[Click here for a Noozhawk photo gallery of Fourth of July events in Santa Barbara County.]
Independence Day received a lively, colorful and musical celebration in Santa Barbara Monday, as South Coast residents turned out to observe the Fourth of July in usual Santa Barbara fashion: with a citywide summertime palooza.
Thousands meandered along the waterfront at West Beach and Stearns Wharf for music, food, and activities, or lined State Street for the Spirit of ’76 Parade.
And, of course, lawn chairs and towels were laid out for the evening’s fireworks.
The festivities kicked off at noon at West Beach, which featured a dozen musical acts set up in front of beachgoers on the sand. Local rockers Tequila Mockingbird jammed a few hundred yards away at Stearns Wharf.
From Castillo to State streets, vendors lined Cabrillo Boulevard with classic Independence Day barbecue food and Stearns Wharf merchants offered everything from arts and crafts, to ice cream, to even wine tasting.
“We’re enjoying the music, everybody’s nice and calm, everything’s pretty mellow,” said Marvin Fisher, who came up from Ventura with his girlfriend, Madeline. “There are a lot of activities going on in Ventura, but since we live there, we thought we’d come out to Santa Barbara, bring our bikes, have a picnic.
“They have a great fireworks show. We came last year, and we just enjoy the outdoors and great weather.”
The 53rd-annual Spirit of ’76 Parade, put on by the eponymous local nonprofit organization, marched down State Street from Micheltorena Street to Cota Street Monday afternoon.
The bagpipes of the Camarillo-based Gold Coast Pipe Band led off the procession, which featured a wide array of local and regional organizations and figures, including the Santa Barbara Peace Corps Association, the Santa Barbara Gymnastics Club, the Model A Club of Santa Barbara and members of the City Council.
In the afternoon, free concerts by the West Coast Symphony Orchestra at the Santa Barbara Courthouse’s Sunken Gardens and the Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale and The Jamboree Band at the Santa Barbara Mission serenaded local music lovers.
The nighttime aerial displays capping off the festivities were launched from West Beach by Garden State Fireworks.
Thousands of people lined up along Cabrillo Boulevard and Stearns Wharf to catch the colorful explosions.
Crowds also came out to Girsh Park in Goleta for another firework display, which finished up the 19th-annual Rotary Clubs of Goleta Fireworks Festival.
With musical performances by locals DJ Quizo and Area 51, the festival hosted face-painting, a rock-climbing wall, bounce houses, and watermelon- and pie-eating contests.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
(Sam Goldman / Noozhawk photo)