Sparks will fly in Orange County on the Fourth of July
Celebrating the Fourth of July with a mesmerizing fireworks display is a tradition as American as apple pie.
After spending the day at the beach or attending a backyard barbecue there are several parks and beaches you can head to in Orange County to see sparks fly this Independence Day. Fireworks shows are even planned for July 3 and 5. Whenever you decided to celebrate, do it with a bang at one of these O.C. fireworks displays.
Anaheim
Disneyland is known for its nightly fireworks display, but you don’t have to brave the park to see it. Tickets for Paseo’s Fourth of July Celebration are still available. The recently opened concept from Michelin starred-chef Carlos Gaytán is offering premiere terrace seating at the Downtown Disney restaurant with a perfect view of the fireworks. The celebration features an exclusive prix-fix menu featuring dishes like tuna ceviche, grilled New York strip steak and grilled jumbo shrimp. Tickets are priced at $250 for a table for two, with the credit applied to the final bill. Get your tickets at by visiting paseoanaheim.com.
Paseo at Downtown Disney
1580 Disneyland Drive, Unit 106, Anaheim
Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa is one of the few cities in Orange County that allow the use of approved fireworks by residents. On Thursday’s holiday you will hear many such backyard celebratory explosions, but on Wednesday, the city will host a free Independence Day community celebration at the O.C. fairgrounds. Admission and parking are free and guests are encouraged to bring their own picnics, lawn chairs and blankets. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. No outside alcohol is permitted. The event will also feature a bounce house for the kids and live music from a local favorite, Tijuana Dogs.
O.C. fairgrounds
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa – Lot A
5 to 11 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m, *July 3
Dana Point
Dana Point Harbor will host a couple festive events to celebrate Independence Day, including the harbor’s annual spectacular firework display. The activities in the harbor begin at noon with Water Wars. The event encourages participants to paddle out to the main channel in boats ranging from small inflatables to 20-plus-foot fishing boats for an epic water battle. Posts are still available for the harbor’s daily Whale a Watching Tours with Dana Wharf Sportfishing. The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m., with the pyrotechnics shot from a barge off the coastline of Doheny State Beach.
Dana Point Harbor
34571 Golden Lantern Dana Point
Noon to 9:30 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
Huntington Beach
Pacific City in Huntington Beach will host a Fourth of July celebration complete with views of the Huntington Beach Pier and a VIP barbecue. From 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Ocean Deck between Lemonade and Simmzy’s will be open, with live music from Midnight Martini and barbecue and booze available for purchase. Entry and chairs are priced at $20 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Alzheimer’s Assn. Food will be available until 8 p.m., and the bar will remain open until the midpoint of the fireworks, which is estimated to be around 9:15 p.m.
Pacific City
21010 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach
11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
The 120th Huntington Beach Independence Day Event includes “Fireworks over the Ocean” at the Huntington Beach Pier. Presented by the Mayer Family Foundation, the celebration is open to the public and enjoyable by beach viewing. A limited number of tickets for reserved seating on the pier remain available. Early entry tickets are priced at $42 per person and general admission tickets are priced at $32 and are good for seating on the Pier at Main & Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. The Pier will open at 7 p.m. for early entry ticket holders and 7:30 p.m. for general seating. While there is no alcohol permitted, fireworks viewers can bring bags and coolers. Chairs will be provided. Firework show will begin at 9 p.m. Buy tickets by visiting hb4thofjuly.org.
Huntington Beach Pier
325 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach
7:30 to 9 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
Irvine
Principal Pops Conductor emeritus, Richard Kaufman, will conduct the Pacific Symphony for a July 4 Spectacular at Great Park Live, Irvine’s new temporary live music venue. Enjoy a patriotic selection of orchestral music from the Pacific Symphony, like “Liberty Fanfare” and “America the Beautiful.” The special event will also include the music of rock band Chicago, performed by Brass Transit, and end with a fireworks spectacular. Concert-goers can also preorder boxed meals, appetizers and wine from 24 Carrots. Buy tickets at pacificsymphony.org.
Great Park Live
8000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine
Concert at 8 p.m. Fireworks at finale.
Laguna Beach
The city of Laguna Beach outlaws all fireworks, including those regarded as “safe and sane” by other cities. That means you won’t see even a sparkler lit in Laguna on the Fourth of July. You can however, check out the 4th of July Drone Show from Heisler Park. The drone light show begins at 9 p.m. from Monument Point and viewers are encouraged to tune into the Voice of Laguna and KXFM Radio, where a live audio simulcast of patriotic music will broadcast with the show. Note that some areas of Heisler Park will be closed for the day in preparation for the drone show and at the area of Heisler Park from Myrtle Street to the Rockpile Beach stairs at Jasmine Street will be closed to the public beginning at 5 p.m. for the duration of the show.
Heisler Park
361 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach
Drone light show at 9 p.m.
Newport Beach
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina offers an entire weekend of Fourth of July festivities with Celebrate Independence Day on the Back Bay. Live music, movies on the beach and more are planned for the four-day weekend, but it’s the fireworks display on the Fourth, billed as one of the largest in Southern California, that really brings out the crowds. Gates open at 8 a.m. on Thursday for attendees to stake their claim with beach chairs and umbrellas. The Inflatable Aquatic Park will be open and food trucks and a full bar will be available for snacks and libations. Live music at the Tunes at the Dunes show will include performances from the Class, playing Top 40 hits and classic rock from 5 to 8 p.m. and the firework show will begin at 9 p.m. You can reserve parking for $100 in the main paved lot off Jamboree and Back Bay Drive. Day-of parking will be priced at $50 at an unpaved lot accessible from Bayside Drive and Pacific Coast Highway.
