Although most fireworks shows have been canceled across San Diego County because of the pandemic, a handful of municipalities have chosen to move forward with their traditional Fourth of July shows in 2020.
All hosts are asking the public to follow social distancing guidelines and refrain from mingling with anyone outside their household.
Here’s a breakdown with maps of where you can expect to see fireworks:
El Cajon
The City of El Cajon will host fireworks over John F. Kennedy Park at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Due to physical distancing guidelines, the park itself will be closed, and there will be no public gatherings permitted near the area. But, the show should be visible over a wide area of the city. More information is available on the city’s website.
Poway
In Poway, the local business community stepped forward to sponsor simultaneous shows at the north and south ends of the city at 9 p.m. on Saturday.
“Keeping these celebrations going is more important than ever,” said Mayor Steve Vaus. “They will bring people together in spirit and shine a little bit of light into the darkness we’ve experienced due to the pandemic, all while we celebrate our nation’s founding.”
The first show will light up the skies above Poway High School’s stadium. The stadium won’t be open as in past years because of social distancing guidelines, but you can park on streets in the surrounding area.
The second show takes over the Sportsplex in the South Poway Business Park. A parking map on the city’s website will guide you to areas where the shows can be seen from your car.
The businesses that contributed to the city’s fireworks displays are EDCO Disposal, General Atomics, Phil’s BBQ, Cox Communications, Toyota of Poway and The Farm in Poway.
Santee
Like Poway, Santee will host two simultaneous shows at the Town Center Community Park East and West Hills Park at 9 p.m. on Saturday.
The fireworks locations will be closed to the public, but you can still view them from many areas of the city.
The first location is toward the east end of the city, the second at the west.
While the “Santee Salutes” show is on, you can listen to a musical soundtrack on KSON 103.7 FM. More information is available on the city’s website.
Vista
The city of Vista will host a fireworks show at 9 p.m. Saturday, accompanied by music on radio station Star 94.1. The show at Brengle Terrace Park is closed to pedestrians but drivers can purchase tickets to enter. Once there, paid attendees can bring out lawn chairs and blankets while maintaining social distancing. For more information, go to cityofvista.com.
Virtual Fireworks
The Port of San Diego’s iconic Big Bay Boom was cancelled, but you can experience the highlights of prior years in a special broadcast by KSWB-TV Fox 5 San Diego. The one-hour show begins at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Hosted by news anchors Kathleen Bade and Raoul Martinez, the show will trace the history of what has become the largest fireworks show in the West, then reprise the best from past Big Bay Boom events.
The California Center for the Arts in Escondido is hosting a day-long celebration online for free. Viewers can expect craft ideas, story time and plenty of patriotic tunes. For more information, go to artcenter.org.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article reported that SeaWorld would be launching it’s usual fireworks on July 4, but in fact the park is closed and will not have fireworks.
Did we miss a July 4 celebration? Tell us at news@timesofsandiego.com.