Celebrate the 4th at Cedar Point

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter.It is officially summer, and there are quite a bit of exciting new happenings going on around Cedar Point.Big eatsThe Johnsonville Big Taste Grill will roll onto the Cedar Point Midway Friday through Sunday. The truck will offer food specials from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Big Taste Grill weighs more than 53,000 pounds and measures 65-feet-long. The semi-turned-grill can cook more than 750 brats at a time, approximately 2,500 per hour, and can accommodate more than 12 grillmasters.Since hitting the road in 1995, the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill has raised more than $4 million for charities nationwide.Free admission for military & first respondersActive, retired and honorably discharged military personnel receive free admission to Cedar Point on Wednesday, for July 4, with proper identification.In addition, EMS, paramedics, firefighters, police, 911 dispatchers and anyone with a current first responders certification also receive free admission on Wednesday.Additional tickets for family and friends can be purchased for $44. Bargain admission priceCedar Point has dropped the price of admission when purchasing online to only $45, which includes parking. That is a savings of 51 percent off the standard Cedar Point ticket price at the gate. Tickets are valid through Wednesday.Pie-eating competitionCedar Point will host its annual pie-eating contest on Wednesday at the Gossip Gulch Stage, in Frontier Town.Guests who register at the event stage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be chosen at random to participate, and the winner from each contest will win a season pass.FireworksCedar Point will host a special Fourth of July fireworks display. It's best viewed from the beach.Exclusive food eventsJust because the Johnsville truck will roll out before the Wednesday does not mean availability of specialty food ends there.If you purchase a special VIP Fireworks Viewing Party ticket, guests receive an all-you-can-eat meal, which includes hamburgers, brats, chips and beverages.Also available is a special Red, White & Boogie meal in the Lakeside Pavilion. From 4-7 p.m., guests can enjoy an all-you-can-eat meal, which includes a slider bar, hamburgers, mini hot dogs, loaded Sidewinder fries and more. Peanuts character breakfastGuests can reserve tickets to a daily breakfast buffet with Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other friends at Cedar Point. The Breakfast Buffet with the Peanuts Characters takes place 8-9:30 a.m. daily through Aug. 19 (blackout dates June 23 and Aug. 11) in the Lakeside Pavilion.Fire & IceStick around after the Fourth of July for the debut of Fire & Ice on Thursday.Cedar Point's new nighttime Fire & Ice show, which features a 12-piece band, a fire eater and aerialist. The entertainment show will run twice each night, 8:30-9:30 p.m. and 10-11 p.m.Cedar Point will also introduce a new exciting Fire & Ice Taste Bud Tour, which will feature menu items like Firecracker Shrimp and South Shore Perch Taco. See the CPFoodBlog Fire & Ice Taste Tour Guide for complete details.While at Cedar Point, make sure to also check out the new Boardwalk Cruisers, Vertical Impact stage show, take a ride on Gemini's 40th anniversary and, of course, take a ride on Steel Vengeance, though take note of the current early ride times schedule impacts.Fireworks light up the sky above Cedar Point. A special fireworks celebration is planned, once again, for this year's Fourth of July celebration Wednesday at the amusement park.