Fourth of July celebrations to mark America’s 248th birthday will get underway across Riverside County beginning Saturday.
The city of Menifee’s traditional “Independence Day Celebration” will be held Saturday in Wheatfield Park, 30627 Menifee Road, starting at 4 p.m., with a parade along La Piedra Road.
“Menifee’s annual celebration is a wonderful opportunity to join together and celebrate our nation as a community,” Mayor Bill Zimmerman said. “There will be plenty of music, food, fun and fireworks to keep everyone in the family entertained.”
Festivities include the parade, a large variety of food and craft vendors, a kids’ play zone with bounce houses, beer garden and music by the Chris Lozano Band and Stone Soul.
On the same day, Murrieta will be combining pre-Independence Day festivities with a 33rd “Birthday Bash” for the municipality, which incorporated in 1991. At 2 p.m., there will be an outdoor concert, food vendors, a kids’ play zone and pyrotechnics after nightfall in California Oaks Sports Park, 40600 California Oaks Road.
“Murrieta is a vibrant city characterized by its strong sense of community,” City Manager Kim Summers said. “We are connected by community. Our `Birthday Bash’ is an event that captures the essence of what is so wonderful about Murrieta. We value family, friends and coming together to support our local vendors and businesses. Everybody is invited to celebrate the city’s birthday.”
Eastvale has also scheduled a fireworks extravaganza for Saturday, beginning at 9 p.m. in Community Park, 12750 Citrus St.
The Fourth of July falls on a Thursday this year, and some municipalities plan to host pyrotechnics spectaculars immediately before and after that date.
On July 3, Coachella is scheduled to host an event after sundown in Bagdouma Park, 51-251 Douma St., while the Jurupa Area Recreation & Park District will hold its traditional spectacular after dark that day in Vernola Family Park, 5211 Wineville Ave.
On July 4, Corona’s traditional “Main Street U.S.A Parade” will begin at 9 a.m. at Ontario and Main streets, featuring law enforcement units, fire engines, marching bands, military hardware and show animals. The procession, which typically draws upwards of 4,000 spectators, will travel about a mile, concluding at Olive and Main streets around noon. A fireworks show is set for 9 p.m. in Santana Regional Park.
Moreno Valley’s Fourth of July Parade will get underway at 9:30 a.m. at Alessandro Boulevard and Frederick Street, concluding two hours later on Towngate Boulevard. The celebration will continue at 2 p.m. outside the Civic Center Amphitheater on Frederick Street, where a “Family FunFest” is planned, complete with musical entertainment, a beer garden and kids’ activities. Fireworks are scheduled after sunset.
At 10 a.m., Temecula’s “Star Spangled Parade” will proceed, featuring the Temecula Valley Mounted Posse, Veterans of Foreign Wars, members of the American Legion, the Riverside County Fire Department, the Boy Scouts of America and other organizations. The parade will run northbound along Old Town Front Street. There will be pyrotechnics in Ronald Reagan Sports Park after dark.
In addition to the above venues, fireworks shows are scheduled at the following locations, generally beginning at 9 p.m. on July 4:
— Banning, Nicolet Middle School, 101 E. Nicolet St.;
— Beaumont, Town Center, Sixth and Eighth streets;
— Lake Elsinore, Lakepoint Park, 420 Lakeshore Drive;
— Lake Elsinore, Diamond Stadium, 500 Diamond Drive;
— Palm Desert, Civic Center Park, Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue;
— Palm Springs, Sunrise Park, 1901 E. Baristo Road;
— Palm Springs Stadium, 1901 Baristo Road;
— Perris, Morgan Park, 600 E. Morgan St.;
— Rancho Mirage, Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive;
— Riverside, La Sierra Park, 5215 La Sierra Ave.;
— Riverside, Mount Rubidoux, 4706 Mount Rubidoux Drive; and
— Temecula, Pechanga Resort Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway.
The city of Desert Hot Springs will hold its celebration after dark on July 5 in Mission Springs Park, 14-510 Palm Drive.
In 2020, all but one public Fourth of July fireworks celebration was canceled because of the COVID lockdowns. The celebrations returned on a scaled-down level in 2021 and were back in full swing in 2022.
In Riverside County, private parties are prohibited from using fireworks except in Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Indio, where so-called “safe and sane” fireworks, certified by the state fire marshal, can be sold to the public.
The devices are mostly pyrotechnics that don’t explode or fly, including sparklers, ground spinners, fountains, snappers and caps.
Under county Ordinance 858, which was amended by the Board of Supervisors in response to an outbreak of blazes in 2020, fines for illegally storing, transporting or setting off fireworks can range from $1,000 to $5,000.
Any person who triggers a brush fire due to the illegal use of fireworks can be held responsible for all suppression costs.
Despite the potential penalties imposed by the county and cities, fireworks are routinely set off in large numbers by individuals in unincorporated communities and municipalities countywide every Fourth of July.