ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -  The worst heat wave to hit the St. Louis area in years has arrived just in time for the run-up to one of the USA’s biggest birthday celebrations.

But organizers of Fair St. Louis aren’t daunted by the sizzling forecast for the next week, and say you shouldn’t be either.

“I’d say it’s summer in St. Louis,” said A.J. Chivetta, the Fair’s General Chairman. “I mean yeah, it’s hot. Come down to the fair and enjoy it.”

Fair St. Louis opens Wednesday, the 4th of July, with the Veiled Prophet parade stepping off at 10 am with the theme “Parade Around the World”.

“As the Gateway to the West and the host of the 1904 World’s Fair, St. Louis has a special place in the ‘melting pot’ of America,” said William H. Macon Jr., Grand Marshal of the Veiled Prophet parade. “With this year’s theme ‘Parade Around the World’ the VP parade celebrates international cultural traditions that make our city diverse.”

A St. Louis family tradition for 135 years, the parade will be broadcast live in its entirety on KMOV Channel 4.

The Fair runs Wednesday, takes a day off, and then continues Friday and Saturday, July 6th & 7th.

Musical acts on the Budweiser main stage include:

*  Heart – 8 pm July 4th

*  Third Eye Blind – 8 pm on July 6th

*  Dierks Bentley – 8 pm on July 7th.

There will also be a “Salute to the Troops” ceremony Friday at the Fair.

There will be two air shows on Wednesday (noon-2:30; 3:30-5:15) featuring a crowd favorite, the Harrier Jump Jet.

Another special appearance will include a Heritage Flight featuring a vintage North American P-51 (Mustang) from World War II and an A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog).

Other events include an inaugural Freedom 4 miler and a one-mile Family Fun Run, hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission.

And of course fireworks will cap off each day of the fair.

For a full rundown of events for this year’s Fair St. Louis, go to www.fairsaintlouis.org.

<<PHOTO GALLERY>>