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Celebrate the USA the Third District way

June 30, 2011

Budget concerns may have forced L.A. County’s Department of Beaches and Harbors to scrap their annual fireworks display in Marina Del Rey, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck this Fourth of July. Plenty of pyrotechnical celebrations will be shimmering throughout the county. Here are some of the festivities planned in the Third District:

Studio City

For one day, the fireworks will outshine the stars in Studio City, as it celebrates the 4^th with “Let Freedom Ring,” a music, food and fireworks festival at CBS Studios.

A 70’s disco cover band and comedy act, Boogie Knights, headlines the night’s entertainment. There will also be a car show from the Television Motion Picture Car Club, a model airplane show, dancers and a hand bell choir. You can dine on the BBQ sold there or bring your own food.

The event takes place at CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Avenue, on July 4 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under. VIP tickets are also available and include an assortment of additional luxuries like a gourmet dinner on an air-conditioned soundstage and rooftop fireworks viewing.

All tickets include free parking and may be purchased online, by calling (818) 655-5916, or in person at the Studio City Farmer’s Market this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hollywood

Darryl Hall & John Oates and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra will provide a musical backdrop for the Hollywood Bowl’s annual fireworks gala. Hall & Oates’ rock and pop songs were virtually unavoidable if you turned on the radio in the late 70s and early-to-mid 80s. “Rich Girl” and “Maneater” are just two of their five No. 1 Billboard Top 40 hits. If that’s not enough to satisfy your inner patriot, the Bowl Orchestra will play old-fashioned American classics.

Tickets start at $12 and may be purchased online from Ticketmaster or by calling (323) 850-2000. Details on getting to the Bowl are available on its website. Parking starts at $15 and is limited, so you may want to take advantage of the park-and-ride.

Santa Monica

Santa Monica’s annual parade is themed “4^th of July at the Beach” to honor the L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguards who keep it safe.

Local groups will float and march down Main Street from the Santa Monica Civic Center to the border of Venice. The parade is sponsored by the California Heritage Museum and Ocean Park Association. Afterward, the celebration continues at Heritage Square with live music and dancing, food trucks and a picnic on the lawn. It all starts at 9:30 a.m., so there will be plenty of time for other revelry later in the day.

Pacific Palisades

The Pacific Palisades 4^th of July parade goes back 63 years and has been led by such notables as Chevy Chase and Martin Short. This year’s grand marshal is actor Jeffrey Tambor. Honorary Mayor Sugar Ray Leonard joins him to preside over the parade. One Palisadian, Sarah Kelley, has so many fond memories of this event and its characters that she is filming it for a documentary.

Skydivers start the fun at 1:50 p.m. and the parade gets moving at 2 p.m. More than a thousand marchers will take the streets. Parade route and details are available online.

After the parade, at 6 p.m., a concert and fireworks display will commence at Palisades Charter High School. Reggae artists Rocky Duwani and Band headline the music menu, and the fireworks start at 9 p.m. Admission is $2, with proceeds going to the Palisades Charter H.S. Music Department.

Woodland Hills

Not to be outdone, Woodland Hills boasts the biggest fireworks display in the valley, and claims the highest attendance, too–50,000.

Dennis P. Zine’s July 4^th Extravaganza will have a 20 minute fireworks display and live patriotic music from Los Angeles Pierce Symphonic Winds and others. Twenty local restaurants will be on hand.

The event, produced by Valley Cultural Center and sponsored by L.A. City Councilmember Zine, begins at 6 p.m. July 4 (the fireworks are at 9:05). It takes place in Warner Park and is free to the public.

Sunland-Tujunga

Sunland-Tujunga’s celebration is full of summer fun for families. Starting at 4 p.m., there will be a hula hoop contest, water slides, moon bounces, water balloon fights, live music and plenty of food. Fireworks start at 7 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, and it takes place at Verdugo Hills High School, 10625 Plainview Avenue on July 4. Entry is $5.

Calabasas

Calabasas has a little something for everyone this Independence Day, beginning at the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center, 23400 Park Sorrento.

Get a healthy start with the Lakeside Fun Run at 7:45 a.m. Choose a 4-mile run, 2-mile run or 2-mile walk. Kids can participate in a ¼-mile race. At 10:30 a.m., a pet show will be held for all your furry and scaly friends. Don’t worry if your mutt or hound (or even your lizard) is not up to pedigree–all pets are welcome. Sign up for the run or pet show by calling (818) 222-2784.

If you’re feeling the heat after your run, cool off at the Summer Splash Party from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be swimming, water games, tennis, barbecue, dancing and a DJ.

Finally, head over to Calabasas High School for the City of Calabasas’ annual 4^th of July Fireworks Spectacular. Starting at 5 p.m. you can enjoy live soul and Motown tunes, rides, crafts, balloon artists and games for the family–all followed by the fireworks at 9 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance from City Hall, the Tennis & Swim Center, or Juan Bautista De Anza Park for $11 (kids under 2 are free).

Malibu

Like your fireworks served over the largest body of water on the planet? Consider heading to Malibu, where you can see the sun set over the Pacific before explosions light the night sky. While Malibu has no official fireworks display, they permit some private displays. This year there are four of them: