The holiday weekend in Vicksburg will start with a bang and end with a bigger bang, with history lessons and a variety of music between.

Artillery crews will fire cannon on the half-hour starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Tour Stop 1 at the Vicksburg National Military Park. People portraying Civil War soldiers and families will be in the encampment from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Monday. Visiting with them is free with a paid park admission.

In another offering by the National Park Service, Pemberton’s Headquarters on Crawford Street will be open Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Walking tours guided by park rangers through the historic downtown neighborhood will be each day at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Two free concerts are planned. At 5 p.m. Saturday, the 35-member 41st Army Band will offer patriotic music in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church. Cake and ice cream will be served after the performance.

At 7 Sunday night, Nashville-based cover band The Tyrone “Super T” Smith Revue, will play funk and R&B hits from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s near the Levee Street Depot until a $30,000 fireworks display, funded by the City of Vicksburg and private sponsors, is shot into the downtown skies from a barge on the Yazoo Diversion Canal at 9 p.m.

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July 4 events

Local Independence Day activities include:

Today

• 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Living History at Vicksburg National Military Park; near Visitors Center; $8 for one-week pass, $20 for annual pass.

• Each hour on the hour, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. — Cannon firing at VNMP Tour Stop 1.

• 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. — VNMP ranger walks of historic downtown from Pemberton’s Headquarters; Pemberton’s Headquarters hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

• 4 p.m. — Timothy B. Smith book-signing, “Mississippi in the Civil War: The Home Front,” at Lorelei Books on Washington Street.

Saturday

• 8 a.m.-11 a.m. —Vicksburg Farmers’ Market; parking lot of LD’s Kitchen on Mulberry Street.

• 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Living history at VNMP

• Each hour on hour, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. — Cannon firing at VNMP Tour Stop 1.

• 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. — VNMP ranger walks of historic downtown from Pemberton’s Headquarters.

• 5 p.m. — 41st Army Band concert, plus ice cream and lemonade; First Baptist Church on Cherry Street; free.

Sunday

• 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Living history at VNMP.

• Each hour on the hour, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. — Cannon firing at VNMP Tour Stop 1.

• 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. — VNMP ranger walks of historic downtown from Pemberton’s Headquarters.

• 7 p.m. — Entertainment, fireworks downtown.

Monday

• 7 p.m. — 2010 Miss Mississippi Parade along Washington Street.