{"id":383597,"date":"2026-07-02T13:53:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/383597\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T13:53:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:53:20","slug":"a-roundup-of-some-of-orange-countys-fourth-of-july-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/383597\/","title":{"rendered":"A roundup of some of Orange County’s Fourth of July celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Crouched underneath the Rose Bowl\u2019s aluminum bench seats, hiding behind my parents\u2019 legs for extra security, I rode out the booms and my terrified belief the whistling fireworks were coming for me as they fell from the sky. The over-amplified sounds of John Phillips Sousa blasted throughout the venerable stadium. I was 3 years old and that\u2019s my earliest clear recollection of the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know for sure, and there\u2019s no one left in our family to ask, but I imagine I tried to block out the cacophony by stuffing my pudgy little index fingers into my ears. There may also have been some tears involved. Knowing them, it\u2019s highly likely my older siblings were snickering at me, but if they were, that\u2019s lost to memory. <\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long, though, before I loved fireworks displays. I still do. My sympathies went out to the good folks of Laguna Beach a couple of years ago when a drone display replaced their traditional pyrotechnics on the Fourth of July<\/a>. I don\u2019t care how spectacular drone shows are, they just aren\u2019t the same. I completely grasp the thinking related to fire prevention and air pollution as holiday celebrations are mulled in city halls. Intellectually I\u2019m with them, but not emotionally, especially when it comes to America\u2019s birthday. <\/p>\n

So, it was with enthusiasm that we published a roundup by TimesOC\u2019s Sarah Mosqueda of some great Orange County fireworks shows and other events planned for this weekend. We didn\u2019t have the print space to include every event taking place countywide, so she narrowed it down to select group. From the 122nd annual Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade (followed in the evening by fireworks) to the Old Glory Boat Parade in Newport Harbor, to fireworks shows in Dana Point Harbor, Laguna Beach (Yay!), Santa Ana and Great Park Irvine (during the Pacific Symphony concert) and more, Sarah\u2019s reporting has you covered.<\/p>\n

You can find the complete roundup of these Orange County events, with times and more details, by clicking this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As to the Rose Bowl, after 96 years of boasting of what was always touted as \u201cthe biggest fireworks show west of the Mississippi,\u201d wiser heads prevailed following the ungodly Eaton fire and the grim facts about the air quality hits that region took for several days surrounding July 4. This Saturday, the second Rose Bowl Stadium Drone Show<\/a> will be held. My 3-year-old self would have been thrilled. Today? Not so much.<\/p>\n

NEWS \"Voters <\/p>\n

A judge has ruled that Huntington Beach must moved to ranked-choice voting in its city council elections.<\/p>\n

(Raul Roa\/Staff Photographer)<\/p>\n

\u2022 An Orange County judge has ordered Huntington Beach<\/a> to move to ranked-choice voting<\/a> for its city council elections. Judge Craig Griffin sided with plaintiffs Huntington Beach activist Victor Valladares and Latino voter rights nonprofit Southwest Voter Registration Education Project in their lawsuit, which argued that the current system makes it more difficult for residents in the largely Latino Oak View community to get elected to the council. No other O.C. city offers ranked-choice voting and Registrar of Voters Bob Page said the voting system used by his office does not currently have a viable way to conduct that type of election, so exactly how soon the city can comply with the judge\u2019s orders is not clear. <\/p>\n

\u2022 A church on Russell Avenue in Garden Grove will be making way for a residential development that will include 26 townhomes, following the approval of the Garden Grove City Council last week<\/a>. The council approved similar plans<\/a> in 2025 for a property housing Grace Baptist Church on Santa Catalina Avenue, where another 26 townhomes are included in a project.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A project to bring 281 units of housing to a site off Beach Boulevard currently occupied by Amway Nutrilite Center was approved by the Buena Park City Council <\/a>at its last meeting.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The city of Newport Beach, which recently announced it would no longer be paying for beds for its homeless people at the Bridge Shelter in Costa Mesa, is now poised to partner with Huntington Beach<\/a> on a smaller scale \u2014 and for fewer dollars \u2014 at the latter\u2019s Navigation Center. <\/p>\n

BUSINESS \"An <\/p>\n

The recent, quiet sale of a beachfront Laguna Beach home broke Orange County records, The Times reports.<\/p>\n

(Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

\u2022 A five-bedroom contemporary home in Laguna Beach\u2019s gate-guarded enclave of Emerald Bay sold quietly for $110 million, The Times reported<\/a>, which is the highest price to date in Orange County.<\/p>\n

\"Happy <\/p>\n

Happy Ice\u2019s Time Machine flavor blends cherry mango and pineapple for a taste that is similar to a Big Stick.<\/p>\n

(Sarah Mosqueda)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Entrepreneur Lemeir Mitchell, owner of Happy Ice, on Juneteenth welcomed guests to his new permanent site at Downtown Disney,<\/a> where he sells his water ice, which has an almost creamy texture.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A hazardous materials cleanup began Monday at the GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, where tens of thousands of people were evacuated last month while crews worked to abate the threat of an explosion or leak of toxic chemicals. OC Health Care Agency has created an online dashboard<\/a> where readers can monitor air quality.<\/p>\n

CRIME & COURTS \"Then- <\/p>\n

Kevin Pearsall, shown at a podium in 2022, was charged last week with allegedly recording naked lifeguards in an Orange County beach locker room and sharing the images with others.<\/p>\n

