Complete list of 70 Fourth Of July 2008 Fireworks & Events in SF Bay Area
All free or cheap 4th of July events in San Francisco, East Bay, South Bay, Peninsula and North Bay
| Friday, July 4 |
I’ve always found it maddening trying to find out what’s happening in the bay area for 4th of july… where the fireworks are…what free and cheap ways there are to have fun… so i compiled a list and thought i’d post it. We’ve got 50 70 4th of July 2008 events listed including the major fireworks shows in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose, plus tons of smaller hometown festivals, fairs and fireworks shows throughout the bay area, (8 in SF, 22 in East Bay, 21 in North Bay, 14 in South Bay, and 5 in the Peninsula). - list updated 7/3/08
All events take place Friday, July 4, 2008 unless otherwise noted
Update - 6/26: Added 3 new events - Dolores Park SF Mime Troupe performance, 1908 old fashioned picnic & ice cream social in Oakland and Marin County Fair
Update - 6/27: Added 4 new events - S.S. Jeremiah WWII Ship Fireworks Pier 45, Buddhist 4th of July in Lafayette, Yountville Family Festival & Napa Valley Festival del Sole
Update - 6/30: Added 6 new events - Oakland Art Murmur, Vallejo fireworks festival, Rubber Ducky Derby, Noe Valley “Peace is Patriotic” and American Canyon petting zoo and fireworks.
Update - 7/1: Added 4 new events - Corte Madera/Larkspur parade & fair, Morgan Hill fireworks, Sunnyvale picnic, and Santa Cruz beach concert.
Update - 7/2: Added 1 new event - Palo Alto picnic.
Update - 7/3: Added 3 new events - San Jose Giants Baseball Fireworks, Midnight Mass in Richmond Dist., Red Hot Burlesque in Bernal Heights .
Update - 7/4: Added 1 new event - Concord fireworks and variety show .
| City | Event Details (all events take place Friday, July 4, 2008 unless otherwise noted) |
Fireworks |
| Aquatic Park | 4th of July Family FestivalKid-friendly games & music from 11a to 8pm at The Cannery you can view fireworks right afterwords over Fisherman’s Wharf - FREE |
Yes |
| Bernal Heights | Red Hot Burlesque PerformanceLive burlesque and filthy short films at El Rio on Mission St. at 7:30p - $5 |
No |
| Golden Gate Park | Patriotic 4th of July Symphony ConcertGolden Gate Park Band at 1pm at Music Concourse - FREE |
No |
| Fisherman’s Wharf | San Francisco 4th of July Waterfront Fireworks CelebrationExperience the Fourth of July at Fisherman’s Wharf. Aquatic Park stage (Jefferson & Hyde) showcases an afternoon of family entertainment and kids’ activities. Pier 39 hosts live music from 1-4p (Big Bang Beat) and Tainted Love (6-9:30p). Fireworks at dusk are shot from the foot of Municipal Pier - FREE |
Yes |
| Dolores Park | Political Satire Music Comedy Performance “Red State”SF Mime Troupe theater performance in the park - FREE |
No |
| Noe Valley | “Peace is Patriotic” 4th of July Celebration and BBQAlternative patriotic music, bbq & AIDS quilt @ Bethany United Methodist Church - FREE |
No |
| Richmond Dist. (Inner) | Midnight Mass with Peaches Christ: ShowgirlsTrashy 1995 film w/ actors on stage and free lapdance with every large popcorn - $13 (11:55p on 7/4 and 7/5) |
No |
| East Bay |
Fireworks |
|
| Alameda | Mayor’s 4th of July Parade & Festival170 floats & Jumpin’ & Jivin’ Jubilee park festival - FREE |
No |
| Antioch | 10th annual 4th of July Celebrationalong historic waterfront with parade and festival- FREE |
Yes |
| Benicia | Picnic in the Park & 4th of July Fireworksall-day family festival - FREE |
Yes |
| Berkeley | Berkeley Marina 4th of July Celebration & FireworksThe city’s annual events include musical performances, rides and games, children’s activities, arts and crafts booths. Games include old-fashioned sack race and giant slide or splash in the water at the beach. Live entertainment from noon until 9p on the main stage. Free sailboat rides from 1-4pm, dragon boat rides from 2-6pm. Fireworks off the end of the Berkeley Pier at 9:30pm - FREE |
Yes |
| Concord | 4th of July Parade and FestivalTodos Santos Plaza - Parade and classic car show - FREE |
