Eric Ayres CELEBRATING AMERICA – The Celebrate America tour returns as the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra prepares to perform patriotic favorites and more during the Fourth of July weekend at venues across West Virginia, including the big July 4 celebration at Heritage Port in Wheeling. From left are Wheeling Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis, Stephanie Paluda of Expand Energy, WSO Executive Director Marc Zyla, Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder and Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron.

WHEELING — The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will bring its annual Celebrate America tour to the Weirton Event Center on July 3 as part of a four-city Independence Day weekend trek across West Virginia marking the nation’s 250th birthday.

Officials from the WSO, the city of Wheeling and presenting sponsors gathered at Heritage Port on Tuesday to announce the tour, which includes performances at 8 p.m. July 2 at the Clarksburg Amphitheater in Clarksburg, 8 p.m. July 3 at the Weirton Event Center in Weirton, 8 p.m. July 4 at Heritage Port in Wheeling and 3 p.m. July 5 at Canaan Valley Resort in Davis.

The WSO will be joined by vocalist Edward Washington II at each stop of the holiday tour through the Mountain State.

“It’s a celebration of America, so you’ll get to hear works from John Williams, all of your patriotic favorites, we have some music from Broadway – so I think it’s a really nice potpourri of different kinds of works that audiences always enjoy,” said WSO Executive Director Marc Zyla.

The Celebrate America Tour is presented in part by Expand Energy, the Cultural Foundation of Harrison County, Tucker County Alpine Festival and the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We’re excited to partner once again with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and support this event,” said Stephanie Paluda, community affairs manager at Expand Energy. “What better year than America’s 250 — celebrating across the state with high-quality, free entertainment. So we’re proud to once again sponsor this event. It’s such a great thing to bring the communities — not only Wheeling but Weirton, Canaan Valley and Clarksburg. We’re proud to be able to support these community initiatives.”

The big July 4 concert at Heritage Port has become a holiday tradition in the Friendly City, and this year’s event promises to ring in America’s 250th birthday with a bang.

“It’s going to be a great evening,” Zyla said. “We’ll have food trucks, there’s going to be great music and the fireworks display to cap it all off the night. I think it’s an event that folks in the area look forward to year after year, and we at the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra are just happy to be a part of it.”

Sponsors for the July 4 concert at Heritage Port include the City of Wheeling, West Virginia Tourism and Bellaire Harbor Freight.

Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder said the annual event is always a community favorite, and this year it carries even more reason to celebrate.

“This is America 250,” Magruder said. “The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will be here with all of the patriotic music and the Suspension Bridge as a backdrop — it’s just an amazing day. It’s something we look forward to every year. You can bring your family down here and sit under the trees or you can sit in the seating area at Heritage Port. The area is just filled with people. It’s a big day for Wheeling.”

For more information about the Celebrate America Tour or the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, visit the orchestra’s website and follow its official social media pages.