10+ Fun Things to Do in San Diego for 4th of July Weekend

UPDATED JULY 2024
By Katie Sagal
San Diego fireworks

San Diego, "America's finest city," has some of the best 4th of July events around. Whether you're looking to spend the day at a nearby theme park or lounging on the beach with a picnic and friends, there are lots of great things to do during the July 4th weekend.

If you’re looking for San Diego 4th of July Weekend ideas, check out some of these local activities and fun things to do including...

  • Annual "Big Bay Boom" Fireworks Show
  • Red, White, and Boom! at LEGOLAND® California
  • SeaWorld® San Diego's Electric Ocean
  • Fourth of July Fireworks at La Jolla Cove
  • and more...
San Diego 4th of July

1. Annual "Big Bay Boom" Fireworks Show

Be sure you don't miss out on the largest display of fireworks in the city in the annual Port of San Diego's Big Bay Boom Independence Day Spectacular. Fireworks are launched simultaneously from four barges strategically located throughout San Diego’s North Bay starting just after 9 PM.

The fireworks show can be seen and heard from anywhere along the waterfront. The display is orchestrated to originally produced music selections and broadcast by MAX FM 105.7 and THE MIGHTY 1090 AM. Pack a picnic, grab your lounge chairs, and head over to one of these top places to watch the show:

  • Shelter Island: This intimate spot, located on Point Loma's bayfront, offers excellent views. Get there before 1pm, when it typically reaches capacity. It’s strongly advised that you walk or take the free shuttle, and make sure to have your lawn chair and a picnic basket in tow.
     
  • Harbor Island: This peninsula between downtown San Diego and Shelter Island offers a stunning view of the fireworks with the skyline in the background. The small “island” has limited parking, so take advantage of the free shuttle service offered by the Port of San Diego.
     
  • North Embarcadero and the Marina District: On the east side of San Diego Bay, these two options provide a hassle-free way to see the show. Parking is available in various lots and on many streets, but you’ll still want to secure your spot early. Gourmet seafood restaurants and fish markets line the coast in this neighborhood.
     
  • Seaport Village/ South Embarcadero: This waterfront shopping and dining complex on the southern end of the Embarcadero is another popular spot to watch the fireworks. Head there for dinner and drink at a restaurant with a bay view and then stay for the show.
     
  • Coronado Ferry Landing: Head over to Coronado for unique views of the Big Bay Boom fireworks. Coronado Island also has its own 4th of July celebration, including a parade, a concert, and fireworks over Glorietta Bay.

2. Red, White, and Boom! at LEGOLAND® California

The LEGOLAND® California star-spangled 4th of July celebration is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday with kids. Don't miss the impressive fireworks display timed to patriotic music. Kids of all ages can enjoy live music performances and participate in family-friendly games, like water balloon toss, burlap sack races, LEGO® Hamburger relay and a family build challenge.

All events are included with regular admission to LEGOLAND® California.

Aquarium at SeaWorld®

3. SeaWorld® San Diego's Electric Ocean & Fireworks Spectacular Show

Celebrate Independence Day with SeaWorld® San Diego's "Electric Ocean," with extended park hours, nighttime shows, and fireworks spectacular on select dates. Enjoy eight energizing experiences, including two different animal shows, a dance club with a DJ, live performances, and your favorite SeaWorld® San Diego experiences lit up in the glow of the dazzling lights.

4. USS Midway Museum Annual 4th of July Celebration

The 4th of July in San Diego doesn't get much more patriotic than watching the spectacular Big Bay Fireworks show from the flight deck of the USS Midway. The Midway is one of America's longest-serving aircraft carriers and the closest venue to the four barge locations where the fireworks launch. The USS Midway Museum event features family activities and live entertainment

Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and small coolers. If you want to take a tour of the Midway beforehand, pop by during the day or during the weekend following the holiday, which is when many other festive events will be occurring. 

Insider tip: Buy tickets in advance, as this event sells out every year!

USS Midway

5. San Diego Zoo: Nighttime Zoo

The San Diego Zoo, is a classic family-fun destination for July. This iconic attraction boasts some of the most exciting animals from around the globe. We especially recommend checking out their extended evening programming during the Nighttime Zoo, which has longer park hours, specialty music and dance performances, and much more.

🦒Can't decide whether to go to the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park? Check out our helpful guide comparing San Diego Zoo vs Safari Park to help you choose.