No |
| Concord | Variety Show “The Singing Flag” and Fireworks 20th year, show at 7:30p, fireworks @ 9:30p - FREE |
Yes |
| Danville | 4th Of July Parade & CelebrationParade and “Hay Days” Celebration - FREE |
Yes |
| Fremont | Fremont 4th of July Paradew/ Champion Drum & Bugle Corps @ Centerville District - FREE |
No |
| Hayward | 45th Annual Old-Fashioned 4th of July CarnivalPatriotic music, snowcones & watermellon eating contests from 11-5p - FREE |
No |
| Lafayette | Buddhist 4th of July at a MonasteryVegetarian buffet, martial arts, drum playing & watch fireworks from Buddha Gate Monastery - FREE |
Yes |
| Livermore | Old-Fashioned 4th of July with fireworksRobertson Park - ($3 walk in or $15 per car) |
Yes |
| Moraga | 4th of July live music & FireworksDog parade and children’s bike parade- FREE |
Yes |
| Oakland | Fuck the Fourth Sale @ Anarchist book store (Thurs, July 3rd)AK Press warehouse - FREE |
No |
| Oakland | Old-Fashioned 1908 Patriot Picnic & Ice Cream SocialThe historic Pardee Home hosts a recreation of a turn-of-the-century Independence Day celebration with live music, historic recreations, free food, soda & ice cream and games like croquet and lawn tennis and 3D sterograph photos - $12* Period Dress and large fancy hats encouraged |
No |
| Oakland | Lakeside Park on Lake Merritt 4th of July Band ConcertPatriotic music begins at 1pm - FREE |
No |
| Oakland | Art Murmur: Friday night gallery walkMultiple art gallery openings, art exhibits and events in downtown - FREE |
No |
| Oakland | 4th of July Fireworks FestivalAfter taking a year off, Jack London Square is back and hosting a fireworks and 4th of July festival once agani. Live music from 4pm to 9:35pm with R&B, Latin Pop and a big band orchestra playing patriotic music. Lots of kids entertainment including free jump houses and carnival games. Fireworks over the waterfront begins at approximately 9:15pm - FREE |
Yes |
| Orinda | Annual 4th of July Parade & CelebrationDaytime parade, family festival and fun run - FREE |
No |
| Pittsburg | 4th of July CelebrationPittsburg Marina w/ live music and games - Fireworks at dusk - FREE |
Yes |
| Pleasant Hill | Pleasant Hill’s 4th Of July Celebrationpark festival with two music stages & kids games - FREE |
Yes |
| Pleasanton | Fourth of July Patriotic Concert and CelebrationPleasanton Community Concert Band performs at noon at Wayside Park- FREE |
No |
| San Ramon | “Star Spangled Spectacular”@ San Ramon Central Park - live music by San Ramon Symphonic Band - FREE (Parking is $10 per car) |
Yes |
| North Bay | includes Marin County, Wine Country & Sacramento Valley |
Fireworks |
| American Canyon | Napa County 4th of July FestivalParade, chili cook off, live bands all day & fireworks just north of Vallejo - FREE |
Yes |
| Bodega Bay | 5th of July Fireworks over the Bay (Sat, July 5th)FREE |
Yes |
| Calistoga | Napa County Fairgrounds July 4th Parade, Music & FireworksSilverado Parade at 11am & Fireworks - FREE (fairgrounds $7 for adults) |
Yes |
| Corte Madera / Larkspur | 43rd Annual 4th of July Parade and FairParade, classic car show, followed by family festival in Town Park - FREE |
No |
| Healdsburg | 18th Annual Old Fashioned 4th of July Fireworks Display40 minute fireworks show by American Legion - FREE |
Yes |
| Novato | Novato’s 16th Annual Fourth of July Parade10am - classic cars & Irish bagpipers among others, free outdoor film in evening - FREE |
No |
| Petaluma | 44th Annual Petaluma Bell Ringing Ceremony Takes place at Petaluma Historical Library & Museum - FREE |
No |
| Petaluma | “Sesquifest” Petaluma’s 150th Anniversary Party & 4th of July FireworksLive 70s cover and The Cheeseballs, live theater & fireworks - gates at 3pm - $2-$5 |
Yes |
| Rohnert Park | 10th Annual Concert In The Park: Moonlighter Big BandPatriotic concert music in Eagle Park starting at 3pm -FREE |
No |
| San Rafael | 63rd Annual Marin County FairLive music, carnival games (including a giant ferris wheel) and tons of eco-friendly activities & alt-fuel road show. July 4th concert is the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans. Fireworks start at 9:30pm - $14 (Fair runs July 2-6) |
