Everyone deserves a vacation, which is why we’ll be taking Friday off to observe the Fourth of July.

To those leaving the city and those staying within the District, we wish you a happy and safe holiday weekend. To tide you over until our triumphant return on Monday, here’s a rundown of some of the things you should keep in mind this weekend :

• City Services: D.C. government will be closed Friday. Trash collection will follow normal schedules, and the DMV will be closed.
• Community Softball Game: The Armed Forces Retirement Home is hosting a day of festivities, including food and drinks, music and, of course, softball. Click on the link for more details.
• 14th and U Farmers Market: The market will be open for business on the Fourth. Corn, peaches, heirloom tomatoes,  berries, cherries and pies from Whisked will be on sale among the usual fresh fare.
• F.R.E.S.H. Block Party: The F.R.E.S.H. series of block parties comes to Bruce Monroe Park, located on the corner of Irving Street and Georgia Avenue NW. The event will last from 12 to 4 p.m.
• Metro: Trains will run a weekend schedule on Friday and trains will ramp up to near rush-hour service starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday until the mall fireworks cease exploding. Off-peak fares will be in effect until midnight, and standard service will resume Sunday.
• National Mall Fireworks: It’s here every year. Coolers and bags will be searched upon entry. No alcohol or grills allowed.
• Pearl Dive Picnic Bucket: The Logan Circle restaurant is offering chicken buckets to take to your Fourth of July celebrations. $35 gets you 6 Pieces of Chicken, german potato salad, spicy coleslaw, jalapeno corn muffins and blueberry streusel pies. Order and pick up by 4 p.m. on Saturday.
• Road Closures: There are no major road closures in the Borderstan area. Closures in the Capitol Hill area, however, may affect traffic in surrounding places. Roads will close in two phases, one that starts at 6 a.m. and another that starts at 11:15 a.m., and will reopen at 11 p.m. Be sure to check the full list of closures.
• Where to Buy Fireworks: Check the map linked for all locations. Be sure to read up on which fireworks are legal in D.C. before you buy.

If you take photos this weekend, be sure to send them our way. We may feature some reader photos in a post next week. Send your photos to [email protected] or tweet them at us.