6. Coronado Island Independence Day Celebration

Coronado Island takes Independence Day celebrations very seriously. The town puts on a road race, an Art in the Park show, a rough water swim competition, an Independence Day Parade, live entertainment, fireworks over Glorietta Bay, and more. 

If you plan to watch the parade, people head out there before 5am to claim spots for the 10am parade! 

Insider tip: Take the ferry over so you don't have to worry about parking and make the most of your time on the island by going on a bike tour or kayaking in the bay.

Fourth of July at Coronado Bay

7. Belmont Park

Soak up the sun with some old-fashioned summer fun at Belmont Park. After all, what could be more quintessentially summer than an afternoon spent at the boardwalk?

From classic roller coasters to charming merry-go-rounds, Belmont Park has all the signature rides you could want at a beachfront amusement park - there are bumper cars, arcade games, laser tag, a zip line, and plenty more.

Insider Tip: You can see the fireworks from Mission Beach, so be prepared for busier crowds than usual that evening if you go on July 4.

8. Historic Old Town Celebrations

For traditional 4th of July San Diego celebrations (we're talking 1800s-style), head to Old Town Historic Park. Enjoy a classic parade, crafts, and kid-friendly activities such as wagon rides, period games, music, a pie-eating contest, and more.

If you'd like to explore this historic neighborhood a bit more, check out the Whaley House Museum. This nineteenth-century restored mansion has been a home, a general store, a theatre, and the county courthouse. 

Fireworks in San Diego

9. Ocean Beach Fireworks

Strictly called "OB" by the locals, Ocean Beach offers a fun-filled day of 4th of July magic with a spectacular fireworks display right off the OB Pier. Pack a picnic and head to the beach for a day of swimming, lounging, playing in the sand, and shopping along Newport Ave. Bring a radio to tune into the fireworks soundtrack. 

Insider tip: Main Beach Parking Lot and Pier Parking Lot will have free parking all day.

10. Fourth of July Fireworks at La Jolla Cove

Celebrate the 4th of July in beautiful La Jolla. Pack a picnic and bring a blanket to Ellen Browning Scripps Park for the best views of the 4th of July Fireworks at La Jolla Cove. Make the most of your day in La Jolla and hop in a kayak. Or, throw on some snorkel gear to explore the coastal caves and popular sea lion spots and check out the sea life. Grab a bite to eat with a view at one of the seaside restaurants.

Insider tip: Head to the park early to get one of the best views in the city of the sunset and to scope out a good spot for the fireworks show.

La Jolla Cove

11. San Diego County Fair

While the fair is a long-running event with dozens of attractions, performances, and things to do, it typically culminates on July 4. Families enjoy the Fair for its excellent combination of exhibits, activities, and kid-friendly games, while adults can take advantage of tailored events like wine tastings, beer samplings, design exhibitions, and a gem and mineral show.

The Fair adopts a theme each year - check their site for info. Visitors can expect games, demonstrations, and even a winged monkey DJ dance party in keeping with this theme.

Can't choose? No need, see it all with Go City®

With an All-Inclusive Pass from Go City, you can visit both attractions for a fraction of the cost. Plus, you could save up to 50% on all your San Diego must-sees. Or pick an Explorer Pass, if you've chosen your fave and have a specific bucket list you're dreaming of ticking off.

Please note that special July and 4th of July weekend events may be separately ticketed and not included on San Diego passes.

