° PubClub Home Page
° Sign up to be a "PUBCLUBBER"

Web PubClub.com

Complete guide to 2011 Fourth of July clebrations across the country in major cities, plus top sporting events.

Fourth of July Celebrations in the USA
Independence Day in American Cities, Beaches, and Sports

Huge events like the Chase Family Fourth in Seattle light up the sky.
Photo:Chase Family Fourth.

From sea to shining sea – and over the beaches, through the rivers and lakes and beyond – Americans celebrate the Fourth of July in grand style befitting such a large country.

Independence Day – as it's known by its more formal title – involves fireworks and friends and/or families, backyard barbecues and beer, parades and parties, a day at the ol' ballpark, or, at the beaches, martinis and bikinis.

It's sporting Uncle Sam costumes, waving the Stars & Stripes, singing the national anthem and wearing red, white and blue.

This is a much-anticipated multi-day event with the Fourth being the natural pinnacle of celebration. In 2011, the holiday is on Monday, spawning a plethra of parties for the entire weekend.

So strike up the band and read about where to spend the Fourth of July 2011 in the great US of A.

Americans celebrate their independence with fireworks across the USA.

This article focuses on the major party places for Independence Day. It features city celebrations around the country, the best boat parties on the rivers and lakes and sports the key sporting events. It includes essential information, times and places of fireworks shows, links to official event websites and/or city sites (the ones without links either don't have specific event websites or the city's websites are so weak they offer little helpful information). A separate article on the Fourth of July in Los Angeles can be found at this link.

– USA City Celebrations –

The show at the Rose Bowl is the biggest fireworks performance in L.A.

• BALTIMORE – All-day event starting at noon with entertainment at Inner Harbor Amphitheater located at Light and Pratt streets.
Fireworks: Inner Harbor. Watch from Federal Hill, Fell's Point, Canton and Rash Fiel. Or the Top of the World Trade Center ($5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children).

• BOSTON – Annual concerts held July 3 and 4 on the Esplanade. Charles River between the Longfellow and Mass Ave., bridges on both the Boston and Cambridge sides of the river. The Oval is the area in front of the Hatch Shell. People and boats pack the area. The Boston Pops starts things on the 4th at 8:30, wiht with Toby Keith taking the stage at 10 p.m., CBS will broacast live beginning at 10. The Park opens at 9 a.m., concerts both days 8:30-11 p.m. The 3rd consists of concerts with no fireworks.
Concessions: Food and merchandise.
Cost: Free First come, first serve for best seating.
Fireworks: July 4, 10:30-11 p.m. .Event Website.
Boston Harborfest. June 29-July 4. A multi-day event along the waterfront that showcases the colonial and maritime heritage of Boston and the American Revolution. The starting point is City Hall Plaza across from Faneuil Hall. Daily concerts on City Hall Plaza (times vary but roughly noon-7 p.m. Saturday features a "British Are Coming" event (11 a.m.-noon). A food highlight is Chowderfest on July 5, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., which crowns Boston's Best Chowder to a deserving restaurant.
Cost: Free. Chowderfest is $10, $7 for children under 12.
More Information: Event Website.

• CHICAGO – Taste of Chicago, June 24-July 3. Grant Park.
Event: Celebrating its 31st year in 2011, it has nore than 70 participating restaurants, plus live music. Open 11 a.m-9 p.m. (7 p.m., on July 3 and 6 p.m., on July 4). The busiest day is always Saturday. With 6 million visitors, the Taste of Chicago is the city's marquee event of the summer.
Music: Daily, with the 2011 big name being Loretta Lynn on Country Music Day on Friday, July 1. Bands start at 3 p.m., on Saturday and 2:30 on Sunday.
Food: Chicago pizza and ribs (of course), alligator, cheesecake and cheeseburgers, cheeseburgers from that famous place. Tickets are sold in strips of 12 for $8. Participating Dominick’s locations are selling strips for $6, Food: 7-9 tickets.
Drink: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are sold on-site. Beer: 7 tickets.
Cost: Free.
Fireworks: July 4, 9:15 p.m, launched from Moroe Harbor. Also can be seen from Navy Pier. Independence Eve concert, 8:30 p.m.
More Information: Taste of Chicago Website.
Navy Pier Fireworks: July 4. Starts 9:30 p.m. 10-minute show set to patriotic music. The Navy Pier also has fireworks displays every Sunday and Wednesday from Memorial Day thru Labor Day, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
More Information: (312) 595-7437. Navy Pier Fireworks Website.

• DENVER – The Mile High City reaches a peak with several events on and around the 4th. The highlight is the Red Rocks & Blue extravaganza on July 2-4 in scenic Red Rocks Amphitheater and State Park in nearby Morrison. July 3 is Glitch Mob and Lotus with Blues Traveler on the 4th ($10 parking).

