Where to celebrate the Fourth of July in western Washington
Jul 3, 2025, 5:03 AM
Fireworks over South Lake Union. (Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives via Flickr Creative Commons)
(Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives via Flickr Creative Commons)
It’s time for one of the biggest weekends of the summer, the Fourth of July.
There are events across the region to celebrate, including the Seafair 4th of July celebration and Tacoma’s 4th of July Summer Blast.
Gas Works Park and Lake Union Park will be where you want to be for the best views and all the fun for Seafair’s celebration. Both will feature All-American games like sack racing, water balloon tosses, and plenty more. Plus, there will be food and live music to enjoy as you soak up the sun all day long.
The fireworks celebration will take place at roughly 10:20 p.m. Gates open at 3 p.m., and no admission will be allowed after 9 p.m. At Tacoma’s Summer Blast, you will find over 150 vendors, multiple stages with live music, a kids zone, food and drinks, plus a fireworks show to close out the day. The fun gets started at Ruston Way Waterfront at noon.
Fourth of July fireworks in western Washington
There will also be a firework shows in Arlington at Quake Park, Bellevue at the Downtown Park, in Everett at Port Gardner Bay, Federal Way at Celebration Park, plus there are also parades going on in West Seattle, Everette, Edmonds, Arlington, Bothell, and more. Some, like Bothell, West Seattle, and Edmonds, even have a kids’ parade kicking off the events. Events12 has a good list of where and when to find the parades from across the region.
There will also be a naturalization ceremony on Friday at the Seattle Center, where 500 people will become American citizens. This begins at noon
It’s time for Pioneer Square Fest in none other than Pioneer Square. According to the event’s website, Pioneer Square Fest is a two-day celebration of music, art, and local culture. You will be able to dance the weekend away with over 20 live bands across five event stages on Saturday while enjoying the market of over 80 street vendors. There will also be food and drink specials at local businesses and all sorts of art to enjoy. In order to check out the music and some of the experiences of the festival, you’ll need to buy a wristband, but the market is open to the general public, no ticket required.
It’s also a busy sports weekend with the Mariners at home all weekend, taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates, with promos going on throughout the series. Plus, the Sounders are taking on the Columbus Crew on Sunday at 2 PM.
How are you celebrating Independence Day and the rest of your summer? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com.