☀️ Compare San Diego passes ☀️– 🌏 Explore other destinations 🌏 – ✈️ Buy a pass ✈

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

Continue reading

North Park street sign in San Diego
Blog

Things to do in North Park San Diego

North Park’s eclectic mix of art galleries, microbreweries, boutique shops and 1920s Craftsman houses prompted Forbes to include the area in its list of America’s best hipster neighborhoods in 2012, calling it ‘culturally diverse’ and praising the North Park Observatory and Ray Street Arts District as twin ‘bastions of creativity’. There’s certainly plenty to do here in this compact urban neighborhood that hugs the northeast corner of sprawling Balboa Park, from brewery bar crawls to street art tours. Here, then, are our pick of the best things to do in North Park San Diego. Beer, Glorious Beer! North Park is a beer drinkers’ dream-come-true, with around a dozen local craft breweries clustered within easy stumbling distance of each other, mostly in and around the main drag of 30th Avenue. Sample a hoppy West Coast IPA here and you’ll soon understand why San Diego is considered the craft beer capital of the USA. The Belching Beaver Brewery’s North Park tasting room is easily identified by the huge painted logo on the side of the building featuring – yup, you guessed it – a great big belching beaver. Don’t miss the Greetings from San Diego mural right next door, an absolute must for your Instagram feed. Modern Times’ nearby tasting room is known as – wait for it – ‘the North Park Flavordome’. And, with a bold claim like that, it would be remiss not to take up the challenge. Grab a table beneath the forest of inverted lampshades inside and browse a menu of over 20 brews that includes the hazy Technomancer and rich Black House coffee stout. Can’t decide what to order? Flights of four different beers of your choice are also available for the terminally indecisive. Then there’s the Fall Brewing Company with their slightly creepy Humpty Dumpty mascot that gets dressed up for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Halloween, and the sociable North Park Beer Company where weekend brunches are almost – almost – as legendary as the beers. Still thirsty? The North Park Festival of Beers rolls into town every spring, bringing street food, live music, party vibes and an ocean of beer to the streets of San Diego. Tickets include unlimited tastings. Cider, Cocktails and Art But North Park isn’t just about the beer. No! Those who like their drinks a little more... appley should make a beeline for Bivouac Ciderworks, where flights of three glasses let you sample dry, sweet and flavored brews. Meanwhile over at Polite Provisions, smartly dressed bartenders mix lively cocktails for adventurous hipsters. Try the Zombie if you dare: this rum-and-absinthe concoction packs such a dizzying punch that customers are limited to just two per visit. For visions of swirling colors and forms that are not absinthe-induced, mosey on down to Ray Street. Here in the hub of the North Park arts scene, you’ll find a plethora of shops and galleries displaying works by local and international artists. There’s plenty more to see for free on a wander through the nearby streets, with what might just be the highest concentration of great street art anywhere in San Diego. Look out for colorful works by local favorites Madsteez and Kreashun, as well as a samurai cat and skateboarding donut. Fans of American rock royalty should head north to Adams Avenue to check out artist Travis Crosby’s wall-sized tributes to Prince and Jimi Hendrix. Formerly a 1920s cinema, University Avenue’s North Park Observatory was restored to its former glory and has played host to a veritable who’s who of indie legends since reopening as a 21st-century music venue. The roll call of past performers reads like a hipster's dream festival line-up and includes St. Vincent, Dinosaur Jr., Death Cab for Cutie, Mogwai, Cat Power and James Blake, to name just a few. Out and About Thanks to its unique topography, you’re never far from a canyon in San Diego, and North Park is no exception. Making the boundary between the North and South Park districts, Switzer Canyon is a green oasis of lush vegetation that's home to rabbits, coyotes and other cute critters. There’s a short walking trail that’s worth a wander before heading into the vast expanse of Balboa Park, where an absolute embarrassment of riches awaits the intrepid explorer. Inside you’ll find some of the best museums and galleries on the West Coast, from the stunning collection of 19th and 20th-century American and European art at the San Diego Museum of Art to prehistoric monsters at the Natural History Museum. This is also the place to come face to face with all manner of weird and wonderful creatures at the San Diego Zoo and to chill out and find your inner zen among the cherry blossoms, bonsai trees and koi ponds in the Japanese Friendship Garden. North Park is also well-positioned for trips to downtown San Diego and the historic Gaslamp Quarter, as well as easy day trips to Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and even Coronado and La Jolla, both of which are within a 20-25-minute drive. The route to La Jolla is particularly scenic and the rewards when you hit the bluffs are quite something. All swaying palms, golden sands, sweeping pacific views and harbor seals basking in the sun, it’s SoCal beach life in microcosm, and well worth a few hours of your time. Save on things to do in North Park San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Art gallery
Blog

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego vs Mingei International Museum

We pitted MCASD La Jolla’s oceanside galleries against Mingei’s global collections to discover the best San Diego art day.
The legendary Hotel del Coronado in San Diego
Blog

