Local July 4th celebrations planned

July 4^th celebrations are scheduled an several communities in east Alabama this Thursday.  The city of Jacksonville will kick off the celebration a day early on Wednesday at the Jacksonville high school football stadium capped off with fireworks near 9pm.  The Fourth of July fireworks display by the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association will begin at 9 p.m. Thursday.  The display will be launched from behind Hobby Lobby in East Gadsden, and it is expected to last 25 to 30 minutes. The show is sponsored by the Patriots Association, the city of Gadsden, the Etowah County Commission and the Etowah County Tourism Board.  The city of Oxford will hold its annual celebration at the newly upgraded oxford lake park with a  full day of activites capped off with fireworks at 9pm.  Fort Payne’s annual Independence Day celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fort Payne High School football stadium.  The city will give away 3,000 hot dogs and soft drinks and several thousand American flags, officials said, and the band Big Rock Candy will perform. There will be a fireworks display at 9 p.m. The 31st annual Sand Mountain Potato Festival will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at Henagar City Park. It will feature live music and entertainment, arts and crafts, food vendors and games. The fireworks display will be at dark or about 9 p.m.