Every year, tens of thousands come from all over the Santa Clarita Valley, and probably even a few from beyond the Newhall Pass, to celebrate America on the Fourth of July.
The birthday for our nation’s independence is celebrated across the country, of course, but the local events have always been a source of pride, for the country and for their neighborhood — the largest one-day gathering the city hosts each year, in which communities come together with purpose.
There’s the classic annual parade, the 5K/10K and, of course, the Fourth of July wouldn’t be quite the same without the annual fireworks show.
This year, the city of Santa Clarita partnered up with The Signal, SCVTV and KHTS to support a weekend full of events that will help people share their pride for community and country, as well as to make sure residents can safely celebrate the main events for the Fourth of July we’ve all grown to love over the last few years, with social distancing in mind.
There will be a virtual Fourth of July 5K/10K, a parade with a twist and a Fourth of July firework show that people will be able to enjoy from anywhere.
“I was thinking about the history of our celebration, and I thought, ‘We just can’t not have a celebration,’” said City Councilwoman Laurene Weste, who’s also a supporter of the SCV Historical Society. “COVID-19 has dampered some things, but it can’t dampen our spirit, and it can’t dampen the enthusiasm we have for our country.”
The Fourth of July Patriotic Tour, mini-parade
The Patriotic Tour was an effort spearheaded by City Council member Laurene Weste, who envisions it as a way for neighborhoods to come together without congregating in a crowd, and still giving everyone a chance to see Santa Clarita’s patriotism on display.
Decorate the front of your home or business in Americana in the month of June for a chance to win an amazing prize that also supports local businesses impacted by the coronavirus shutdown. The third-place winner will receive a $50 gift card, the runner-up will receive a $100 gift card and the grand-prize winner will receive a $200 gift card for an SCV business and $100. Each gift card will be to a Santa Clarita Valley business of the winner’s choice.
There will also be a mini-parade, for which residents can submit their where residents are challenged to create mini-parade floats for display, which can range in size from a shoebox to something that fits in a pickup truck, according to city officials.
In order to take part of either contest, residents and business owners can complete an online registration form and submit their name and address, and upload an image of their entry.
Entries will then be tracked on a real-time map so the public can see the displays when driving through Santa Clarita, according to city officials.
The city’s website is santa-clarita.com/PatrioticTour.
5K/10K
The Santa Clarita Runners Club hosts a Fourth of July run each year to bring folks together and support local cross country programs by donating the money raised from the annual race.
This year, the city still wants to help the club do the latter, by setting up a virtual run registered through Active.com.
“(Runners) can complete it over the Fourth of July weekend,” said Kevin Strauss, a member of the city staff helping to organize the event. “Virtual races on Active allows for you to register for the race, track your time and submit your time afterward.”
While there’s no official fee or aT-shirt this year, the organizers are asking for donations to support the running club.
For more information about the event, visit santa-clarita.com/patriotictour or call 661-259-CITY.
Fireworks
“The city plans to have a full fireworks show that will be available for a livestream in real time,” said city spokeswoman Carrie Lujan.
The city is planning to host its annual fireworks show, and working with Westfield Valencia Town Center officials to make sure the show is hosted safely and available live online. More information will be available on the city’s website once the details are finalized.
“Our community is one of the most patriotic in our nation,” said Weste, “let’s continue on, in a little bit different fashion this year.”
