15 Fireworks Displays Will Salute Independence Day

Fireworks will crackle Saturday night, but before pyrotechnics evoke the collective oohs and aahs in more than 15 displays across the county, hot air balloons will splash color against blue skies and community parades, carnivals and concerts will celebrate the Independence Day holiday.

In Coronado, more than 160 parade entries, including bands, floats, clowns and equestrian units, will motor and march in the 39th annual Independence Day Parade beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Commencing at First Street and Orange Avenue, the parade will proceed south on Orange to Churchill Place.

At the community’s north beach, in the southwest corner of the city, the 29th annual rough water swim will begin at 1 p.m. Swimmers ages 11 and younger will compete in a 250-yard race, while an older group will swim one mile.

On Coronado’s Glorietta Bay, the Navy will demonstrate readiness with parachute jumping in a show at 2:30 p.m.

A fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m. on the bay, and guests may want to bring a portable radio. The fireworks will be synchronized to music that will be broadcast on Q106 on the FM dial and 600 on the AM dial.

Foreign Flavors

In Rancho Bernardo, the day’s festivities open at 10 a.m. at Webb Park Plaza, where international food booths will offer food with foreign flavors, as well as entertainment on stage provided by Gordon Grinnell and His Mellowtones, the RB Troubadours, a bluegrass band, a puppet show, Irish dancers and more.

At 2:30 p.m., a parade will form at Lomica Avenue and Acena Drive and will travel north on Acena, west on Rancho Bernardo Road and south on Bernardo Center Drive back to Webb Park.

On the driving range at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, the Musicians of the San Diego Symphony will perform in a concert of patriotic tunes at 8 p.m. Fireworks will follow.

At Scripps Ranch, the community will kick off its 17th annual parade at 10 a.m. at the corner of Ironwood Road and Tribuna Avenue. It will proceed west on Ironwood, north on Courtyard Drive, east on Scripps Ranch Boulevard and east on Aviary Drive to Hoyt Park.

The “Society for the Prevention of the Extinction of the Middle Class” will push power mowers and a wheelbarrow of beer in a parade marching routine, The Briefcase Brigade will strut their stuff and neighborhood women will march with shopping carts.

In all, 86 units are expected to participate in the march to the park, where food and refreshments will be offered and children and adults can compete in traditional games--from three-legged races to egg tosses-- until 3 p.m. A disc jockey will spin tunes.

Over-the-Line Tourney

In Vista’s Brengle Terrace Park, the celebration begins with an over-the-line tournament at 9 a.m. Children’s games will be offered from 2 to 3 p.m. followed by live music. The Hickory Bridge Band begins the entertainment, followed by the Bavarian Goodtime Band. Sky divers will interrupt the music at 5:30 p.m., and Razzle Dazzle singers will pick up the show at 5:45 p.m. Paul Johnson and the Packards perform at 7 p.m. and short previews of the plays “Annie” and “It Happened on the Way to the Forum,” will be staged at 8 p.m. The Big Band Jazz Machine begins at 8:15 p.m. and fireworks begin at 9 p.m. A dance spirited by top 40 and oldies tunes selected by a disc jockey will continue the festivities.

In National City, a mini-fair featuring carnival rides, game and food booths will take place from noon to midnight at Kimball Park Saturday. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.

In La Jolla’s Scripps Park at La Jolla Cove, famed big band trumpeter Johnny Best will perform with his jazz band at 3:30 p.m. Music by a Marine Corps band will follow and fireworks will flare at 9 p.m.

Hot air balloons will be warming up Saturday for a Hare and Hound competition, the hare armed with an X to mark the spot, the hounds with bean bags in their baskets. The hare balloon will lift from the Del Mar Racetrack at 7 p.m. followed by about 19 hounds.

The game goes like this: the hare balloon inflates about 10 minutes before the hounds, and takes off on obscure winds to try to elude the other balloons who follow in, well, hot pursuit.

About four to five miles after takeoff, at a point dictated by the prevailing winds, the lead balloon will land and lay down an X. The chasing hound balloons will try to find the spot and hit it with a falling bean bag.

“It’s a very, very vague sport,” said San Diego Balloon Assn. representative Celia Brewer. “Typically, the wind blows up the San Dieguito River Valley toward Black Mountian Road, but there is always a chance that it is going to be more north or south.”

Either way, the balloons will return to the Flower Hills Mall in Del Mar for an awards ceremony about 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Back at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Pat Boone will sing at 7:30 p.m. at the grandstand, followed by fireworks.

Other fireworks displays across the county include 9 p.m. shows at: Chula Vista, J Street Marina; El Cajon, Granite Hills High School; Lakeside, El Capitan High School; Mira Mesa, Mira Mesa Community Center; Ocean Beach, the Ocean Beach Pier; San Diego, Sea World and Fiesta Island; San Marcos, Linda Vista Park; Spring Valley, Spring Valley Park and Recreation Center and Tierrasanta, Tierrasanta Community Park.