(Don Leach \/ Daily Pilot)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Former Orange Coast District, State Park Supt. Kevin Pearsall turned himself into authorities last week after he learned he was the subject of a $500,000 arrest warrant, suspected of secretly recording naked lifeguards in a locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach<\/a>. The same day Pearsall was charged with five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings, one of his alleged victims filed a lawsuit against his former boss <\/a>that claims Pearsall\u2019s recordings constituted harassment and created a hostile work environment.<\/p>\n

SPORTS \"John <\/p>\n

John Mozeliak, shown before a spring training game in 2025, is the Angels\u2019 interim general manager and a consultant to team president Molly Jolly.<\/p>\n

(Justin Ford \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Angels fired General Manager Perry Minasian and replaced him, on an interim basis, with St. Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak, who says he hopes to get the team to \u201ca very successful place,\u201d The Times reports<\/a>. In other Halos news, center fielder Josh Lowe<\/a> had his first career grand slam<\/a> Sunday in a 4-1 victory<\/a> over the Athletics at Anaheim Stadium, and Mike Trout said he is not likely to participate<\/a> in the July 13 MLB T-Mobile Home Run Derby due to a strained hamstring.<\/p>\n

\""Mr. <\/p>\n

The 2026 \u201cMr. Irrelevent,\u201d Red Murdock, accepts the Lowsman Trophy from Melanie Salata Fitch, during the traditional arrival ceremony at Cannery Restaurant in Newport Beach.<\/p>\n

(Don Leach \/ Daily Pilot)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Melanie Salata Fitch, the chief executive of Irrelevant Week in Newport Beach who has mulled taking the show on the road<\/a>, decided to keep it at home after getting feedback from locals who were dismayed they might no longer be allowed to host the last player picked in the NFL draft. And so, 2026 Mr. Irrelevant Red Murdock was welcomed in Newport<\/a> with open arms last week, feted at a banquet and taught how to surf<\/a>. Murdock, a linebacker who played for University at Buffalo, is now a Denver Bronco. <\/p>\n

\u2022 The Times\u2019 \u201cPrep Rally\u201d columnist Eric Sondheimer offers his look at athletes who could be drafted by the MLB this month<\/a>, and a few of them are from Orange County, including some high school standouts.<\/p>\n

LIFE & LEISURE \"A <\/p>\n

A team of youngsters react to winning the top bid in the \u201cShark Tank\u201d competition for their product Glow \u2018n\u2019 Hug Paradise, during Girls Inc. of Orange County\u2019s SmartUps final camp day Thursday.<\/p>\n

(Don Leach \/ Daily Pilot)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Elementary-aged kids participating in a Girls Inc. Orange County got real-world insight<\/a> as part of the Smart Ups summer entrpreneurship program<\/a>, pitching ideas to potential investors in a \u201cShark Tank\u201d-like competition last week.<\/p>\n

CALENDAR \"Guests <\/p>\n

Guests stand under the replica windmill upon arrival to the 60th annual Sawdust Art Festival preview night in Laguna Beach. The Sawdust is just one of three festivals running in the canyon through the summer.<\/p>\n

(Don Leach \/ Daily Pilot)<\/p>\n

\u2022 You know it\u2019s summer in Laguna Beach when throngs show up to enjoy the annual Sawdust Festival<\/a>, the Laguna Art-A-Fair (both of which opened for the season last Friday), the Festival of Arts, which opens July 7, and the latter festival\u2019s Pageant of the Masters, which will be launched July 9. The Festival of Arts website can be found here<\/a>, where there are more details, including information on a $29 pass that will get you into all three festivals.<\/p>\n

\"Pacific <\/p>\n

Pacific Symphony\u2019s Summerfest returns to the Great Park Live amphitheater, with the first concert planned for July 4.<\/p>\n

(Doug Gifford)<\/p>\n

\u2022 The sounds of ABBA and music from \u201cStar Wars\u201d and \u201cBack to the Future\u201d are among the concerts planned by the Pacific Symphony for their third annual SummerFest at Great Park Live. The series begins this Saturday, July 4, and, as mentioned above, there will be fireworks. Learn more about SummerFest in this feature story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Presidential <\/p>\n

Presidential portraits by Rosemary Vasquez Tuthill at the Hilbert Museum celebrates the USA\u2019s 250th Anniversary. <\/p>\n

(Sarah Mosqueda)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Presidential portraits by Rosemary Vasquez Tuthill and vintage weathervanes<\/a> are providing visitors to the Hilbert Museum of California Art with a look at Americana as the country\u2019s 250th anniversary arrives. The Hilbert is located at 167 N. Atchison St., Orange. <\/p>\n

Happy Fourth of July to you and yours. Cheers to the next 250 years!
Carol<\/p>\n

KEEP IN TOUCH
We appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Crouched underneath the Rose Bowl\u2019s aluminum bench seats, hiding behind my parents\u2019 legs for extra security, I rode…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,9350,58123,6946,1583,588,58120,4840,58121,58122,35412,3226,12382,58124,8074],"class_list":["post-383597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-coast","tag-costa-mesa-angler","tag-course","tag-hospital","tag-huntington-beach","tag-large-all-electric-hospital","tag-power","tag-single-life","tag-surf-city","tag-uc-irvine","tag-unit","tag-visitor","tag-wildlife-sanctuary","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/383598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}