The City of Santa Barbara has announced the return of the annual Fourth of July Celebration, hosted by the City’s Waterfront and Parks and Recreation Departments, which will transform Santa Barbara’s waterfront for a full day of family-friendly activities.
This year’s celebration carries special significance as communities across the nation commemorate the Semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Santa Barbara is proud to join in this historic moment with a full day of festivities at the waterfront, bringing residents and visitors together to honor our shared history and the spirit of independence.
If you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate this Independence Day, there’ll be no better place than Santa Barbara’s waterfront. A full slate of festive, fun, and family-friendly activities is planned throughout the day, including free live music and dance performances on the beach, hosted by the PARC Foundation!
The festivities will be capped off with a 20-minute fireworks display, presented by Garden State Fireworks and sponsored by the City’s Waterfront Department. Fireworks will launch from West Beach starting at approximately 9:00 p.m. The show will be live-streamed on KEYT.com from the beach. The City thanks KEYT for their longtime support of this community tradition. The music for the show will be on KJEE 92.9 FM Montecito/Santa Barbara.
Here’s a list of some of the fun on tap…
Saturday, July 4, 2026
11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
West Beach
West Beach
Enjoy a full day of live music at the West Beach Bandstand, organized by John Palminteri and Roger Perry, with sponsorship by the PARC Foundation, before a 20-minute fireworks display presented by Garden State Fireworks and sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department.
West Beach Bandstand Lineup
Santa Barbara’s top youth performers:
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Roll-N-Rock 805
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. – Rock Shop Academy
Covers, classics and original songs from Santa Barbara performers:
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – Peer Pressure
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Love Pop
4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Kickin’ It
5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. – Looking West
6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. – The Other Woman
7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. – East Valley Road
8:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. – False Puppet
Pledge of Allegiance : Santa Barbara City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez
Star Spangled Banner: Emma Belle and Daniella Blythe from the band Miriam
9:00 p.m. – 9:20 p.m. – Fireworks over the waterfront!
The show will also feature performances at 2:45 by the Spirit of Fiesta Jenna Ramirez and the Junior Spirit of Fiesta Penny Hernandez and later, the La Boheme Dancers plus Army Veteran and singer Kraig Pakulski as Uncle Sam.
Music highlights on LivenotesSB.com
Cabrillo Boulevard Sidewalk at West Beach
11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Enjoy festive food and vendor booths, sponsored by the PARC Foundation. This year’s vendors include Tink’s Old Fashioned Hot Dogs, Lidos Philly Cheese Steaks, Timbers Roadhouse, G Brothers Kettle Corn, Elubia’s Kitchen, and Oakberry Acai.West Beach stage event coordinators: Roger Perry, John Palminteri, Kim Stabile, Hector Hurtado, Islay Events, Carlton Electrical Construction, Milpas Rental.
Sponsored by : The Point Market / Fuel Depot, American Riviera Bank, Montecito Bank & Trust, Milpas Rental, Oshay Family Foundation, La Boheme Productions, The Berry Man, The Santa Barbara Eyeglass Factory, Jason Carton Electrical contractors and Dario Pini Investments.
West Beach Enjoyment Guidelines:
- No fireworks: All personal, unauthorized fireworks are completely illegal within the city of Santa Barbara. Possessing or discharging them can result in a misdemeanor citation, a $1,000 fine, and/or up to 6 months in jail.
- No alcohol: The public beach area celebration strictly prohibits outside alcohol.
- No fires or glass: Open campfires, fire pits, and glass containers are not permitted on the beach.
- No smoking or vaping: Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited on the beach grounds.
- No pets: Animals are not allowed on the sidewalk but not on the sand.
- Extra Bike parking racks available on site.
- No Pit Digging – or large holes for the safety of those walking during the day and after the show.
Important Travel & Logistics
- Road closures: Cabrillo Boulevard is closed to vehicular traffic starting at 6:00 p.m. from Castillo Street to Calle Cesar Chavez. State Street is closed at 6:00 p.m. from Gutierrez Street to Cabrillo Boulevard.
- Stearns Wharf: The wharf closes to all incoming vehicles at 3:30 p.m., with no vehicles allowed to exit starting at 4:30 p.m.
- Transportation: The MTD Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle operates from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Riding a bicycle is highly encouraged, and extra bike racks will be provided along Cabrillo Boulevard.
- Extra Lighting – has been added for safety following the show.
- Extra Trash Containers – has been added from Marborg Industries.
