Your Westside 4th of July Weekend Guide

Summer is officially in maximum overdrive, and there is no better place to spend the Fourth of July weekend than right here along the coast. From historic morning footraces and neighborhood parades to glowing beachside bicycle rides, our coastal communities have pulled out all the stops to kick off peak season.

Whether you want to stay strictly local or map out a multi-neighborhood holiday crawl, here is your definitive, curated playbook for the weekend's best festivities.

1. Pacific Palisades: The Grand Return of a Hometown Classic

For anyone seeking the postcard-perfect, small-town Independence Day experience, Pacific Palisades is the absolute gold standard. This year holds an incredibly special meaning for our community. Following the devastating wildfire that forced a temporary detour last year, the town’s iconic traditions are coming entirely back home to their historic routes—marking both a beautiful milestone of neighborhood recovery and a celebration of the nation's landmark 250th anniversary.

• Palisades Will Rogers 5K/10K Road Race (Morning): The 49th annual run officially returns to its spectacular home course at Palisades Park and the backroad switchbacks of Will Rogers State Park. With views of the ocean in the distance, it’s a breathtaking tradition that has historically drawn elite runners and Olympians. Best of all, a major portion of this year's proceeds directly supports the summer rebuilding of the burned Palisades Recreation Park.

• The 77th Annual July 4th Parade (4:00 PM): Starting at 4:00 p.m., the legendary procession will debut an exciting new route weaving right through the heart of the Historic Village. Expect all of the community’s time-honored favorites: the "Kids on Bikes" procession, the crowd-pleasing "Patriotic Pups," local performing groups, and service organizations.

• Evening Celebration & Drone Show (6:00 PM): The festivities transition seamlessly over to the Palisades Charter High School stadium for live music, local food trucks, and a massive, modern synchronized music and drone light show that will illuminate the night sky above the coast.

2. Santa Monica: The Artistic Parade & Pulse in the Park

Santa Monica is serving up a high-energy, art-centric morning double-feature that is perfect for families and creatives alike.

• The 4th of July Parade (9:30 AM – 11:30 AM): Presented by the Ocean Park Association, this year’s classic Main Street parade leans heavily into the local community's vibrant artistic spirit. The floats, classic cars, and performance groups will kick off promptly at 9:30 a.m. at Pico Blvd and Main Street, traveling south before turning onto Marine Street and wrapping up at Barnard Way.

• Pulse in the Park (11:30 AM – 3:00 PM): As the final floats roll by, the momentum shifts directly over to Tongva Park (1615 Ocean Ave). The park is transforming into a high-energy, free post-parade social hub blending festive summer vibes with global soccer energy. It's the ultimate inclusive meeting place to grab some food, let the kids play, and keep the celebration going in the heart of the city.

3. Venice: The Glowing Beachside Night Cap

If you want to keep the holiday weekend rolling into Sunday night with a dose of classic, eccentric coastal culture, Venice has you covered.

• Venice Electric Light Parade (Sunday, July 5th at Sunset): Meet up 45 minutes before sunset at 1501 Oceanfront Walk. Founded by local legend Marcus Gladney, this iconic weekly Sunday tradition is a family-friendly, brilliantly illuminated spectacle. Hundreds of neighbors gather on bicycles wrapped in custom LED lights to cruise the boardwalk, celebrating creativity, friendship, and the completely unique, free spirit of Venice.

4. Marina del Rey: Local Flavor on the Water

Before the fireworks completely take over the night skies, the Marina is offering the perfect, laid-back way to stock up for your weekend barbecues.

• Marina del Rey Farmers Market (Saturday, July 4th, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM): Head down to Marina Lot #11 (14101 Panay Way) for the lively, coastal charm of the neighborhood market. It’s the perfect Saturday morning stop to secure fresh, locally grown produce, specialty treats, and handcrafted goods right on the water before your afternoon festivities begin.

The Campbell Wellman Take

 

This particular holiday weekend underscores exactly why we are all so intensely proud to call the Westside home. Seeing an event as historic as the Will Rogers Run come right back to its home turf in Palisades—raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild our local parks—proves that the heartbeat of our neighborhood is completely unbreakable. From the small-town charm of the village parades to the glowing, creative energy of the Venice boardwalk at sunset, the Westside offers a lifestyle context that you simply cannot replicate anywhere else. Enjoy the long weekend, stay safe, and let’s celebrate the resilience and future of the communities we love!