Local Parades
Bolinas The annual parade kicks off at 40 Wharf Road downtown at 11 a.m. and ends at Brighton Avenue. Festivities include the annual Bolinas–Stinson Beach tug-of-war over the channel that separates the two towns. pointreyesweekend.com
Corte Madera/Larkspur Starting at 10:30 a.m. from Redwood High School, the parade heads down Magnolia Avenue and into Corte Madera to the Town Center mall. A celebration immediately follows at Corte Madera Town Park, with 70 arts and crafts vendors, food, ice cream, snow cones, live music, carnival games and more. cortemadera.org
Novato The parade starts at 10 a.m. in the city’s Old Town district on Grant and Reichert avenues and continues toward Seventh Street. The procession includes more than 100 entries including classic cars, floats, bands and vintage military vehicles from the Joe Garbarino World War II Military Vehicle Museum. novatoparade.com
Ross Parade begins at 11 a.m. at the College of Marin parking lot, continues down Poplar Avenue and ends at Ross Common with a picnic featuring food, beverages and children’s games. townofross.org
San Anselmo The Sleepy Hollow parade starts at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Deer Hollow and Butterfield roads and ends at the Sleepy Hollow Clubhouse.
San Geronimo Valley The “Celebrate the Music Makers” Fourth of July parade starts from Woodacre Improvement Club at 1 Garden Way at noon and follows Railroad Avenue to Dickson Ranch at 182 San Geronimo Valley Drive. Afterwards at the ranch there’s “Family Fun Day,” with food, contests, live music, a flea market and old-fashioned games like a beanbag toss, a wood-sawing contest and bingo.
Sausalito The parade begins at 10 a.m. on the corner of Second and Main streets and continues down Bridgeway to Caledonia Street, ending at Dunphy Park, where a town picnic features food, entertainment, raffles, the annual tug-of-war and an egg toss. ci.sausalito.ca.us
Light Shows
Marin County Fair (San Rafael) This impressive display is launched every night of the fair from three barges on the lagoon. The fireworks, including crowd favorites Whistling Dixie, the Americana and the Golden Eagle, are choreographed to music (June 30−July 4, 9:30 p.m.). marinfair.org
Dunphy Park (Sausalito) The fireworks fly from Spinnaker Point; best vantage points are the Spinnaker, Dunphy Park and Gabrielson Park (July 4, 9:30 p.m.). ci.sausalito.ca.us
The Waterfront (San Francisco) Pyrotechnics are set off from the foot of the Municipal Pier and barges north of Pier 39. Watch from Aquatic Park at Jefferson and Hyde streets, the Cannery, Coit Tower, Ghirardelli Square or other spots along Fisherman’s Warf (July 4, 9:30 p.m.).