Palm Desert Celebrates Independence Day with spectacular fireworks
In the mood for a patriotic party? We know just the place! Head to Palm Desert Civic Center Park this 4th of July for the City of Palm Desert’s Independence Day Celebration. With a live concert, food trucks and a terrific fireworks show—all happening in the Coachella Valley’s premier park—you’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to celebrate in the area.
While most of the official holiday activities are held in the evening to be timed with the setting sun, Civic Center Park is open all day for family fun. Activities and games for children will be available starting at 4 p.m. on the field area behind the Family YMCA of the Desert, a short distance north of the two children’s playgrounds.
A variety of food trucks and vendors will be on hand with tasty treats, set up by 5 p.m. in the parking lot on the western edge of Civic Center Park. This year’s food options will range from snacks and beverages to more substantial fare including burgers and tacos. Attendees may also pack a picnic dinner, but portable barbecues and alcoholic beverages are prohibited. For your comfort, bring a blanket or chair to sit on.
The evening’s events officially kick off at 7:30pm at the park’s amphitheater with the singing of the National Anthem. Immediately afterward, the Swing Cats Big Band with the Swing Kittens will entertain the crowd with a lively set of songs including swing-era classics and pop favorites. The Swing Cats are well-known in Southern California for their many appearances at Disneyland as well as past 4th of July performances in Palm Desert.
Then, at 9pm, comes the big show itself. The nighttime sky lights up with a spectacular 20-minute fireworks extravaganza accompanied by patriotic and contemporary music. The fireworks display can be enjoyed from any location in Civic Center Park that offers a clear view to the west. For people who are watching the fireworks away the amphitheater, the music is simulcast on radio stations The Mix 100.5 FM and 98.5 The Bull.
To protect public safety, please note that private fireworks are illegal in Civic Center Park and throughout Palm Desert. Golf carts will not be allowed to operate inside park grounds during the holiday celebration. Smoking is also prohibited in the park.
Palm Desert’s Independence Day Celebration traditionally attracts several thousand people to Civic Center Park, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, so it’s wise to know your transportation options in advance. Parking at Civic Center Park on July 4 is accessible from Fred Waring Drive only and will be allowed until the parking lots are full, which is generally no later than 6 p.m. Around that time, parking becomes available at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center after it closes at 6 p.m. Access to the Aquatic Center is limited to Magnesia Falls Drive from Portola Avenue. Overflow event parking will once again be allowed on the College of the Desert campus, with access available from Fred Waring Drive.
For the comfort and convenience of attendees, free, air-conditioned shuttle service will be provided between The Gardens on El Paseo and the park from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. The Gardens is located at the corner of El Paseo and San Pablo Avenue.
To accommodate the pyrotechnic safety zone, San Pablo Avenue between Fred Waring and Magnesia Falls Drive plus the northwest corner of Civic Center Park (including the dog parks and baseball fields) will close at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 2. Fred Waring Drive between San Pablo and Portola Avenue will close in both directions on July 4 at 7 p.m. Streets will reopen when it is safe to do so following the conclusion of the event. Dog parks will reopen on Wednesday, July 5 at 5 a.m.
For more information, please call 760-568-1441.