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Fireworks to soar in Santa Maria, Solvang; Family Fun Day planned in Lompoc
By DAVE MASON and MARILYN MCMAHON
THE NEWS-PRESS
Santa Maria is calling its Fourth of July show — what else? — “Red, White and Boom.”
Monday’s Independence Day program will start with three hours of live music by Mestizo at 5:30 p.m. at the Elks Event Center, 4040 Highway 101, Santa Maria.
The program is presented by Santa Maria Recreation and Parks and People for Leisure and Youth Inc., which, besides the live music, promises activities for kids and food and refreshments for purchase.
Gates open at 4 p.m. with a $10 fee per vehicle. For more information, call the recreation and parks department at 805-925-0951, ext. 2260.
The Santa Maria show is among Independence Day celebrations throughout North County, which features everything from a patriotic bike parade in Lompoc to the return of a major Solvang tradition.
After a two-year hiatus, the Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club is sponsoring the annual Fourth of July Festival and Fireworks Show at Old Mission Santa Inès, 1760 Mission Drive, Solvang.
This family-friendly event will take place from 2 to 10 p.m. Monday. The fireworks show begins promptly at 9 p.m.
“I am so excited to get our community back together again to celebrate the Fourth of July,” said Tammy Westwood, Santa Ynez Valley Rotary president. “This year’s event is going to be the best ever with more live music, new vendors, food trucks and mesmerizing fireworks. Not only will there be a fireworks show, but there will be live entertainment by Men from Mars, Jump Start and DJ Hecktik.”
Included will be a large kids zone with bounce houses, face painters, food vendors, craft beer, wine and more.
Admission is $15, and children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Active military and immediate family members with ID are also free. All active military must show IDs at the entrance.
For the first time, tickets will be sold online at www.syvrotary.org.
There is no parking on site. Guests are encouraged to walk, ride their bikes or park in the free public lots in Solvang located at 1639 Copenhagen Drive, 464 Alisal Road and 1616 Oak St. For more information about parking, visit www.solvangusa.com/getting-to-solvang/parking-in-solvang.
Elsewhere, the city of Lompoc is celebrating Independence Day with its Fourth of July Family Fun Day.
A patriotic bike parade kicks off the festivities in Lompoc at 11 a.m. Monday, starting at the Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building, 100 E. Locust Ave., and concluding at Ryon Park, 800 W. Ocean Ave. A limited number of bike helmets will be given away to children as part of the parade.
From noon to 4 p.m., the community is invited to participate in a “picnic in the park” at Ryon Park. There’ll be live music provided by The Fossils, food trucks, inflatables, face painting and more. Pets must be on a leash, and smoking, vaping and alcohol consumption won’t be permitted.
No fireworks of any kind will be allowed at the event.
A city-sponsored fireworks show won’t take place this year due to the lack of a safe location, according to a news release from the city of Lompoc. For more information, call Lompoc Parks and Recreation at 805-875-8100.
email: dmason@newspress.com and mmcmahon@newspress.com
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