LIFESTYLE

Where to celebrate the Fourth of July in western Washington

Jul 3, 2025, 5:03 AM

fireworks Gas Works Fourth of July western Washington...

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.

sign up for the 425 Magazine newsletter

Lifestyle

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Olympia Takes on Halloween with LoveOly Downtown Festivities

Originally published on South Sound. Highlights include a two-week-long scavenger hunt, family-friendly trick-or-treating, and more.

6 hours ago

425 Magazine...

425

Out & About: Hermanos Gutiérrez, Big Thief, and an Edmonds Art Event

Originally published on 425. Summer concert series wrap up and a local gallery hosts a mom-and-kids outing in this week’s Out & About.

8 hours ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Out & About: Wonderland, a Korean Festival, and Booville

Originally published on South Sound. A Tacoma Art Museum event, a Halloween tradition returns, and more in this week’s Out & About.

8 hours ago

425 Magazine...

425

Choose Relationship Nourishment Over Bread Crumbs

Originally published on 425. Whether personal or professional, I want connections rooted in care, consideration, and mutual effort. Even as the introverted extrovert that I am, columnist LaEisha Howard writes in the latest edition of Fill Your Tank.

8 hours ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Doing Business in … Puyallup

Originally published on South Sound. The Washington State Fair may put the city on the map every September, but its claim to fame doesn’t end there.

8 hours ago

Jacob Mitchell carries a tray of food at new KFC restaurant pre-opening presentation in McKinney, T...

Associated Press

KFC opens a Texas restaurant to test ideas for reclaiming its fried chicken crown

KFC has been taking a licking from fried chicken rivals like Raising Cane’s, but the global fast-food chain has a plan to return to the top of the U.S. pecking order. The Kentucky-born brand opened a new restaurant in McKinney, Texas, on Thursday to serve as a test lab in its home market. Called Open […]

9 hours ago

Where to celebrate the Fourth of July in western Washington