2009 San Diego fireworks displays read like a Dr. Seuss book: you can have them over the bay, you can have them on pier; you can have them inside a theme park, but if you are at the beach you can’t have them with beer. 

It is a safe assumption that from any point in San Diego at around 9 o’clock you will be able to catch one if not three different fireworks shows from around the county. The trick to enjoying San Diego fireworks this year is knowing where to be when the clock strikes nine on the Fourth of July.

Discover the top ten spots for fireworks in San Diego.

San Diego County Fair has fireworks every year. However this year, the festivities will last long after the last fuse is lit. Smokey Robinson will be entertaining crowds after the fireworks show in a free-with-fair-admission performance. Not to mention the bevy of contests that the Fair offers including a Watermelon Seed Spitting and Frozen T-shirt Contest (in which the participant must be the first to unfold and wear a frozen t-shirt). 

San Diego Bay’s Big Bay Boom! show is not only 16 ½ minutes long but is also televised on two stations. Seemingly one of the most popular shows, The Port of San Diego is working with the Old Town Trolley to provide free shuttle service to those watching from Harbor Island and Shelter Island. If you are looking for The Port to offer entertainment all day, you may be disappointed, but if all you are looking for an amazingly long fireworks show then plop a beach chair down on the bay and prepare to be astounded. For more information visit the The Port at portofsandiego.org.

San Diego Mission Bay Yacht Club has activities for the sea vessel enthusiast. The day kicks off with a breakfast buffet with a great view of the annual boat parade on Mission Bay, and ends with a TNT style dinner and great views of the fireworks at nine. MBYC also has the Blue Rocket Band playing from 4-7 pm, with the Lisa Campbell Band to follow. All of this fun is, of course, for Yacht Club members only.

Sea World may host a fireworks show almost every night in the summer, but the Fourth offers a little something more in Mission Bay. The same exhibits, shows, and rides are all available to patrons who pay $65.00 admission on the Fourth, with extended park hours and their signature fireworks show. 

OB Pier is hosting its 30th annual fireworks show this year in Ocean Beach. The rockets will be sent up at Newport Ave & Ocean Blvd. around 9 o’clock. This show is guaranteed to be a pyromaniac’s dream, and the whole displayed is choreographed to the sounds of Radio SOPHIE 103.7.

Coronado begins its day-long independence celebration with a 15k run or 5k walk/run at 7am. Activities will run all day in Glorietta Bay and Spreckels Parks including an Independence Day Parade and ending with a free concert in Spreckels Park and, of course, their free fireworks show.

National City’s Kimball Park hosts the Fourth of July festivities this year. It all starts with the National City Parade followed the Miss National City Pageant on the stage of the Kimball Bowl. The activities will last from 5-11pm with South Bay’s only fireworks show beginning at 9pm.

Legoland in Carlsbad offers the “Red, White, and Boom” celebration this year inside Legoland Park. Paying regular admission ($49.95-59.95) will get you a front row seat to not only North County biggest fireworks display but also to family picnic games and The Jumpitz, an emerging children’s entertainment group growing in popularity. Of course, if the price is a little steep, you can always enjoy the show from the parking lot for a $2 fee.

San Marcos provides old-fashioned Fourth of July fun at William R. Bradley Park. Fireworks, starting at 9:30pm, are only the tip of the iceberg in San Marcos; the entertainment will include a comedy magic show, live music, carnival games, and a jump house. The fun starts at 5pm.

Lake Murray hosts a fireworks extravaganza that the whole family can enjoy in the La Mesa community. A live music festival including the Pullman Standard, Surf City All Stars, and Rockola precedes the fireworks that start at 9pm.

Insider Tip: If you are looking for the best spot to catch all the action, settle down at Harbor Island. From there, you should be able to catch the Sea World show and the Big Bay Boom! show. 

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