What better place to spend the Fourth of July than beautiful Santa Monica, where you can enjoy a hot summer day with a view of the ocean, and so many things to do in this amazing beach city? If you’re planning on spending your Fourth of July in Santa Monica, we made a round-up of the special events for the day!
Main Street Parade
Come out to Main Street Santa Monica to watch civic groups and marching bands celebrate Independence Day with a classic parade! Now on its 13th year, the parade is a holiday staple. Starting at Pico Boulevard at 9:30am and ending at the southernmost beach parking lot, families are encouraged to celebrate in red, white, and blue and cheer on the participants! This year’s parade theme celebrates Lady Liberty and women leaders in the community.
Ice Cream at Scoops
Indulge your sweet tooth this Independence Day with a trip to Pacific Park’s premier ice cream shop! Scoops Ice Cream & Treats has ice cream with a wide range of flavors from vanilla and strawberry to cotton candy, cookie monster, and more! Scoops serves Lappert’s premium ice cream. You can enjoy sundaes, floats, funnel cake, or even specialty Dippin’ Dots as you take part in the Fourth of July festivities all along the Santa Monica Pier.
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Fourth of July BBQ at Hotel Shangri-La
At the beautiful Hotel Shangri-La near the Santa Monica Pier, you can enjoy delicious BBQ on their poolside terrace dining area, including Kobe beef burgers and marinated flank steak. If you’re not a guest at the hotel, you can purchase a pool pass for $25 and to dine spend a minimum of $25 per person. The 4th of July celebration in the hotel’s courtyard will be available from noon to 6pm. Visit their site for more info here.
Lights on the Pacific Wheel
The celebrations last long after nightfall as the iconic Pacific Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier dedicates its nighttime light show to the Red, White, and Blue! The lights of the Wheel always provide the perfect backdrop to a wonderful night, and celebrating America with its 174,000 LED lights will put the perfect end on a day of celebration! As always, cameras on the Pier will stream live video of the Wheel all day, so you can watch the patriotic light show from wherever you are!
Fireworks in Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey
A Fourth of July celebration in the sky! The popular Marina Del Rey holiday firework show is back, and the Santa Monica Pier is a great place from which to watch to avoid the massive crowds at Burton Chace Park! The show begins at 9:00pm and is scheduled to last 20-minutes. Optionally, plan a picnic for the evening and catch Santa Monica’s firework show at SMC’s Independence Day Celebration.
If you’re heading to Santa Monica this summer via the Metro, be sure to visit our post on everything you need to know about Metro Expo station closures here.