Yes |
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County Fair Independence Day Fireworks Show (Thurs, July 3rd)FREE in carnival lot lawn ($10 for parking) |
Yes |
| Sausalito | 4th of July Parade and fireworks celebrationwith picnic and tug o’ war - FREE |
Yes |
| Sebastopol | 3rd of July 2008 Fireworks & Music Festival (Thurs, July 3rd)$7 live music & dancing - many people view fireworks for free on high school lawn |
Yes |
| Sonoma | Small Town 4th of July Festival:Live Music, Potato Toss Contest & Fireworks - FREE |
Yes |
| Suisun City | Solano County waterfront 4th of July Fireworks FestivalLive music, pony rides, at Harbor Plaza - FREE |
Yes |
| Vacaville | 4th of July Celebration and FireworksLive Music at 6:30pm at CreekWalk Plaza at Andrews Park - FREE |
Yes |
| Windsor | Pre-4th of July Fireworks Festival (Thurs, July 3rd)w/ Family Lawn Games in Sonoma - FREE |
Yes |
| Vallejo | 12 Annual Great Vallejo Ducky Derby15,000 rubber duckys race along Vallejo Waterfront - FREE to watch ($5 to “adopt” a ducky) |
No |
| Vallejo | 4th of July symphony concert & fireworksParade at 10am, Noon is festival in Unity Plaza, 1pm symphony, 9pm fireworks - FREE |
Yes |
| Yountville | All-Day 4th of July Family Festival & FireworksPony rides, puppet shows, swimming baseball & live music - FREE |
Yes |
| Yountville | Napa Valley Festival del Sole: Symphony Concert and FireworksAll-american concert at Lincoln Theater at 5:30pm - FREE |
Yes |
| South Bay | includes Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties |
Fireworks |
| Aptos | “The Worlds Shortest Parade” & 4th of July FestivalAt just under 1/2 mile, the so-called shortest parade in the world - FREE (park festival is $5 donation) |
No |
| Cupertino | Childrens Parade & Fireworks FestivalParade and singalong during day, evening activities start at 6:45p - FREE |
Yes |
| Gilroy | 4th of July fireworks saluteBegins at 9:15pm at Gilroy High School over Chirstmas Hill Park- FREE |
Yes |
| Los Gatos | 4th of July Family Festival:Free cake and ice cream, free bingo & lemonade, bbq, live music - FREE |
No |
| Milpitas | “Red White and Boom”Concert, Pool Party, BBQ & Ground Fireworks - FREE |
Yes |
| Morgan Hill | Independence Day Celebration, Festival & Fireworks Street concert & dance (thurs 7/3) and parade, festval & fireworks on Friday 7/4 - FREE |
Yes |
| Mountain View | Radio Disney Fireworks Show with the San Francisco Symphony Family fun stage & contests at Shoreline Amphitheater - 4 pack of lawn tix for $69 |
Yes |
| San Jose | Alameda Rose, White and Blue Parade & Street Festivalantique cars, dunk tanks and carnival booths from 10am to 3pm - FREE |
No |
| San Jose | Minor League Baseball & Post-Game Fireworks San Jose Giants vs. Rancho Cucomunga Quakes 7/4 and 7/5 at 6:30p - $9 bleacher seats |
Yes |
| San Jose | City of San Jose NBC 11 Fireworks Show and America Festival:The City of San Jose’s official fireworks show, sponsored by NBC11, attracts 45,000 attendees in Discovery Meadow for an all-day 2008 San Jose America Festival. Festival starts at noon with multicultural crafts and a variety of ethnic and festival foods, plus a Kidland filled with fun and games and two stages of live music with grammy-winning pop stars, classic tributes, and Japanese drummers and blues. National Anthem at 9:25pm, Fireworks at 9:30pm followed by live music until 10:30pm - FREE |
Yes |
| South San Jose | 7th annual “Spirit of America” Carnival/Festival & Fireworks Famiy festival and carnival & fireworks starts at 5pm - FREE ($2 donation requested) |
Yes |
| Santa Clara | 4th of July All City Picnic and Fireworks ExtravaganzaCentral Park festvial with big band jazz and classical Indian Dance - FREE |
Yes |
| Santa Cruz | “Get Ready” classic R&B band Rare Earth: concert on the beachTwo concerts on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk at 6:30p and 8:30p - FREE |
No |
