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Tri-Valley patriots will have plenty of opportunities to celebrate their love of country come Wednesday, with several local events celebrating Independence Day throughout the region.
A holiday commonly known for chowing down hot dogs and drinking beer, San Ramon is going to offer residents the opportunity to start Independence Day off with a healthy physical challenge in the form of its Fourth of July Fitness Run. Starting at 8 a.m. runners — or walkers — can compete in either the 5K or 10K fun run.
Beginning at the San Ramon Community Center, 12501 Alcosta Blvd., the race takes participants through the city on a flat, paved course and is open to all skill levels.
All participants will receive a short sleeve commemorative shirt and goodies provided by local sponsors, and an American flag will be given out to all finishers. Interested residents can register online or in person on race day for $45.
For the fourth year, Danville will host the Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley Independence Day parade from 9 a.m. until noon. The parade starts at the north end of town and travels down Hartz Avenue and San Ramon Valley Boulevard for about one mile. This year’s theme celebrates Danville’s heritage and approximately 100 different groups will be participating in the walk.
The parade is expected to attract over 40,000 attendees so residents should arrive early to hold a spot downtown. Streets along and surrounding the parade route will close at approximately 7 a.m. on the day of the parade.
The Town of Danville reminds people that chalk and tape may not be used to reserve seating along the parade route.
“The additional staff time needed to remove the tape placed on sidewalks and asphalt, coupled with the time and effort needed to power wash the entire parade route, under the current guidelines, would be both challenging and cost prohibitive,” maintenance services director Jed Johnson said.
The celebration continues into the evening.
San Ramon will hold a free outdoor concert featuring the music of Michael Jackson. From 5-8 p.m. Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 cover band “Foreverland” will be headlining a city-sponsored concert at the San Ramon Central Park Amphitheater, 12501 Alcosta Blvd.
The San Ramon Symphonic Band will open for Foreverland, playing patriotic music honoring American independence. The evening is free and will begin with party hats, cake and crafts for kids.
Neither Danville nor San Ramon will be providing fireworks displays this year. Residents interested in seeing bombs bursting in air will have to travel to nearby Livermore, Concord or Martinez to check out a show.
The Alameda County Fair offers fireworks displays every other night, but not on the Fourth this year, due to safety, security and traffic concerns.
Dublin has four designated parks for participants to shoot their own “safe and sane” fireworks, but does not allow any that explode or leave the ground.
The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District would like to remind residents that the possession and use of fireworks is illegal in Contra Costa County. It is also still illegal to purchase fireworks from a neighboring county and bring them to Contra Costa. Anyone found in possession of fireworks or caught using them could be fined up to $1,000 and/or receive a jail term of up to a year.
Happy Birthday Uncle Sam!