Things to do in Coronado San Diego

Connected to the California mainland by a sandy isthmus and (since 1969) a road bridge, Coronado is a sunny island resort nestled in the heart of San Diego Bay, just across the water from downtown. There’s stacks to do here, especially for families, from tide-pooling on the beach to touring the island by bike or on the Old Town Trolley. Hop aboard for our guide to the 10 best things to do in Coronado San Diego. Spend a Night at the Hotel del Coronado Perched right on the beachfront overlooking Point Loma, ‘The Del’ is a Coronado institution that has been welcoming presidents, celebrities and royalty since Victorian times. Former guests include Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Madonna; the hotel’s distinctive conical turrets are said to have inspired the Emerald City in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; it’s even rumored that Prince Edward first met Coronado resident Wallis Simpson here at a 1920 banquet. And, naturally, a hotel of this vintage also has its very own ghost story. Rooms start north of $700 but a visit to the adjacent Ice House Museum for a walk through the hotel’s rich history is gratis. Hit the Beach The long stretch of golden beach in front of The Del is great for families, thanks to its gentle waves, tide pools crammed with anemones, hermit crabs and sand dollars, and mineral-rich sand that actually glitters in the sun. Kids will love having a go at building their very own sparkling Emerald City sandcastles. Also look out for the legendary Sandcastle Man, who can often be found here on Coronado Central Beach building his extravagant and highly artistic sand sculptures. In the evening, use one of the public firepits to barbecue your own burgers and toast marshmallows as the sun sets over the Pacific. Get on Your Bike Dedicated cycle paths snake around much of Coronado, making bike hire a great idea for family days out. The Bayshore Bikeway runs down the Silver Strand sand spit, and all the way back up into downtown San Diego, from where you can catch the Coronado Ferry back to your starting point. Expect swaying palms, wildlife reserves and sweeping views of the Pacific on this epic 24-mile ride. A shorter version that turns back before you hit the mainland may be the smarter option if you’re with kids, and there’s another more urban route around Coronado itself. Visit Spreckels Park Named for Victorian entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, this park in the middle of Coronado is a beautiful green oasis amid the city streets. Families stop by to picnic beneath the trees, while kids live their best lives in the large playground. In summer, the gazebo bandstand bursts into life every Sunday as part of a series of free concerts that run the gamut from marching bands to high-energy pop acts. Local artists showcase their work at the Art in the Park event on alternate Sundays while the Coronado Flower Show brings thousands of colorful fragrant blooms to the park every April. Ride the Old Town Trolley Hop aboard one of San Diego’s brightly colored trolley buses for a whistle-stop narrated tour of the top attractions in Coronado and Downtown. Taking in Coronado Beach and the Hotel del Coronado, the bus then cruises over the bay to visit several more locations on the mainland, including the historic Gaslamp Quarter and sprawling Balboa Park, home to San Diego Zoo and many of the city’s top museums. You can hop on and off the trolley at your leisure along the route. Discover the Local History Take a deep dive into Coronado’s past at the Coronado Museum, where a huge collection of art, photographs and other exhibits tell the story of island life since the 1880s. The museum also runs a weekly walking tour of some of Coronado’s most important locations, including Orange Avenue and, of course, the Hotel del Coronado. The leisurely tour, in which a knowledgeable local historian will point out interesting architecture and wow you with fascinating anecdotes, lasts around 90 minutes and covers approximately two miles. Shop the Farmers’ Market Hit up the weekly farmers’ market at Coronado Ferry Landing for your fix of all things fresh and wholesome. Here’s your chance to taste sweet organic tomatoes fresh from the vine, and crisp, zingy apples that have ripened on the branch. The whole operation is certified farm-fresh, so you just know there’s going to be more flavor packed into that single strawberry than in any number of mass-produced punnets at the mall. You’ll also find beautiful fresh blooms and countless homemade oils, pickles, condiments and jams. Delicious. Take to the Water The relatively tranquil waters off Coronado make it ideal for trying out some of those watersports you’ve always fancied having a go at. Grab a kayak and paddle your way around the island’s scenic shores. Or get to grips with a stand-up paddleboard. Like surfing, but gentler, this increasingly popular activity can be surprisingly relaxing once you’ve got the hang of it. Try not to be put off your stride by pelicans dive-bombing the water for their lunch! Treat Yourself on Orange Avenue Saunter along flower-filled Orange Avenue, a broad street packed with bougie boutiques, cute cafés, local artisan jewelers and more. There’s plenty to see and do along this mile-long stretch that runs all the way from Bayside to the Hotel del Coronado. Pick up a unique souvenir at the Coronado Museum Store, take in a show at the intimate Lamb’s Players Theatre and sample some of San Diego’s famous craft beers at the Coronado Brewpub. Take the Ferry Downtown Hands down the most romantic way to reach downtown San Diego from Coronado is on the quaint old ferry that chugs back and forth throughout the day. Time your trip for around sunset to get the most magical views as you pull in to dock by the legendary USS Midway aircraft carrier. From here, it’s just a short stroll into the Gaslamp Quarter or Little Italy to enjoy some of the best nightlife (and pizza!) in town. Save on things to do in Coronado San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.

Thick check Icon