Peabody’s 97th annual Fourth Fest will begin at 9 p.m. Tuesday with an alumni dance at Peabody American Legion.

The dance will feature karaoke. A $5 cover charge will fund an alumni scholarship at Peabody-Burns High School. Guests must be 21 to enter.

A cannon shot at 6 a.m. July 4 will kick off a day of festivities, smiles and celebration.

Walk-up registration for a 5k walk/run will be from 7 to 7:30 a.m. at city park. A registration fee of $20 includes an admittance button to the festival and a T-shirt.

Kids games and a horseshoe tournament will begin at 8 a.m., also at city park, followed by a sand volleyball tournament at 8:30 a.m.

Horseshoe registration for $20 will begin at 7:30 a.m. Two new pits were added to speed up the tournament. Prizes will be offered for up to five teams.

Those wanting to enter a pooch into the Legion Auxiliary dog show need to be at Santa Fe Park at 11 a.m., with their furry companions on a leash. Registration is $2.

Peabody Boy Scouts will have a stand in the park featuring water, Gatorade, and pop.

Entries for the parade will be taken at the high school at 4 p.m. for a start time of 5 p.m.

The parade will travel west on 8th St. to Walnut St., turn south to 2nd St., then turn west to the park.

Prizes in Peabody Bucks good at any Peabody business will include $150 for best float with $100 for runner-up, $40 for best kid’s bike with three runners-up at $20 each, $100 for coolest car, $50 for best decorated golf cart, $50 for best candy-throwing, and $50 for best in all other categories. Shane and Morgan Marler are in charge.

A carnival will open at the conclusion of the parade. The carnival will continue July 5, 6, and 7 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Lights will be turned off at dusk for fireworks. Buttons for admittance cost $3. Children age 3 and younger are free. Service dogs are permitted. Other pets are discouraged.

Buttons are being sold at Peabody Market, Peabody Sausage House, Vintage Bank, Peabody Hardware, Scissor Cottage, A Little off the Top, ManeStreet Beautique, the city building, and Hilltop in Walton.

Main gates will be open for foot traffic only beginning at 4 p.m. The gate on Peabody St. will be closed except for handicapped people, volunteers, and vendors. No parking will be allowed along the east side of Peabody St.

For the first time, volunteers will not be responsible for shooting off the fireworks. Kapow, out of Inman, the company from which fireworks are purchased, will shoot them off electronically instead.

“We don’t have a good reason not to do it a safer way,” organizer Pete Hodges said. “We’re all getting older and not as willing to take those chances. No one is more upset than my family about it. I have brothers and nephews that always look forward to it. It’s a big part of the Fourth, but it was just a smarter choice.”