Always Spectacular
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What’s Happening This Week from Kidsguide magazine, your resource for kids, teens & families |
| Always Spectacular | July 2-8, 2009? |
| One Spectacular Celebration! | |
Bring a lawn chair and a festive mood to this free event  It’s a free-for-all - free to get in, free to park, and free to enjoy a variety of celebratory entertainment at the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular!Spend an All-American day (and evening!) at the annual Independence Day festival at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. This community event features a host of family-friendly activities, including a Family Fun Zone with bounce houses, carnival games and rides; roving entertainers and live performances from the 40th Infantry Division Band; and a water polo game featuring the USA Women’s Water Polo Team. Make sure to check out Liberty Village’s vendor fair and a World War II re-enactment. When you’re tuckered out after a day of play, sit back and marvel at the fireworks show. Since there’s no bleacher seating this year, attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite picnic blankets and folding chairs. The fireworks show is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. with an exciting flyover. Fireworks Spectacular at the Joint Forces Training Base ? Saturday. Gates open at 2 p.m.; fireworks start at 9 p.m. ? Free admission and parking. ? Joint Forces Training Base, 11200 Lexington Dr., Los Alamitos (map it!) ? (562) 430-1073, www.ci.los-alamitos.ca.us | |
| Must-See Spectacles | |
Check out these other outstanding July 4th celebrations Sometimes, choosing just one event isn’t enough – especially when there are so many dynamic fireworks shows and festivals happening throughout Southern California.Below are more of our favorites: 4th of July at Huntington Beach. With some 300 marching bands, floats and equestrian entries, the city holds the distinction of hosting the largest Independence Parade west of the Mississippi River. Other weekend event highlights include a three-day Pier Festival and the Surf City 5k Run and Fitness Expo. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Free; parade and fireworks seating cost extra. (714) 536-5486, www.hb4thofjuly.org 4th of July Festival and Fireworks Show in Fullerton. An old-fashioned festival featuring carnival games, rides, food booths, a petting zoo, live entertainment, and competitions for all ages. Saturday, 5-9:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. Free admission. (714) 738-6545, www.cityoffullerton.com The Great American 4th of July Bike Parade/Contest. It can’t get more apple pie than this! Every year, hundreds of kids decorate their two-wheelers and ride a mile out-and-back on the sunny beach boardwalk for this old-fashioned parade. Cash prizes (and bragging rights) go to the best-dressed bikes and riders. Saturday, 10 a.m. Free. Meet at 1 S. Granada Ave. at Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. www.bikeparade.com Firecracker Train in Fillmore. The folks at Fillmore & Western Railway seem to always find a happy reason to take you on a train ride! This Saturday isn’t any different: travel through scenic Heritage Valley, munch on a BBQ dinner and return just in time to “ooh-ahh” over the city of Fillmore’s fireworks show. Don’t have the time for a 3-hour ride? Try their one-hour daytime rides for only $5-12. Saturday. (800) 773-TRAIN, www.fwry.com | |
| A Spectacular Show | |
Featured sponsor: Orange County Performing Arts Center Get ready for a scrumptious experience!Audiences are in for a dazzling ride when the latest stage adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stops at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a two-week run on July 7-19. Based on “James Bond” novelist Ian Fleming‘s children’s tale, “Chitty” is about a magical car that can sail on the water and soar through the skies. A family favorite since the 1968 film, Fleming’s story to this day continues to win over new fans and captivate the imagination. This latest stage production will leave an impression, too. Critics have showered praise on its talented cast, sensational sets, unforgettable music from the songwriters of “Mary Poppins,” and the special effects wizardry that lets Chitty take flight right before your eyes! “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” at OCPAC ? July 7-19. Tuesdays-Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ? Admission, $20-$70 ? Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. (map it!) ? (714) 556-ARTS, www.ocpac.org | |
