How to Celebrate the 4th of July in Mira Mesa

A beginner’s guide to fun and fireworks in Mira Mesa on Independence Day.

There are several things you need to prepare for if you want your Independence Day to be memorable for the whole family. You must first prepare a list of people you want to invite to spend the day with you and your loved ones. Make sure you leave off the obnoxious distant cousin or uncle that drinks too much and spends most of the time annoying your guests.  Once your list is complete, determine the menu for the day. Plan on bringing enough food to cover those on your list plus a few extras for those unexpected guests that just show up. It is highly recommended to encourage your guests to bring their own items to toss on the grill, thus greatly reducing your cost to host the party.

Bring plenty of condiments, plates, cups, napkins, towels, and trash bags to supply your group. Make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen, since it will be a nice sunny day for us all to enjoy. Make sure when packing the cooler with beverages that you only bring cans or plastic bottles, since glass bottles are prohibited from the park. It is also a public park, and alcohol is also prohibited. San Diego’s Finest will be out on patrol making sure we all can enjoy the Fourth of July in a safe, family environment. There will be portable toilets set up throughout the park, and trash cans set up as well. It is still recommended that you maintain your area and definitely clean up after yourselves once the fireworks have finished.  Also bring plenty of water to keep hydrated during the day, as it is going to be a hot one.

Every year there seems to be a group that tries to be the first ones to secure their spot by either camping out or using yellow “Caution” tape to mark their area. Although there is no official rule to save your spot, the 24 hour rule is best observed, and make sure someone stays at your spot at all times incase you are asked to relocate. Setting up your canopy on Friday for the Saturday event is plenty of time to assure you will have a nice spot to enjoy the festivities. Another thing to consider is the fact that the Parks and Recreation people have the final say and you will be asked to relocate if your “claimed spot” is needed for any of the predetermined locations necessary for the Fun Day at the Park Events. There will be areas designated for the carnival rides, entertainment venues, children’s game area, and community groups that host these events.

If this is your first time celebrating the Fourth of July in Mira Mesa, these tips should be very useful. If you are a long time resident, I hope you agree with the things I provided and feel free to add your comments to the post at the bottom of this article. Either way, I hope you have a great Fourth of July and enjoy the Fireworks! Here is the list of events in the order which they occur:

Black Mountain Masonic Lodge Pancake Breakfast will be held at the Epicentre at 7:30 a.m.

The Mira Mesa 4th of July Parade begins at 11:30 a.m., with the start of the parade route at Greenford Drive. The Parade continues along Mira Mesa Blvd on the north side of the street, turning right on Camino Ruiz, and finishing at the Mira Mesa Community Park on New Salem. For your safety, please remain off of the street during the parade.

The Mira Mesa Fun Day at the Park is an all day event, which begins after the conclusion of the Parade. There will be Free Games for the kids, food, music, and entertainment all day long in addition to pony rides and amusement rides available for a small fee. The Fun Day at the Park takes place throughout the Mira Mesa Community Park, around the Gil Johnson Recreation Center, and on the baseball fields on Mira Mesa Blvd.

The Grand Finale of our Mira Mesa 4th of July Celebration is the Fireworks Extravaganza that takes place at 9:00 p.m. The fireworks are launched over Mira Mesa High School, and the best views are from the Mira Mesa Community Park. The fireworks are synchronized to music that can be heard on KYXY FM 96.5 so tune in and enjoy all the patriotic music.

Many community fireworks had to be cancelled due to budget restraints, and Mira Mesa does not want to be one of them. Please donate to the Fireworks Fund to keep this Mira Mesa tradition going, and look for the video of the 2009 Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza on our website by Monday, July 6!