Want to celebrate your country’s birthday, but don’t know where to go?
Parades marking the 241st anniversary of the nation’s independence will be held Tuesday throughout Los Angeles County, including Pacific Palisades, whose 69th annual Fourth of July Parade will have the theme “Palisades on Parade.”
The parade, led by Emmy-winning Food Network host Giada De Laurentiis, will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunset Boulevard, between Via de la Paz and Drummond Street.
The theme of Avalon’s 4th of July Golf Cart Parade is “Fly Your Flag: An Homage to the National Pastime.” The theme stems from the tradition of the Chicago Cubs flying a flag at Wrigley Field with a W following victories. The Cubs held spring training on Santa Catalina Island from 1921-41 and 1946- 51. The parade will begin at 1 p.m., led by the USC Marching Band and grand marshal Lolo Saldana, a longtime Avalon barber.
Santa Monica’s 11th annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Main Street and Pico Boulevard, proceed south on Main Street to Marine Street, then west to Barnard Way.
South Pasadena’s 36th annual Festival of Balloons Fourth of July Parade will have the theme “Freedom on the Road. Celebrating Route 66.” The opening ceremony will be held at the South Pasadena Library at 10:30. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Mission Street and Diamond Avenue, ending in Garfield Park.
Westchester’s 18th annual Fourth of July Parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Loyola Boulevard, heading north to Loyola Marymount University. The parade’s theme is “An American Adventure,” inspired by Emily Yeow, a student at Westchester Lutheran School. The parade has drawn 50 entries, which will celebrate the theme, including hiking in national parks and honoring patriotic monuments, according to Christina Davis, president and CEO of the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the parade.
The Valley Village Homeowners Association Fourth of July Parade will begin at Colfax Elementary School at 10 a.m. and end at Valley Village Park.
Sierra Madre’s 4th of July Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Sierra Madre Boulevard and Sunnyside Avenue. Real estate agent Derek Podrebarac will be the grand marshal, an honor given to a person “whose efforts over a long period of time have benefited the Sierra Madre community,” according to organizers.
Podrebarac has a rare blood type and is a frequent blood donor to help those with the same one, has managed Sierra Madre Little League teams and organized its Challenger Division for special needs children; and volunteers for the Christian housing organization Habitat for Humanity.
Rosemead’s 4th of July parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Muscatel Avenue and Valley Boulevard and will include cars, characters, floats, horses and bands.
The Sunland-Tujunga Independence Day parade is set to begin at 10 a.m. at Foothill Boulevard and Mt. Gleason Avenue, head west along Foothill Boulevard and end at Sunland Park.
San Gabriel’s 4th of July Parade will start at 9 a.m. in Plaza Park, head north on Mission Drive, then east on Broadway, concluding at Smith Park.
The 13th annual Great American Kids’ Bike Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at 1 Granada Ave. on the beach bike path in Long Beach.
The Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association 4th of July Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Warner Avenue School.
