We will NOT be spending Independence Day this year with my sister’s family in Sacramento, which has led me to something of a dilemma: How the heck are we going to celebrate the 4th of July here in LA?
I’ve been combing local event sites for lists of fireworks shows and festivals for the Fourth, and there are plenty to choose from. So the hard part is making an actual decision. Do we want to watch the fireworks at the mega-church in Porter Ranch? All the way down to Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles? Or choose between two locations up in Santa Clarita?
It all sounds so… crowded.
I have always preferred the fireworks shows that come at the end of some kind of entertainment. Like at the end of a July 4 game at Dodger Stadium. (Alas, the Dodgers are playing the Rockies this week, so baseball fans in Denver will get to enjoy the show). Or the traditional Independence Day concert at the Hollywood Bowl. This year’s July 4 extravaganza features Josh Groban, who’s OK, I guess. But I would much prefer the July 5 & 6 tributes to Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes. Let’s be honest here: I’m not all that cultured. Just about everything I know about classical music is what I gleaned from watching Bugs Bunny cartoons as a kid. And how meta would it be to see “Long-Haired Hare” at the very venue portrayed there? (Not to mention my all-time favorite, “What’s Opera, Doc?” (You know, the one where Elmer Fudd sings, “Kill the Wabbit, Kill the Wabbit…”)
Do you think there’s any chance I can convince the family to stay in on Thursday?
Me neither.
See you in the crowd.
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I’ve lived here 10 years and haven’t been to a show at the Hollywood Bowl yet (although I work five minutes away from it). And you’re not the only one who learned about classical music from that wacky wabbit :-D.
We go through this, too. I loved when CSUN would have a show. We’d buy the kids happy meals at the McD’s on Reseda and Nordoff, then park there and watch the ones that shot up above the buildings and street lights. The one at the church was fine while we were members of the YMCA, nearby, and could park there when we showed our card. Now it’s just too crowded at any of the venues, and mega-crazy when you try to drive home. We can kinda see the larger (higher) ones from our back yard, but the kids won’t go for that. Anyways, have a safe and fun 4th Donna!
Thanks, Gigi. We ended up going to the show downtown — and wound up seeing fireworks all over the city, from the freeway on our drive back home. Next time, maybe we’ll just get in the car and drive! (I hope your holiday was spectacular.)