Residents celebrated the Fourth of July all around western Connecticut Tuesday.

New Canaan held its 37th annual Family Fourth celebration at Waveny Park. The event included family picnics, live music and a fireworks display to cap it off. Organizers say it's one of the largest events in New Canaan each year.

The sound of muskets at Mill Hill Historic Park marked Independence Day in Norwalk. The ceremony honored a Revolutionary War veteran who received a new grave marker. Other tributes included a wreath-laying ceremony and the Let Freedom Ring bell-ringing competition. The event was organized by the Norwalk Historical Society and American Legion Post 12.

In Bridgeport, veterans joined city officials for a special flag-raising ceremony at City Hall. One veteran said there's no better way to mark the holiday. Veterans also shared stories about their experience and time in service.

Some pets and their owners got into the patriotic spirit in Litchfield, where the historical society held its annual Pet Parade and Turn-of-the-Century Festival. More than 100 pets participated in the parade on the Litchfield Town Green. Parade goers also competed in several contests, including sack races and a tug of war.

The town of Thomaston hosted its 52nd annual Children's Parade, for which kids decorated their wagons and bikes in red, white and blue. This year's parade honored its founder Mary Reynolds, who died earlier this year at age 90.

People in Darien gathered for a time-honored tradition in their town. Darien VFW Post 6933 hosted the 13th annual Fourth of July Push-n-Pull Parade. It featured children riding bikes, scooters and wagons along the parade route in downtown Darien. Several awards were given out for the best parade vehicles, including best decorated and most patriotic.