Napa Valley celebrates the Fourth of July
By Dave Stoneberg
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — As the thermometer edged up toward 100 degrees on Friday afternoon, I knew that summer had arrived. And I also knew that the Fourth of July couldn’t be far behind.
Napa County cities from American Canyon to Calistoga will be celebrating Independence Day on Tuesday, July 4.
AMERICAN CANYON
American Canyon will have a parade, festival and fireworks at Community Park No. 2. The parade starts at 3 p.m. on Elliott Drive; the festival is at the park, which is on the corner of Donaldson and Benton Way, and the fun will include music, free activities and vendors. The fireworks will begin at dusk at the park.
NAPA
The members of Napa Sunrise Rotary will host a Fourth of July Parade starting at 10 a.m. at Second and School streets. The theme of the parade is “Celebrating Independence, Patriotism and Community.” In the afternoon a community celebration will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Oxbow Commons.
The Kids Zone is back with inflatables, carnival games, entertainment and magic shows at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The food court has something for everyone – tacos, pizza, hot dogs, salad wraps and enticing offerings to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Live music is offered from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Oxbow River Stage. The lineup is: 3 p.m., Papa Joe and the New Deal; 4:30 p.m., La Gente SF; 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., Notorious; and 6:45 p.m., a Salute to America.
The fireworks will launch at 9:15 p.m. at the Napa Valley Expo grounds, which will not be open to the public. Prime viewing areas will be from downtown Napa and along the Napa River.
YOUNTVILLE
Yountville will celebrate the day from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park with live music from the Big Blu Soul Revue Band, food trucks and fun kids’ activities.
ST. HELENA
St. Helena will hold a bike parade, community festival and fireworks display. The Red, White and Blue Bike Parade will begin at 3 p.m. at Meily Park and end at Lyman Park.
The Saint Helena Community Band will offer its annual Fourth of July concert from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lyman Park, while a Community Festival will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Crane Park. Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. at Crane Park.
CALISTOGA
In Calistoga, the community will celebrate the holiday with a “Star Spangled Social and Parade.”
The parade, which has been held for more than 100 years, begins at 11 a.m. down Lincoln Avenue. It is expected to include commercial floats, decorated antique cars, dancers, dancing horses and more. The parade lineup is on Cedar Street. The route will turn left on Lincoln Avenue, left on Fairway and end at North Oak. The parade theme is “Icons.”
The “Star Spangled Social” begins at 2 p.m. with a local Maker’s Market until 8 p.m. and live music until 10 p.m. at Pioneer Park. The afternoon includes food vendors, the Celebrate! bar, featuring craft bee,r and boutique wines, face-painting and lawn games.
Performances include: Allways Elvis, The North Bay's premier Elvis channeler; Elaine Jennings, Calistoga's jazz and swing vocalist; Sol Horizon, “Sebastopol's Official Reggae Band”; and the Marshall House Project. The grand finale is a laser light show from ELS Lasers in the park after dark.
Dave Stoneberg is a journalist, who worked for the St. Helena Star from 2006 to 2020.