Bradenton's 5 Things to Know Today: July 2

1. A holiday hits in the middle of the week. But it's not the only day for celebrations. Fireworks wil dot the night skies in several places this week. The Chiles Restaurant Group consisting of the Sandbar, Beachhouse and Mar Vista Restaurants will host three consecutive fireworks shows July 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The three day extravaganza will start tonight with the 4th Annual Boom Boom on the Bay at the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant located at 760 Broadway Street. The Bradenton Marauders will host a fireworks show on July 3 over McKechnie Field. And on the Fourth the big fireworks show over the Green Bridge will literally stop traffic.

2. The Independence Day Holiday has inspired to offer all cat and dog adoptions for $35, a huge savings off the regular price. Animals that have been at the shelter for more than five months are offered free to a good home. Stop by and visit these pets.

3. Beginning today, we’re kicking off Patch’s Summer Essentials; a weekly contest where you can win cold, hard cash courtesy of Patch. To be eligible, just answer our weekly question and we’ll select one winner a week randomly from the comments that have been submitted.

4. Dave Branch, the Hall of Fame Power Boat Racer, is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can tell him the name of the person who stole money from this year's Powerboat Off Shore Racing Party, "A Carnival of Crue." Branch said the money stolen from the party was meant to benefit the Joey Gratton Memorial Fund, the Humane Society and scholarships for Bradenton Police Officers. Email Branch at dave@muscleracing.com with the name of the thief to be eligible for the reward.

5. Stay safe this week as you celebrate the holidays. The Consumer Products Safety Commission offers great tips for fireworks and celebrations.