The Fourth of July in Santa Clarita is a special time of year as families and friends gather to celebrate the history of our great country. From the Santa Clarita Runners Club’s annual Independence Day Classic races to the SCV Fourth of July Parade to the “Spirit of America” fireworks spectacular, the holiday is filled with awesome displays of patriotism and Americana throughout the city.
However, with public health restrictions in place for public gatherings, the Fourth of July is going to look a little different this year. That is not to say it will not be a wonderful day of celebration — the city has a number of fun ways to display your patriotism and compete for prizes!
Fun, festive competitions
Two fun and festive competitions are being produced by the city, The Signal, KHTS and SCVTV. These competitions — the Fourth of July Patriotic Tour and the Patriotic Pee-Wee Parade — will test your creativity and allow you to show off the stars and stripes in all their glory.
The Patriotic Tour will consist of residents and business owners decorating the front of either their home or business in red, white and blue to see who can make the most patriotic display in the Santa Clarita Valley. Participants will submit a photo of their display and a panel of judges will ride around in Santa Clarita Transit’s Patriotic Trolley to determine the winners. The top three will each receive a gift card to the Santa Clarita business of their choice, which will help support our local businesses and restaurants as they begin to reopen.
The Patriotic Pee-Wee Parade is the city’s first-ever mini float parade! The traditional Fourth of July Parade is one of my favorite events of the year because I love seeing the creativity that goes into each entry. This year, you can show off your American spirit by building your own mini float from scratch. You can submit a photo of your float to the city’s online gallery and then have it put on display for the community to enjoy in person at a later date. I can’t wait to see the submissions this year!
Finally, what would the Fourth of July be without the “Spirit of America” fireworks spectacular? I am proud to say that this Santa Clarita tradition will continue, and residents will be able to enjoy the dazzling display of fireworks as they illuminate the night sky over Westfield Valencia Town Center. The fireworks show will begin at 9:15 p.m. on the Fourth of July, but the city is still finalizing other details for the event, so please stay tuned for a further announcement on how to enjoy the fireworks while keeping yourself and your family safe.
Leave fireworks to the pros
As we get closer to the Fourth of July, I also want to remind you to leave the fireworks to the professionals. We have all seen the devastating effects that brush fires can have on our community, and the last thing any of us wants is to be in an emergency situation during what should be a joyous occasion.
Please remember that all fireworks are illegal in Santa Clarita and the injuries and fires they may cause will do nothing but put additional strain on our first responders and frontline health workers. Please act responsibly and enjoy the professional fireworks show instead.
I hope you have a safe and spectacular Fourth of July!
To learn more about the Patriotic Tour, please visit santa-clarita.com/PatrioticTour. For information on the Pee-Wee Parade, please visit santa-clarita.com/PeeWeeParade. Details on firework use in Santa Clarita, as well as pet safety and additional resources, can be found at santa-clarita.com/Fireworks.
Councilwoman Laurene Weste is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at [email protected].
