Independence Day is an excellent time for families and friends to celebrate our beloved country’s birthday. It is also the best time to kick off your summer with so many family-friendly activities and events from the weekend leading up to the 4th of July in San Diego in celebration of the Independence Day of America. Discover the best spots to enjoy patriotic parades, live music, BBQ parties, drone shows, and dazzling firework displays everywhere to end the night of festivities!
To help you celebrate the 4th of July this year, we’ve rounded up the best places in San Diego to catch every startling moment filled with freedom-ringing fun, laughter, and merriment. From parks to beaches and other venues throughout San Diego, the star-spangled happenings will never disappoint you. So, get ready to celebrate Independence Day and mark this momentous occasion with pride and honor!
SeaWorld San Diego
500 SeaWorld Dr., San Diego, CA 92109
Phone Number: (619) 222-4732
June 30 – July 4, 2023 | Friday – Tuesday | 9:30 PM – 10:00 PM
In honor of Independence Day, you can get in the patriotic spirit when you witness a dazzling fireworks display—free with admission to SeaWorld. This stunning mix of pyrotechnics, set to a triumphant musical score, will illuminate SeaWorld’s skyline and captivate you with spectacular flames, sparks, and surprises. You can also enjoy live entertainment and presentations as part of Summer Spectacular, exciting animal experiences, and thrilling rides.
Look over Mission Bay and Fiesta Island and enjoy an exclusive viewing of the extended 15-minute Sea to shining sea 4th of July fireworks spectacular in San Diego. You can also purchase reserved seating for the show at the Bayside Amphitheatre and the Sea Lion Amphitheatre. Join the fun and save on Annual Passes, tickets, and Fun Cards during the 4th of July Sale!
Coronado Tidelands Park
2000 Mullinex Dr., Coronado, CA 92118
Phone Number: (619) 996-9002
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 5:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Get ready to grab your race essentials and feel the buzz of excitement as we gear up for an incredible 4th of July run, San Diego’s largest and most patriotic running event. Kick off your Independence Day in Coronado with a red, white, and blue experience unlike any other – running under the largest US flag on the west coast. Run 7.4 miles to celebrate 7/4, or test your speed with the Crown City 5K.
This Independence Day run’s 12K distance has a subtly patriotic significance. In imperial units, it clocks in at about 7.4 miles. However, competitors wanting a less-intense route can register for the 5K, while kiddos can take on the half-mile course.
PO Box 182041, Coronado, CA 92178
Phone Number: (619) 232-3101
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Coronado’s popular annual Independence Day activities include a parade, concerts in the park, and a fireworks display over Glorietta Bay. Locals flock to Coronado’s Orange Avenue as early as 4:30 am to secure prime seating for the island’s annual Independence Day Parade, which begins at 10 am. Everyone can have a photo op at the Star Park with Adrian Empire Demonstration and San Diego Star Wars Society.
In the afternoon, there will be a Public Kids Concert with Katleen Dugas performing Children’s Songs and Patriotic Concert by Coronado Concert Band. Explore Coronado’s other activities, including a Navy aerial demonstration, free concerts with IT’S NEVER 2L8 and PHT & The Honky Tonk Nights, and a fireworks show at the Coronado Golf Course by 9 pm.
LEGOLAND California
One Legoland Dr., Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone Number: (888) 690-5346
July 4, 2023 |Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Special 4th of July activities will be happening around LEGOLAND in honor of the holiday. During the day, enjoy picnic games and building activities. Families can enjoy special limited-time treats and D.J. dance parties with everyone on their feet. There will also be lawn games, including LEGO Hamburger Relay and LEGO Picnic Race Run.
Then at night, you’re in for a treat with evening fireworks show combining patriotic music “with dazzling pyrotechnics” that explode into 3D LEGO® bricks right before your eyes with special viewing glasses to transform the fireworks into a show you will never forget. Special extended park hours to celebrate and enjoy the spectacular fireworks.
San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Dr San Diego, CA 92101
Phone Number: (619) 231-1515
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The San Diego Zoo is a classic family-fun destination for the 4th of July Independence Day celebration with special events and activities. This iconic attraction boasts some of the most exciting animals globally, all housed in innovative and educational exhibits. While there’s plenty to see this summer at the San Diego Zoo, they recommend checking out their extended evening programming during Nighttime Zoo.
These events include longer parking hours, specialty music and dance performances, and more. Adults can also enjoy drink specials, while the whole family can appreciate tasty fare expressly crafted for this event. Come “rock and roar” this season with live music and other incredible entertainment experiences. Extend your adventure—stay late for all the fun and excitement that awaits!
Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center
2800 Olympic Parkway, Chula Vista, CA 91915
Phone Number: (888) 828-0948
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
All that glitters is gold at this free community event featuring food trucks and fireworks — in a world-class Olympic training facility. Gates to the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (CVEATC) open at 6 pm for public viewing. This is one of the 4th of July San Diego events open to the public and all ages, with many activities for kids and the whole family.
No alcohol allowed on the CVEATC campus – vehicles and pedestrians may be searched upon entry. There are only 400 parking spots on the CVEATC campus, and there will be a $10 fee for parking. There is free parking at New Hope Church. Blankets and chairs are welcome at the Training Center. Listen to 91X, Magic 92.5, or Z90 for a live simulcast of patriotic music timed to the fireworks display.
USS Midway Museum
910 N Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
Phone Number: (619) 544-9600
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Celebrate our Nation’s Birthday and watch the Big Bay Boom Fireworks show from the Flight Deck of the Midway! It’s a celebration for all ages, including live entertainment by The Sully Band, delicious BBQ meals by The BBQ Daddy as seen on the Food Network, photo ops, and the best view in town to watch California’s largest fireworks show, the Big Bay Boom Independence Day Spectacular!
The USS Midway Museum event will feature lots of fun with family activities, including face painting, dancing, photo ops with “Uncle Sam,” and more. Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and small coolers if they want to take a tour of the Midway beforehand. Pop by during the day or the weekend following the holiday when many other festive events will occur.
Kellogg Park
8277 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone Number: (888) 828-0948
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 8:45 PM – 9:00 PM
The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, located in the heart of La Jolla Shores, will host a show-stopping Fourth of July drone show in partnership with San Diego-based Drone Studios for the La Jolla community to celebrate the holiday. The drones’ cutting-edge technology will emulate a dazzling firework display and other patriotic images with minimum impact on our environment.
The synchronized drone show will feature 100 drones soaring approximately 350 feet above the shoreline. Those who attend the free event can anticipate a stunning 15-minute performance showcasing a symphony of lights and color, expertly choreographed to simulate the awe of actual fireworks and an array of patriotic imagery.
Port of San Diego
3165 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone Number: (619) 686-6200
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom July 4th Fireworks Show is back, promising another spectacular display over San Diego Bay. One of the largest pyrotechnic displays on the West Coast, a spectacular show with rockets launching simultaneously from barges placed strategically around the Bay off Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Embarcadero North, Marina District, and Coronado Ferry Landing. The impeccably choreographed display will last approximately 18 minutes.
Free, prime viewing spots include the shores around Point Loma, Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Liberty Station, Spanish Landing, Little Italy, the North Embarcadero, Seaport Village, the South Embarcadero, and the Coronado Ferry Landing, as well as by boat. Come to San Diego Bay for the fireworks – but try not to bring your car. Pack a picnic, grab your lounge chairs, and head to one of these top places to watch the show. The fireworks score is simulcast live on 101.5 KGB!
Ocean Beach
1868 Bacon St., #A, San Diego, CA 92107
E-mail: lightupob@oceanbeachluminosity.com
July 4, 2023 | Tuesday | 9:05 PM – 10:00 PM
LUMINOSITY, a community-based organization that fosters unity through the arts in Ocean Beach, San Diego, is excited to announce an extraordinary 4th of July Drone Show that will light up the skies above Ocean Beach and Point Loma. This mesmerizing 3D display of technology and artistry will take place on Independence Day and promises to be an unforgettable experience for residents and visitors in San Diego alike.
After structural issues with the pier shuttered OB’s annual fireworks display in 2018, community organizers envisioned a new, fire department–approved take on festive explosives: two light shows, one an immersive, on-the-ground experience in the Newport Avenue Business District and the other an overhead display featuring hundreds of synchronized drones. Bring your family and friends to witness the first 4th of July Drone Light Show in San Diego.
Celebrating Independence Day is a long-standing tradition across America. And San Diego is among the best destination to host a 4th of July celebration filled with incredible fireworks displays, patriotic tunes, festive events, and family-friendly activities to highlight the extraordinary occasion of the US Independence Day. Most of these events have free admission. However, some require an entry ticket. So, plan and reserve a spot for you and the entire family. Enjoy the holiday and Happy Fourth of July!
San Diego offers many opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of resources, or browse through our things to do in San Diego with kids. Still looking for more activities for kids in San Diego? No problem! Check out our comprehensive listing of sports in the region and our highly recommended seasonal blog posts.
And if you’re in for some significant savings, such as coupon codes or any special offers and promotions for your kids in your area, check out our Deals and Discount category.
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