The Shriners hold a parade on Independence Day in downtown Denver.

Denver's weekend also features the Cherry Creek Arts Festival
July 204, Cherry Creek North, Denver, an this outdoor festival featuring 230 juried visual artists working in photography, wood, clay, pottery, fiber and metal. And on July 3, Center SOUNDS: Independence Eve Celebration is a free community concert at Civic Center Park featuring patriotic favorites performed by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by a light show and fireworks (8:30 p.m.),

More Information: VisitDenver.com

Fireworks in Long Beach over the harbor and the Queen Mary.

• LOS ANGELES – The biggest fireworks show is at the Rose Bowl but the biggest parties are at the beach. So take your pick. Or apply this knowledge: families go to the Rose Bowl – or for fireworks in Long Beach or Marina del Rey – and single partiers head for the beach.
The Rose Bowl: Concessions inside and outside the stadium beginning at 2 p.m. The the Drum Corps International performs inside the stadium at 7; fireworks at 9 p.m. Parking: $15. Rose Bowl admission $13, $25 for preferred seats, kids under 7 free (no alcohol sold inside). Tailgate beforehand at "the backstop" outside of the Rose Bowl's signature entrance. This event attracts 25,000+ people.
More Information: (626) 577-3101. Rose Bowl "Amerifest" Website.
Long Beach Fireworks: Two locations to watch: downtown and the Belmont Pier, both offering a combination of family fun and young adults. Downtown fireworks over the Queen Mary can be seen from several places along Marina Green and the patios of the seaside bars in Shoreline Village and Rainbow Harbor (free). This event is part of the two-month Long Beach Sea Festival. 9 p.m. There is also viewing from the Belmont Pier for those in the Belmont Shore section of Long Beach.
More Information: Long Beach Sea Festival Website.
Marina del Rey Fireworks: Annual event over the main channel attracts thousands; best place to view is Chase Park where music to the fireworks is played over loudspeakers. Fireworks begin 9 p.m. Earlier in the day, there's a parade in adjacent Westchester, from Loyola Blvd. to Loyola Marymount University.
More Information: Event Website.

For activities on the Southern California beaches, scroll below.

• MINNEAPOLIS – The Taste of Minnesota will not take place in 2011.

• NEW YORK CITY – New York is so big they have to launch fireworks from three locations. which together comprise the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks over the Manhattan skyline.
Fireworks: Fireworks will be launched from the East River between 23d and 42nd streets. Visible in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Live on NBC at 9 p.m, with fireworks at 9:20. People will begin to gather at 7 p.m.
Other Events: Hot dog eating contest at Nathan's on Coney Island (for best viewing, arrive by 11 a.m.). More than 30,000 people have witnessed it in the past and the event is televised on ESPN. There are Fourth of July parades in Port Jefferson, Southampton and Southhold and fireworks in Jones Beach State Park, in Mantauk at Umbrella Beach and Shelter Island on Crescent Beach.

• PHILADELPHIA – Independence Day ceremony, Independence Hall, 10-11 a.m,, Parade 11 a.m.-nooon tyhrough historic Philadelphia. , the "ringing" (tapping, actually) of the Liberty Bell, 1:30 p.m. (Liberty Bell Center, 500 Market Street). Party on the Parkway, Ben Franklin Parkway,20th Street to Easkins Oval, noon-8 p.m (free).
Fireworks: The Roots perform at July Jam in what the city calls the largest free concert in America,, followed by fireworks. Benjaman Franklin Parkway, 8-11 p.m. People are advised to go early to this event. Firworks start at 10:30 p.m. Places to watch the fireworks are: Lemon Hill, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, Martin Luther King Drive and Schuylkill River Park.
More Information: Visit Phily Event Website.

The crowd at the Chase Family Fourth. Photo: Chase Family Fourth.

• SEATTLE – Family 4th at Lake Union with topped by fireworks set to music over Lake Union.
Concessions: At the free Fourth, it's hot dogs, pizza, corn-on-the-cob, gyros and non-alcoholic beverages. Coolers are allowed for personal picnics and people are free to use BBQs inside the park. No alcohol can be brought in, but that's where the beer garden, with a view of the lake, comes into play. Be sure and bring the i.d. Noon-10 p.m.
Beer Garden: Noon-9:30 p.m.
Fireworks: Starts at 10 p.m. Also can be seen from the Space Needle's Observation Deck and SkyCity Restaurant at a price – $35 for adults, $15 for children.

•WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nation's capitol naturally makes a big deal out of the Fourth.
Events: America's Independence Day Parade featuring more than 100 marching units, noon, along Constitution Ave., between 7th and 17th streets. Marching bands, floats, military units and VIPs. Attracts 500,000 spectators. Popular music groups play from mid-afternoon until the fireworks. The National Symphony Orchestra, with guest stars and soloists, performs at 8 p.m.
Fireworks: The fireworks are over the Washington Monument. Bands leads up to the main show, a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra performing patriotic music on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. Fireworks begin at 9:20 p.m., and last approximately 30 minutes with the orchestra playing the 1812 Overture and live cannon fire from the US Army Presidental Salute Battery. Viewing at the National Mall. Some prefer to watch from the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. Gates open 5 p.m.
Cost: Free.

• WILLIAMSBURG, VA – Actors portray life in the days leading to the revolution in the town and historic houses. Fireworks at dusk.

– Fourth of July Beach Parties –

Bikinis and martinis – The 4th at American beaches is a party.

• LOS ANGLES BEACHES: Hermosa, Manhattan Redondo Beaches – All up and down the Strand - particularly in party-hearty Hermosa – people gather at houses along the beach. Some are small gatherings while others are huge keggers with live bands. Strap on the rollerblades, hop on the bike or just walk and enjoy. Alcohol is technically not permitted on the Strand or on the beach, though concealment in plastic containers is usually tolerated. This will start on Friday, July 4 and continues the entire weekend. Fireworks are launched from the Redondo Beach Pier, El Segundo and Marina del Rey; often all three can be seen from single vantage point.

For fireworks, there is Budweiser-sponsored party in Redondo Beach's Seaside Lagoon with live bands starting at 2 p.m. At 9:30, there is a fireworks show to patriotic music. There's Budweiser, Bud Light and Bud Light Lime, plus food vendors. Tickets are $18 and are available here.

• ORANGE COUNTY, CA – According to "Mister OC," the palce to party is the singles-friendly Newport Beach. For years the city has closed the Newport Peninsula to control the hundreds of parties that spring up on this festive day. Every block in every location has what seems like an endless series of booze, beautiful tanned bodies, cutting edge music and raucous fun!. You'll see live bands, kegs stacked high, lots of tanned bods, and more action than you can absob, all within a block or two of the expansive Newport Beach coastline. Enjoy, but don't drink on the streets!

Just up the coast, Huntington Beach hosts the largest Fourth of July parade west of the Mississippi draws 250,000 people (starts 10 a.m.). Afterward, Pier Plaza Expo at the foot of the HB Pier is worth taking in, featuring entertainment and street vendors all day into the evening. Many private parties abound in the local area; just cruise around and you'll spot them, always under the watchful, wary eyes of the local PD lest things get a little too rowdy. The day settles into night with a huge fireworks display at dusk, over the water, just an epic presentation with hundreds of boats and 100,000 viewing on the shore.

More Information: Mister OC Website. Also, PubClub's Los Angeles Fourth of July Party Guide.

• PACIFIC BEACH, CA (SAN DIEGO) – The young and fun seaside community is much like Manhattan/Hermosa and Newport in that it's a year-round party. But on certain occasions like the Fourth of July it gets absolutely nuts. Case in point: A group organizes an annual beach party consisting of beer pong, canopies, a 30-foot flag pole, tubs of beer, grills, a generator, PA system, blenders, slip & slide... Well you get the picture. In all about 1.5 million people are surfside in PB (as it's known to locals) and neighboring Mission and Ocean beaches.
More Information: Pacific Beach Bars & Restaurants.

• ST. PETERSBURG, FL. – Fourth of July @ the Pier. Billed as a family event, it opens at 5 with concessions the Community Concert Band at 7 p.m., and fireworks at 8:30 over the bay.
More Information: Event Website.

– Sporting Events–

See our "ballparks and beer" guide to Fenway Park.

•  BASEBALL, A DAY AT THE 'OL BALLPARK – Baseball, hot dogs and peanuts are a perfect way for many to pass the day (dads and sons especially). There's a change in home teams from the weekend to the 4th but here's the teams at home on Independence Day: Red Sox, White Sox, Twins, A's, Rangers and Angels. in the American League and the Dodgers, Cardinals, Braves, Marlins, Giants, Brewers, Pirates and Nationals in the National League.
More Information: Major League Baseball Schedule.

•  COKE ZERO 400 NASCAR, DAYTONA BEACH – Where's the best place to spend the Fourth of July in the South? Hard ta say, but for fans of the National Association of Stock Car Racing it's the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Okay, make that the Coke Zero 400 now but many people still refer to its original name. This year's event is Saturday, July 2 at 7:30 p.m., with a Busch race, er, Natiowide Series, on Friday the 1st.
More Information: Event Website.

Related Article: 4th of July on The Water