| Scotts Valley | 2008 fireworks show cancelled due to dry conditions and recent fires |
No |
| Sunnyvale | Fourth of July Picnic with jugglers and stiltwalkersDo-it-yourself picnic in Baylands park with games for kids - FREE |
No |
| Peninsula |
Fireworks |
|
| Foster City | 4th of July Celebrationdog show, parade & fireworks - FREE |
Yes |
| Half Moon Bay | Small town 4th of JulyParade, BBQ, Live Music & fireworks over the ocean - FREE |
Yes |
| Palo Alto | 27th Annual Summer Festival & Earthquake Preparedness FairLive music, chili cook off and safety tips at Mitchell Park - FREE |
No |
| Redwood City | Film night in the park: Independence Day (1996) (Thurs, July 3rd)Courthouse Square - FREE |
No |
| Redwood City | Annual Independence Day Parade, Festival & FireworksParade at 10am, festival from 9-5p, fireworks at dusk at Seaport Court - FREE |
Yes |
we’ve done our best to make sure we’ve got all the details correct, but if you plan on attending any of these events, please double check with the event coordinators. By clicking on any of the links above, you’ll find either a URL or a phone number to contact for more information
About FuncheapSF.com - www.funcheapSF.com is a San Francisco-based website which uncovers and shares our curated recommendations of upwards of 50 cheap, fun and unique Bay Area events each week along with weekly giveaways for concert and theater tickets. funcheapSF.com has over 8,000 members subscribed to its weekly email event listing. funcheapSF.com is free for both people trying to find things to do and for promoters trying to spread the word about their events.







(10 votes, average: 4.6 out of 5)

Your list of 4th of July events is VERY appreciated!!! Great job!
June 30th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
no problem KB! i’m actually finding a few more events each day and will keep updating the list until july 4th.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Your 4th list says Vallejo doesn’t have fireworks in the right hand column, while the text says that it does. :O)
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:10 am
Thanks Jess, you’re right! I’ve confirmed there are fireworks in Vallejo along the waterfront for 2008 starting around 9pm
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 am
thank you for this list!!! i hope you do this every year.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
i hope you make this list every year!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
this is the 2nd year i’ve done this list, but this year was the biggest. we’ll also put together a big halloween and new years eve list of cheap ways to have fun!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
You’re awesome for this list! It made planning with the fam so much easier. I just copied and pasted the descriptions right in to IM discussions with them. Gracias Senior!
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Concord has hosted The Singing Flag, presented by Calvary Temple Church, for the past *20 years*, at Dave Brubeck Park (aka Concord Neighborhood Park), next to Concord High School. Show dates are July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Festivities for the kids start at 4:00 PM. The variety-style show starts at 7:30 PM and runs to 9:30 PM, when the fireworks start. Food is available in the park. Admission is FREE!
July 4th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I too really appreciate your list. Thank you. It’s a very patriotic public service.
July 4th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Your list does not mention Great America that has always had fireworks. It also does not include San Jose Giants game on Saturday. How many others have been left out?
July 4th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I’m fairly new to San Fran and must say this site is a breakthrough! Very useful and informative. I’ll continue to visit your site regularly! VERY IMPRESSIVE & glad I found ya’ - Thanks!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm