As the 4th of July approaches, you might be asking, "where can I find fireworks near me this year?" Luckily, Northern California does Independence Day right. From large scale fireworks shows to small town pancake breakfasts, here's a list of all the celebrations near you this 4th of July, as well as the weekend prior.
Don't forget, personal fireworks are going to be illegal in much of Northern California on the 4th of July due to Wildfire risk and safety. If you do have any personal fireworks, have a bucket of water handy.
In 2016, we told you all about the fantastic places to see fireworks in Northern California. Without further ado, here is our master list of all 2017 Northern California 4th of July celebrations (skip to the bottom to see the full list).
1. Oroville Strong Forebay Fireworks
This celebration made it to the top of our list this year because the community has rallied together to ensure that this celebration continues despite having to move locations. They weren't able to have the Fireworks on Oroville Dam this year like usual due to the Spillway Incident and
follow-up construction work. This year, the fireworks will be lit over the North Thermalito Forebay and the Nelson Sports Complex. It's a change from Oroville's usual celebration, but we're sure glad the townspeople were able to pull it off! The display begins at 9 and there is no entry fee, but spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and a picnic.
2. Lake Tahoe and Truckee
Lake Tahoe and Truckee sure get crazy on the 4th of July, but there's nothing else quite like celebrating the holiday in the mountains. There's a ton of fireworks to choose from, too, including Kings Beach on July 3, Tahoe City on the 4th, Donner Lake on the 4th, Squaw Valley's Freedom Fest happening July 1-4, and Northstar's Beerfest & Bluegrass Festival on July 1-2. You can even hop over the border into Incline Village to watch their Red, White and Tahoe Blue event, which places a big emphasis on honoring veterans. If you'd rather skip the crowds Tahoe draws, however, keep reading.
3. Eureka
The celebrations kick off at 10am on Eureka's Main Street. The festival spans six city blocks along Second Street. Vendor booths will feature a wide variety of foods, crafts, commercial items, fine art and community groups getting the word out about their organizations. There will be classic cars, kids activities, petting zoo, fire trucks, bounce house, horse & carriage rides, and more. As the sun sets, make your way over to a good viewing spot where you can see Humboldt Bay. The fireworks will go off over the water starting at 10pm.
4. Grass Valley/ Nevada City: Nevada County Fourth of July celebration
The Greater Grass Valley and Nevada City Chambers of Commerce and the Grass Valley Downtown Association together bring you an epic 4th of July celebration that is the biggest in the Sierra Foothills. It will feature a curbside concert by the Nevada County Concert Band, a parade through Grass Valley, and best of all, a fireworks spectacular that blasts off at 9:30pm from the County Fairgrounds.
5. Mount Shasta Community Fireworks over Lake Siskiyou
This 40 year tradition is an event like no other with plenty of small town pride. The citizens of Mt. Shasta work tirelessly to fund the program each year and continue this community tradition. It's the biggest draw to the area for visitors and locals alike. The best places to view the fireworks, which begin at 9:45pm, are from viewed from boats on Lake Siskiyou, the Lake Siskiyou Campground beach, shoreline, Mt. Shasta Resort, the Roseburg property, local businesses and residences.
6. Sacramento
Northern California's capitol city does 4th of July right. There will be tons of fireworks happening all over the city. Watch it up close or from the distance out of town... either way here's some of the places we recommend scoping out: Old Town Sacramento- Red, White and Brews (July 3rd), Old Town Sac fireworks on the 4th, Cal Expo Independence Day on the 4th, and Elk Grove's A Salute to the Red, White & Blue on the 4th. See below for more.
Fireworks by county: All events are scheduled for July 4th unless otherwise noted.
Humboldt
- Fortuna Fireworks Festival: July 3, 10:30am, Newburg Park.
- Eureka: 4th of July Festival, Old Town Eureka 10am-5pm. Fireworks show, 10pm over Humboldt Bay.
- Benbow: 9:30pm, Benbow Lake State Recreation Area *Parking is limited.
- Ferndale: The celebration starts at 10am, the fireworks are at 9:30pm at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds
- Arcata: 4th of July Jubilee, 10:30am Arcata Plaza
- Crescent City: Celebration and parade, 10am. Fireworks at Beachfront Park, 9-10pm
- Fort Bragg: July 1st Fireworks at Pomo Bluff Park. Parking is at Mendocino College, Noyo Beach and South Noyo Trail.
- Mendocino: Parade, 12pm, downtown.
- Point Arena: July 1-2 Street Fairs, Live Music, Parada, etc. Fireworks off the end of City Pier in Arena Cove.
- Willits Frontier Days: Rodeo, 4pm, Jack Tharp Arena.
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