event also includes expanded family activities with the return of a Kids Zone with a variety of attractions, including a rock-climbing wall, inflatables and backyard games. The Kids Zone is supported by the Friends of the Shelby Township Library and Shelby Township Parks and Recreation.

The township offers a sensory room in Hope Chapel, in partnership with Oakland University’s Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services, providing a quiet, low-stimulation space for those who need it during both nights of the event.

For additional information, as well as a complete schedule, visit shelbytwp.org/our-township/summer