ARLINGTON — The Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the addition of a new afternoon celebration for the Fourth of July.

“Since all the businesses and restaurants will be closed, the Chamber is bringing in four to six food vendors who will sell to the public,” said Mary Jane Harmon, an event organizer. The food prepared for the public is typical carnival fare and includes roasted corn, barbecue, tacos and burritos, shaved ice and kettle corn.

Apple and cherry pie slices, cotton candy, caramel apples, T-shirts and balloons will be for sale by the Chamber of Commerce.

“We also hope to put on display historical pictures of Arlington in the gazebo,” said Harmon.

The food booths will be open from about 1 p.m.. until after the Grand Parade. The Chamber’s booths and activities will continue until 7 p.m.

“We’ll have carnival food, face painting and games,” said Heather Logan, who is coordinating the parade. The free games for children include traditional games such as knocking over milk cans, Ping Pong, several different hoop toss games, “Go Fish” and more. “These will all be located in the parking lot in between City Hall and Legion Park,” said Harmon.

That’s not all. On the lawn at Legion Park will be two free bouncy houses and a bubble pool for kids to put their wands in to blow bubbles.

After the Grand Parade, kids can participate in relay races including a potato sack race, balloon relay race, a spoon race and more. The Police Department and Fire Department will fight a tug-of-war as well.

“The younger crowd will really enjoy this,” said Logan. “We are keeping it small scale to see how the public responds.”

Event organizers had heard from attendees in previous years that they did not like driving home between events to eat lunch. “Now there’s something to do in between,” said Logan.