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If you love roping, riding, carnivals and quaddin', then mosey down to Fortuna July 13-19 for the Fortuna Rodeo. They've been busting broncs and manhandling mutton since 1921 — that's 94 years of rough and tumble in the redwoods, partner.

The party kicks off Monday, July 13 with a chili cook-off and live music on Main Street at 5 p.m., followed by a kids' fireman's muster and Polynesian barbecue on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Redwood Village Shopping Center (free). Also for the young and young at heart, there's a carnival at Rohner Park open everyday at noon Wednesday through Sunday ($25 day pass).

Wednesday sees street games on Main Street at 6 p.m. and the Junior Rodeo at 5 p.m. at Rohner Park Rodeo Grounds ($3, $1 kids). The youngsters continue their rodeo skills Thursday morning starting at 9 a.m. followed by barrel racing at 7 p.m. (TBA).

See how the "Kidnapped Tourist" fares on Friday at noon on the Fortuna Library lawn, where visitors are roped in for sentencing — free lodging and passes to all rodeo events. Later, it's motor sports action night at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds, featuring Colten Moore — an extreme quad rider performing tricks and flips (that's right, he flips a quad) and local motorcycle star Julian D'Usseau ($7).

Saturday, enjoy flapjacks courtesy of the Kiwanis Club 7 a.m. at the Rohner Park Cook Shack ($6, $4), the parade down Main Street at noon (free) and rodeo thrills at 2 p.m. at the rodeo grounds ($8, $5). In the evening, it's Bulls, Bands, & Brews with country rock from Chad Bushnell at 7 p.m. and bull riding at 8 p.m. ($7).

Swap out your boots for sneakers on Sunday to participate in the Fortuna Rodeo Run/Walk at 9 a.m. (free to attend). Then head over to Rohner Park for barbecue and live music at 11 a.m. ($12.00). The rodeo action kicks up dust again starting at 1:30 p.m. ($8, $5).

Groom your beard, bust out the patchwork and take a big swig from that jug. The Humboldt Folklife Society is taking you from dustbowl dirges to thigh-slapping jigs all week.

The Humboldt Folklife Festival kicks off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 11 at the Mad River Brewery with the Spindrifters and Clean Livin', followed by a homey potluck at the Logger Bar (free). In fact, if you're not ready to call it a night, after-party good times are to be had at the Logger Bar each night of the banjo bonanza.

Annie and Mary Day takes over Perigot Park on Sunday, July 12 at 11 a.m. with a parade of dancers, masks and enormous puppets, as well as fire trucks, food vendors, a petting zoo and bocce ball (free). The musical lineup starts at noon with the Timber Ridge Boys and winds up with the Delta Nationals.

Head for the Carlo Theater for Songwriters Night on Monday, July 13 at 7 p.m. ($7, $5 members), and Jazz Night on Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. ($7, $5 members). You can sway to Absynth Quartet on Wednesday, July 15 at 5:30 p.m., Dell'Arte's Big Top Tent and see the illusive Huckleberry Flint play the amphitheater on Thursday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. ($10, $8 members).

That should warm you up for the barn dance next Friday, July 17 ($7, $6) and the fiddle-geddon of the All Day Free Festival on Saturday, July 18. Check out the insert in this week's paper for the full lineup.

Those hot summer nights are about to get a little steamier as Rita Hayworth, Gloria Grahame and Gene Tierney set the screen alight this July at the Humboldt County Library as part of the Film Noir Classic Film Series (free).

Film noir, the black and white film style featuring dark, shadowy cinematography and tough guys outwitted by damsels in distress (who are anything but), is the focus of this month's Classic Film Series. Deceit, murder, grit and grime all framed by evocative lighting and dark shadow play — flickering fan blades silhouetted on the ceiling of a private investigator's office, shafts of moonlight streaming through angled slats in the blinds, dark figures emerging from foggy streets. Deception's the name of the game and trouble is the name of the dame. A beautiful woman enters, common sense exits. Every time, suckers. Watch the coolest of guys (Bogart, Glenn Ford, Don Taylor) come undone by one artfully arched eyebrow, one well-turned heel.

The series kicks off July 7 with Gene Tierney and Cornel Wilde in Leave Her to Heaven (1945), followed by Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame in In a Lonely Place (1950) on July 14, then Barry Fitzgerald and Howard Duff in The Naked City (1945) on July 21, and finally Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford in Gilda (1946) on July 28. The Tuesday night shows start at 6:30 p.m. with a brief introduction by local film nerds and discussion following.

Fourth of July is as American as, well, America. Barbecues, live music, gathering with friends and family, sitting in the grass under the stars watching the sky light up — the loud boom, crack and sizzle of fireworks. So which celebration are you going to?

There's the Fourth of July Jubilee from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Arcata Plaza (free). Maybe catch a Crabs game at 2:30 at the Arcata Ballpark, too ($9, $6 students, $4 kids). In Eureka, check out the Fourth of July Festival starting at 10 a.m. in Old Town. The fireworks display starts over the bay at 10 p.m. (free). You can also watch fireworks out on the bay on the Madaket's Under the Fireworks Cruise at 9:30 p.m. ($45, reservations required). Or you can grab a seat at Redwood Acres for the Fireworks Spectacular at the Races, featuring a points race at 5 p.m. followed by fireworks ($12, $10, $2 for kids 6 - 12, free to kids 5 and under).

Heading south? Ferndale keeps it small, sweet and hometown with a parade, barbecue, kids games and more at the Ferndale Fourth of July Fun-Tastic at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Main Street. Over at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds, enjoy food and drink booths, live music and fireworks at dark. Gates open at 7 p.m. (free admisission). Fortuna does it a day early — why? Because it's the friendly city and they know you might need two days to celebrate. The Fortuna Fireworks Festival is on Friday, July 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Newburg Park ($10 barbecue, $5 kids' barbecue, $5 kids activities wrist band). Southern Humboldt blows it up with Fireworks in Benbow enjoy at 9:30 p.m. at the Benbow Lake State Recreation Area (free show, $8 to park).

Get out there this weekend and wish America happy birthday. Safely. And take care to secure your pets — the Humane Society says lost pet numbers spike around the holiday.