Fireworks, Flyovers & Fourth of July Fun 🇺🇸⭐🎆
Get Ready for Fourth of July Week, Santa Cruz!
🇺🇸 It's Fourth of July week, and this year is extra special as America celebrates its 250th anniversary – or, if you want to impress your friends at the barbecue, its “semiquincentennial” (sem-ee-kwin-sen-TEN-ee-ul). Don't worry… there won't be a spelling test.
By Saturday, Santa Cruz County will be buzzing with hometown parades, red-white-and-blue traditions, aircraft flyovers and, yes, even one sanctioned fireworks show.
But before we get to the big holiday weekend, there’s plenty happening around town.
🎭 Theater lovers can kick things off this evening, Monday, June 29 at 7pm, when Bookshop Santa Cruz hosts a behind-the-scenes preview of Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s upcoming season, with cast members and artistic staff offering a sneak peek before opening night.
🎶 If music is more your style and you want a dinner show the whole family can enjoy, then head to Kuumbwa Jazz Center tonight at 6pm for New Moon, featuring acclaimed Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza and guitarist Marcel Camargo. Their elegant new collaboration with a string quartet blends fresh arrangements of Brazilian classics with original compositions inspired by their shared roots in São Paulo.
⚽ On Tuesday, June 30 (6pm), World Cup fever continues as Mexico takes on Ecuador in a must-win knockout match. Bars, pubs, restaurants and watch-party spots across the county are showing games throughout the tournament, but one especially fun downtown option is the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH), which is hosting a free watch party with complimentary popcorn and an all-ages art activity. It's a great pick for families, fútbol fans and anyone who enjoys cheering with a crowd in an artsy setting.
📚 On Wednesday, July 1, UCSC’s Homer’s The Odyssey Reading Group meets at 6pm, giving readers a chance to revisit one of literature’s great adventure stories before Christopher Nolan's film adaptation premieres later this month.
🎶 Wednesday night also means another free concert by the beach. The Capitola Twilight Concert Series welcomes Spun to Esplanade Park on July 1 (6-8pm) for an evening of danceable rock favorites.
🍔 Thursday, July 2 (5:30pm), brings another beautiful evening on the sand as the Crow's Nest Beach BBQ welcomes the Ripatti Rose Band. Grab some barbecue, a cold drink and a seat on the beach overlooking the harbor entrance, where boats cruise past the Walton Lighthouse as live music, ocean breezes and a spectacular Santa Cruz sunset do the rest.
🎸 Then on Friday, July 3, the holiday weekend gets rolling with Live at the Lane, a free afternoon concert and community celebration overlooking Steamer Lane. From 2–7 pm, Lighthouse Point Lawn transforms into a seaside festival with live music from James Durbin and The Lost Boys, with Ted Welty opening, and food trucks, local artisans, beer and wine, kids’ activities and one of the best oceanfront backdrops in town.
🇺🇸 On Saturday, the Fourth takes over. Here's where to celebrate around Santa Cruz County:
Aptos – The beloved World's Shortest Parade (10am), followed by Party in the Park (12noon-4pm) with live music from Joint Chiefs, food trucks and family fun. This year's parade theme is "March FORE History!" celebrating the 100th anniversary of Seascape Golf Club and America's 250th birthday.
Seabright – One of Santa Cruz's most scenic neighborhood parades rolls along East Cliff Drive at 10am with ocean views all the way. It’s the first time this one has happened and should help a neighborhood struggling with the Murray Street Bridge closure.
Scotts Valley – Parade and military flyover at 11am along Scotts Valley Drive.
Boulder Creek – Parade, downtown block party, then keep the celebration going at Junction Park with live music, food and a dip in the swimming hole.
Watsonville – Start with the Spirit of Watsonville Parade (12:30pm), then head to Fire in the Sky at Watsonville Municipal Airport (4:30pm) for a classic car show, vintage aircraft, aviation displays, flyovers, a patriotic parachute flag jump, live music, food vendors, a free Kids Zone and the county's only major public fireworks show.
Roaring Camp – Ride the steam train, enjoy an old-fashioned barbecue and celebrate the holiday in the redwoods.
Wilder Ranch – Step back in time with an early-1900s Independence Day celebration featuring a parade, blacksmith demonstrations, lawn games, fresh-baked treats and hand-cranked ice cream.
Harvey West Park – Kick off your holiday with the annual Firecracker 5K, 10K or 1K Fun Run.
🎆 Looking for fireworks? Watsonville's Fire in the Sky at Watsonville Municipal Airport is Santa Cruz County's only major public fireworks show this year. Watsonville is also the county's only city where "Safe and Sane" fireworks will be sold, beginning Wednesday, July 1.
⚠️ Wherever you're celebrating, remember that personal fireworks remain illegal throughout most of Santa Cruz County, and the City of Santa Cruz's Safety Enhancement Zone returns July 4-7 with triple fines for fireworks violations and other prohibited activities. Leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals.
