MAGA hats, stars-and-stripes swimwear and waves of American flags filled Huntington Beach as more than 500,000 people gathered in Surf City USA for a Fourth of July celebration widely regarded as the largest Independence Day event west of the Mississippi River.
Across the city, Old Glory flew from parade floats, vintage cars and horseback riders, while crowds dressed in red, white and blue lined the streets to take in the holiday spectacle.
Families watched from folding chairs, children carried small flags with pride, and beachgoers made the most of the sunshine in patriotic outfits during the city’s sprawling, multi-day celebration.
The centerpiece of the festivities was the 122nd Annual Fourth of July Parade, a 2.5-mile procession along Pacific Coast Highway that is widely recognized as the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi River.
The holiday weekend builds toward a dramatic finale, with a fireworks show launched from the Huntington Beach Pier and reflected over the Pacific Ocean.
Even with massive crowds and millions of dollars in indirect economic activity for local businesses, Huntington Beach still spends more than it brings in when covering the operational costs of the annual celebration.
“It’s amazing. Huntington Beach, Fourth of July, there’s nothing like it,” Katie Jarrett told The California Post. “I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl and this is just my most favorite day of the whole year.”
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For Carolyn Jesse, the event offers a chance to honor both the nation and the close-knit community that gathers each year to celebrate it.
“I feel blessed and privileged to live in America, and to be at the largest celebration west of the Mississippi,” Carolyn Jesse told The Post. “God bless America.”
