What to Know
- While the majority of Fourth of July events will take place on Tuesday, July 4, a few happenings will begin the weekend before
- Six Flags Magic Mountain's fireworks start on July 1 while the first Hollywood Bowl fireworks show is on July 2 (as well as July 3 and 4)
- Cinespia is screening "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on July 1; fireworks are part of the event
Fourth of July fun (before the Fourth of July): Independence Day is a Tuesday in 2023, and several of the mondo fireworks spectaculars will happen right on the holiday. But you can find some pre-Fourth festivities around Southern California, with the Pacific Wheel beginning its patriotic sparkle on June 30 (it'll be red, white, and blue nightly through July 4), and fireworks shows popping up at Cinespia at Hollywood Forever on July 1 and the Hollywood Bowl on July 2 (the first of three nights of the Beach Boys shows). Six Flags will pay tribute to the Fourth for four days, beginning on July 1.
Anime Expo: This four-day festival is now sold out, but the creative cosplayers who will visit the Los Angeles Convention Center will fabulously fill our feeds over the first four days of July (many of the incredible costumes have been prepped for weeks, even months). The Artist Alley is always a major draw, as are the special guests from the world of comics, manga, film, and design. Already have your ticket? Check on the important must-knows before heading to DTLA, as well as how to make the most of the beloved convention.
"Tonalism": Seeking an atmospheric way to step into July? Descanso Gardens is the place for a night of aural ambiance, art installations, shimmering starlight, and wide-ranging sound journeys on July 1, thanks to the return of this joyful journey of mind/music. Guests are invited to bring a cushion or something cozy to sit or stretch out on, which might be a very solid idea, as the evening will conclude an hour past midnight. Something nice? The leafy wonderland is rarely open after dark, making this all more magical.
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Splash into July: The first weekend of the seventh month should be on the sunny side of the scale, meaning people may be seeking out cool-down experiences involving H2O. If you'd like to dip your toes into a storied swimming pool, and then, moments later, the ocean, look to the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, which is now open daily. Or perhaps you'd like to admire denizens of the deep? The Aquarium of the Pacific's new Southern California Gallery debuts on July 1. And this is cool, as in neato, but also cool, as in not too hot: There's a California two-spot octopus in the H2O habitat.
Halloween in July: We'll soon encounter a variety of "Christmas in July" events, those warm-weather larks that find festive types rocking tinsel and the all-important ugly sweaters. But hold up: Halloween comes well before Christmas. An ideal place to step into a scare-riffic scene at pretty much any point of the calendar is SugarMynt Gallery in South Pasadena. The space is marking its 8th anniversary with a free backyard pop-up full of frightful vendors on July 1. On view inside? Eerie stuff: It's an exhibit called "Icons of Horror."
"Hooray LA": The story of Southern California is one that has so many chapters — it could fill a library, really, or several — but the chance to see a cheery brigade of string-tastic marionettes tell some of the local tales? That feels like a perfectly playful way to begin one of the hottest stretches of the year. The Bob Baker Marionettes are the troupe behind this updated treat, which was first performed over four decades ago. Opening date? It's July 1 and the place is the company's colorful theater in Highland Park.
