SOUTH COUNTY — Fireworks, barbecues, flags, parades and more are about to take place as King City, Greenfield, Soledad and Gonzales get ready to host various Fourth of July events this week.
In King City, the annual fireworks display will take place a day early this year to save some costs for the King City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. The show will be tonight, July 3, beginning at dusk at King City Park and the Salinas Valley Fairground’s Stampede Arena. Admission is $1 at the Stampede Arena, or view for free from City Park on Division Street.
The next day, July 4, Pacific Valley Bank once again sponsors the annual Fourth of July Parade in King City starting at 10:30 a.m. on Broadway Street. The sixth annual Car Show at Wildhorse is also returning this year, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., two miles south of King City.
Later that day, Greenfield plans to celebrate its Independence Day celebration at Patriot Park. There will be free family activities, food trucks, entertainment, face painting and more beginning at 6 p.m. No alcohol is permitted at the park, organizers note.
Entertainment at the park includes Sam’z School of Music, Arcoiris Cultural Dance Troupe and Chicano All Stars Band, ending with Greenfield’s fireworks show at dusk, or about 9 p.m.
Also on the Fourth, a Star Spangled Banner Children’s Parade will kick off the City of Soledad’s festivities at noon, running from Main Street Middle School to the Little League Park.
The parade will be led by the Soledad High School NJROTC along with different groups that will follow them.
Once at the Little League Park, families and residents can take part in adult and youth games, mechanical bull riding, live music from two bands and visit with clowns. The fireworks display is returning this year after a hiatus and will be run by Pyro Spectaculars at dusk.
In Gonzales, a 5K race will start the day at 8 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony by the Gonzales Scout Troop at noon and the Patriotic Parade.
Los Gonza Boys will perform at 12:30 p.m. Sam’z School of Music will also be visiting Gonzales at 1:45 p.m., followed by Silver Train at 3 p.m. Gonzales Rotary’s Famous Rib Barbecue will be serving from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All the events will take place at Central Park.
The event is sponsored by the Gonzales Rotary Club, City of Gonzales, Rabobank, Silva Farms and Valdez Auto Sales.
All four South County cities will have different organizations hosting “safe and sane” fireworks booths to benefit the community, many of which will be open through the Fourth of July holiday.
