🗞️ Your holiday weekend guide: where to celebrate across the Triad

🗞️ Know the signs of heat stroke (and what to do)

🗞️ Keeping pets calm and safe on the Fourth

🗞️ Grill smart: food safety for a hot holiday cookout

🌞 Sunny and very hot | High: 99°F | Low: 75°F

A scorcher to open the holiday stretch, with full sun and a high near 99. Take the heat seriously today: drink water, limit midday sun, and check on older neighbors and pets.

It is a big one this year, America's 250th, and the Triad is going all out. Right at home, Kernersville's free Fourth of July Fireworks and Concert lights up Raiders Field on Saturday, with gates at 5 p.m. and live music, food trucks and face painting before the show. Early risers can start the day with the Rotary Club's 4th of July 5K.

Want to travel a little? Greensboro turns its Fun Fourth into a two-day, family-friendly party on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4, with a Freedom Run, a block party, live music, food and fireworks downtown. High Point hosts its Uncle Sam Jam at Oak Hollow Festival Park, with gates at 4:30 p.m. and fireworks around 9:15 p.m. And in Winston-Salem, the Dash mark "America 250" week at Truist Stadium, including a July 4 game with a pregame flyover and the city's official fireworks show.

A few of these charge for parking or admission, so check each event's page first. And with dangerous heat in the forecast, treat the holiday like the marathon it is: water, sunscreen, shade and a plan to stay cool, wherever you land.

Triad Fourth of July guide

With highs near 100 this week, heat is not just uncomfortable; it can be dangerous. The key is knowing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is the body's early warning: heavy sweating; cool, pale or clammy skin; headache; dizziness; nausea; and weakness. If you catch it here, you can usually turn it around.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency. The warning signs are very different: hot, red skin that may be dry or damp; a very high body temperature; a fast or pounding pulse; confusion or slurred speech; and passing out. Body temperature can rocket to 106 degrees within 10 to 15 minutes, and heat stroke can cause death or lasting harm if it is not treated fast.

If you suspect heat stroke, call 911 immediately. While you wait, move the person to a cooler place and work to cool them quickly: get them into cold water if you can, or cover them with cold, wet cloths or ice packs at the neck, armpits and groin. For heat exhaustion, move to the shade or air conditioning, loosen clothing, sip cool water, and use cool wet cloths. If symptoms get worse or last more than an hour, treat it as an emergency. Children, older adults and people with health conditions are most at risk, so check on them today.

CDC: heat illness

Fireworks are fun for us, but for a lot of dogs and cats they are terrifying, and July 4 and 5 are among the busiest days of the year for lost pets. A little prep goes a long way. Bring pets indoors before the booms start, even ones who usually stay outside, and set up a quiet interior room with familiar bedding, a favorite toy, fresh water, and the blinds drawn. Soft music or a fan can help mask the noise.

Make sure ID tags and microchip info are current, just in case a scared pet bolts. Tire them out earlier in the day with a good walk or play session, and offer a long-lasting chew or a stuffed Kong to keep them busy during the show. A snug t-shirt or anxiety vest calms some anxious dogs. Keep pets well away from fireworks, matches and lighter fluid, and never leave them in a parked car in this heat.

If your pet has serious noise anxiety, talk to your veterinarian; there are medications and calming aids that can make the night far easier. A calm, cool, quiet space is the best gift you can give them this weekend.

ASPCA: Fourth of July safety tips

Nothing ruins a cookout like a foodborne illness, and summer heat makes it easier for bacteria to thrive. The USDA's rule of thumb: do not let perishable food sit out more than two hours, and when it is above 90 degrees, like this weekend, cut that to just one hour. Bacteria multiply fastest in the "danger zone" between 40 and 140 degrees, so keep hot foods hot (140 or above) and cold foods cold (40 or below), using coolers with ice for the potato salad and a warm spot on the grill for cooked items.

A food thermometer is your best friend. Cook beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks and chops to 145 degrees, ground meats to 160, and all poultry to 165. Do not guess by color. Keep raw meat and its juices away from everything else, use separate plates and utensils for raw and cooked food, and wash hands and surfaces often.

A few simple habits keep the focus where it belongs: good food, good company and a safe, happy holiday. Questions while you cook? The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is at 1-888-674-6854.

USDA: cookout food safety