🌿 Need a soft landing after all that celebrating? On Sunday, July 5 (10am–12 noon), Chaminade Resort & Spa hosts a beginner-friendly Nature Journaling workshop that combines sketching, watercolor and mindful observation beneath the redwoods. Leave your phone behind for this screen-free experience as you slow down, sharpen your observation skills and capture the beauty of plants, insects and landscapes. No art experience is required. Advance registration is required. Cost is $45 for community members ($35 for overnight resort guests).
✨ Still searching for inspiration? The Good Times 2026 Visitor's Guide is out, packed with even more ideas for exploring Santa Cruz County. Did we miss one of your favorite local spots? Let us know at editor@weeklys.com – we're always looking for great discoveries to share.
❤️🤍💙 Have a safe, fun and happy Fourth of July week, and thanks for reading!
Now over to the news…
News Highlights:
July 1 Overnight Closure of Highway 9 Near Boulder Creek
Supervisors Delay Vote on Arts Funding Cuts
Tony Nuñez Wins District 4 Supervisor Race
Santa Cruz County Ranks Among California’s Worst in Pedestrian Deaths
PVUSD Tables $192M Bond Measure
Contract Changes Prompt Physician Exodus at Dominican
County Road Maintenance Starts June 29
Watsonville May Soon Implement “No Encampment Zones”
Plus Food for Your Mood, Protein Obsessions, Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean, Hola Puerto Rico, Food Delivery for Busy Moms, Texas Finds Its Missing Giraffe…and Much More!
TOP STORIES
July 1 Overnight Closure of Highway 9 Near Boulder Creek
Motorists traveling on Highway 9 north of Boulder Creek will face a full overnight closure Wednesday, July 1, as crews continue work on the Highway 9 San Lorenzo River and Kings Creek Bridge Replacement Project, according to Caltrans.
Supervisors Delay Vote on Arts Funding Cuts
Santa Cruz County supervisors on Tuesday postponed until June 30 a decision on proposed cuts to local arts funding after hearing from dozens of residents who urged them to preserve grants for arts organizations.
Tony Nuñez Wins District 4 Supervisor Race
Tony Nuñez will be the next Santa Cruz County Supervisor for the 4th District after final election results certified Friday confirmed his five-vote victory in the June primary.
Santa Cruz County Ranks Among California’s Worst in Pedestrian Deaths
A grand jury report is shedding light on Santa Cruz County’s standing among the top 20% of California counties for pedestrian deaths and serious injuries and is suggesting ways to reduce those numbers.
PVUSD Tables $192M Bond Measure
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees declined to place a $192 million school facilities bond measure on the November ballot, instead signaling they would revisit the proposal in a future election. In other PVUSD news, Chief Business Officer Gerardo Castillo has resigned.
Contract Changes Prompt Physician Exodus at Dominican
Changes to Dignity Health Medical Foundation’s contracting structure has prompted more than a dozen doctors to leave.
County Road Maintenance Starts June 29
The County will continue its annual road maintenance program from June 29 through August 21, weekdays 8:30am to 4pm, focusing on spot repairs.
Watsonville May Soon Implement “No Encampment Zones”
Watsonville may soon draw out designated “no encampment zones” which would bar unhoused individuals from setting up tents, parking RVs or using cooking supplies in certain areas.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A growing movement of researchers and clinicians are exploring nutritional psychology, an emerging field that examines the two-way relationship between what we eat and how we feel.
How much is too much?
Good Times writer Richard Stockton shares that the day before two young women were swept into the ocean and drowned at Panther Beach, his hiking group, The Pillars, was standing at the exact spot where they would later be carried away.
Don’t Turn Your Back on the Ocean
Rogue waves, also called sneaker waves, are sets that arrive after a lull. They can catch people exactly when they’ve decided it’s safe to stop paying attention.
In this week’s Wellness column, Elizabeth Borelli asks, what if your most important health numbers aren’t your weight, BMI, or even your cholesterol?
Bringing a taste of Puerto Rico to Santa Cruz, Luna’s Borikén Bites opened in Abbott Square two months ago under the stewardship of owner/chef Ali Luna.
Meal delivery hub Village Foods has sought to bring nurturing foodstuffs to new and/or busy moms around Santa Cruz.
WAIT, WHAT?! 🦒
How do you lose the world's tallest animal?
Meet Gracie, a 3-year-old, 10-foot-tall giraffe who spent nearly two weeks giving Texas ranchers and sheriff's deputies the slip after wandering away from her enclosure in the Texas Hill Country. Despite helicopters, drones and a $5,000 reward, the 1,200-pound escape artist somehow managed to stay hidden in rugged terrain about 100 miles west of San Antonio.
The search finally ended Friday when Gracie was spotted from a helicopter just four miles from home, happily hanging out near a pond with plenty of trees to snack on. Her owner says she appears healthy, "fat and happy" after her unexpected vacation.
My only question is: Did the Texans ever think to simply… look up?