ST. REGIS FALLS — The St. Regis Falls Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department is hosting its 100th-annual field day and fireworks show on the Fourth of July.

All money raised during the day's activities goes toward operating expenses for the department and its rescue unit.

In a letter to community members in April, Fire Chief Wilbur Bailey said the annual field day is the largest fundraiser the department holds.

"Some years have been better than others, partly because of weather and partly because of economic factors," he said.

In addition to providing fire protection and emergency medical aid to St. Regis Falls, the volunteers also have to train and be ready for any situation.

"Many unpaid hours are spent not just responding but also in maintaining readiness," Bailey said. "As with any organization, there is an underlying cost in maintaining that vigilance, and our organization is no different, in that regard.

"We have to raise money to stay in operation."

The department receives some funding through fire-district contracts that cover all of the Town of Waverly and parts of Duane, Dickinson and Santa Clara.

This year's events kick off at 11 a.m. with a parade through downtown to the fire station, where a chicken barbecue and entertainment are planned in the municipal park.

The field day will feature raffles, food vendors, legal beverages, displays and exhibits for visitors to enjoy all day.

Performers throughout the day include bagpipers, All That Jazz dancers, cloggers and the Waverly Band.

Belly Buttons the Clown will be on hand at 12:30 p.m., and Bob Shelley's magic show is set for 4 p.m.

Live deejay music provided by Bernie Brown will also be held throughout the afternoon, followed by a concert by Misguided from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The day culminates with a fireworks show at dusk over the St. Regis River.

"We expect, with the Fourth of July being on a Saturday, to be very busy," said Town Supervisor Michael Bailey.

"Our campsite is quite full both before and after the fourth, and we're expecting a lot of people at the beach. And we'll have thousands of people for the parade.

"I'm excited. It's a hard day of work, but we enjoy doing it."

He said the only thing that could mar the celebration would be people drinking and driving.

"I'd say people could almost expect a DWI checkpoint. We want everyone to have a good time, but we don't want anyone killed."

E-mail Denise A. Raymo at: draymo@pressrepublican.com