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina
1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach
8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
VEA Newport Beach invites O.C. residents to take a staycation this Fourth of July with the Independence Day Celebration package. The stay will include mini flags upon check-in and stuffed animals for children. There will be live music on Friday and poolside DJs throughout the weekend. Families can spend the weekend by the pool or playing lawn games like ping-pong, cornhole, connect four and Jenga on the Sunset Lawn. On Thursday guests are invited to the Red, White and VEA Blue BBQ and will have a front row seats to the Newport Beach Country Club Fireworks show. Visit marriott.com for room rates.
VEA Newport Beach, A Marriott Resort & Spa
900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
Fireworks at 9 p.m.
Orange
The city of Orange always gets a a jump on the fireworks with a 3rd of July Celebration. The event is in its 29th year, hosted at Grijalva Park. Food trucks will be on hand and the Patriotic Music Program will star the Orange Community Master Chorale. Gates open at 6 p.m. and Orange Mayor Dan Slater will give remarks at 8 p.m. Fireworks will start at approximately 8:45 p.m. Admission is $7 per person, although children under 2 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at the Orange Community Services Department or on site the day of the event. Limited parking will be available at Prospect Elementary School, as well as at El Modena and Esplanade high schools.
Grijalva Park
368 N. Prospect St., Orange
6 to 9 p.m., fireworks at 8:45 p.m. *July 3
Rancho Santa Margarita
The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar in Ranch Santa Margarita offers a perfect view of the SAMLARC Star Spangled Spectacular, a 5th of July tradition. Fireworks will light up the sky above the Lago Santa Margarita at 9 p.m., and the restaurant will have several seating options available on its newly renovated patio. Seats overlooking the lake are priced at $75, while courtyard seating is priced at $50. Diners will have the chance to sip craft cocktails and enjoy limited time specials from the Blind Pig like the Street Dog, an all beef, bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with caramelized onions, bell peppers, mayo, mustard and chives or Baby Back Ribs, spiced with peach barbecue sauce, chipotle aioli and served fried corn. Reservations can be made on Opentable.
The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar
31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy., Rancho Santa Margarita
Fireworks at 9 p.m. *July 5
San Clemente
The city of San Clemente is launching a new Independence Day celebration this year, “Stars, Stripes, & Slip ‘N Slides.” Taking place in downtown San Clemente, this family-friendly event will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Admission is free, but activity wristbands for the event can be purchased for $7 for San Clemente residents and $12 for nonresidents. Activities will include a 300-foot San Clemente Slip ‘N Slide, 17-foot water slide and giant inflatable 75-foot obstacle course, to name a few. Food trucks like Kona Ice and Currywurst Frankfurt will be on site, and a beer garden hosted by the Los Molinos Brewery team will be open to guests 21 and over, with proceeds benefiting the Friends of San Clemente Beaches, Parks & Recreation Foundation. Live music will be provided by bluegrass group Hillbilly Crutch and Soul Kitchen, a tribute band to the Doors. After spending a day downtown, pull up a chair at the San Clemente Pier for a fireworks show beginning at 9 p.m.
Downtown San Clemente
Avenida Victoria and Avenida Rosa
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano‘s annual Fourth of July Celebration and fireworks display will take place in the athletic fields of Marco Forster Middle School this year. The party kicks off at 2 p.m. with live music from Flashback Heart Attack, Family Style and Tijuana Dogs. The event includes face painting for the kids, bounce houses, carnival style games and food trucks. The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m.
Marco Forster Middle School
25601 Camino Del Avion, San Juan Capistrano
2 to 9:30 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
Santa Ana
Centennial Park will host itsannual Fourth of July Celebration on July 4 from 3 to 9:30 p.m. This free community event not only includes a spectacular fireworks show at 8:45 p.m. but live music, activities for kids and food trucks too. Attendees can look forward to performances from Ballet Folklorico Nueva Generación at 3 p.m., Cedar Tree Mariachi at 3:30 p.m. and Folklorico Alebrijes at 4 p.m. The Patriotic Pup Contest will begin at 7 p.m., with residents invited to bring their furry friends dressed in their best red, white and blue outfits. Plan to arrive early to secure your spot with lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Pets are welcome but must remain leashed.
Centennial Park
3600 W. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana
3 to 9:30 p.m. Fireworks at 8:45 p.m.
Tustin
Tustin Parks and Recreation Department presents its annual Fourth of July Celebration at Tustin High School. From 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Operation Warm Wishes will be collecting nonperishable food items for unhoused veterans in the school parking lot. Festivities at the baseball field begin at 6 p.m. with live music from Maroon Five tribute band, Maroon Vibes. Food trucks will also be parked on campus for the event. Seating will be available on the bleachers, and picnickers are welcome to set up blankets on the lawn, though it should be noted marshmallow fights are a tradition in that area. Parking will be available on campus too, for $10 per vehicle, with the proceeds benefiting the Tustin High Dance Team. Pets are not permitted. The 20-minute aerial firework show will begin at 9 p.m.
Tustin High School
1171 El Camino Real, Tustin
Begins at 6 p.m.; fireworks at 9 p.m.
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