Happy birthday, U.S.A. Check out these 4th of July celebrations in the High Desert and beyond

There will be plenty of Independence Day celebrations this year, including the 17th annual Fireworks show scheduled at Spring Valley Lake.

The SVL Association will host the aerial display for members of the community and their guests only at 9 p.m. on Saturday— a week before the Independence Day weekend.

Membership cards are required to attend, and anyone using a guest pass must be accompanied by a member with a photo card, an online event flyer states.

The fireworks can be seen outside SVL, in places like Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville.

Victorville 

Considered the biggest firework show in the High Desert, the 4th of July Freedom Festival is coming to the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville.

The event is free to attend and presented by the City of Victorville, Get Air Trampoline Park, and The Life Church.

Gates will open at 4 p.m., with the pyrotechnic display beginning at 9 p.m. at the SBC Fairgrounds located at 14800 Seventh Street.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The fireworks show will accompany patriotic music simulcast on the Kat Country 100.7 FM radio station.

No weapons, including pocket knives, are allowed at the venue. Also, no outside food or drinks other than unopened bottles of water. No ice chests and no pets other than properly documented service animals.

Apple Valley

The Town of Apple Valley will host the 24th annual 4th of July Freedom Festival from 2 to 9 p.m at the Lenny Brewster Sports Center at 21024 Otoe Road.

The event will include live entertainment by Wally Pride and the Charlie’s Angels Band, food and retail vendors, a beer garden, and a fireworks show that begins at 9 p.m. and will include music simulcast by Y102 Radio FM.

Blankets and chairs are suggested. Pets, smoking, and outside alcohol is prohibited at the event. For more information, call 760-240-7880 or visit applevalleyevents.org.

Barstow

The City of Barstow will host the 25th Annual Fireworks Spectacular on July 4th at the Robert A. Sessions Memorial Sportspark at 2800 Mayor Katy Parkway.

The day begins at 7 a.m. with a free 5K Freedom Run at the sports park.

Gates to the park open at 5 p.m for an evening of live music, a beer garden, and children’s activities such as bounce houses, inflatable water slides, and other water-related activities.

The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m. with a music simulcast by KDUC 94.3 FM and 102.5 FM.

Barbecues, outside alcohol, and glass containers will not be allowed at the venue. Visitors are encouraged to bring their food. 

Information about the event and free bus service by the Victor Valley Transit Authority are available at barstowca.org.

Big Bear 

The Fireworks Spectacular explodes over Big Bear Lake at 8:45 p.m. on July 4th. The fireworks can be viewed from the water, the shore, and some trail points. The event is free, and radio station KBHR will provide a musical accompaniment on 93.3 FM and 102.5 FM. 

The 28th annual Big Bear Lake Independence Day Fair will provide visitors with a day of shopping, children's activities, live entertainment, a beer garden, food, vendors, and arts and crafts booths.

The fair opens at 11 a.m. on July 4th, with the festivities continuing through 6 p.m. The fair is at the corner of Big Bear Boulevard and Division Drive. For more details, call the Convention Center at Big Bear Lake at 909-585-3000 or visit bigbearevents.com.

Crestline

Crestline will host Jamboree Days over the July 4th weekend with parades, fireworks, and a community picnic.

The Jamboree Days Parade, which kicks off at 10 a.m. on July 2, will travel from Crest Forest Drive in Top Town, down Fern Drive to Lake Drive, and continue to Lake Gregory.

The “Legendary Lake Gregor”’ theme of the parade pays homage to the rich 84-year history of the lake as a central focus of Crestline’s mountain legacy.

After the parade, the festivities will continue at 10 a.m. when Lake Gregory opens its waterslides, inflatables, boathouse and beach areas, and water activities.

Restaurants and shops along Lake Drive and Crest Forest Drive in Top Town will be open for dining and browsing, with many shops extending their hours and wares by featuring sidewalk popups by local vendors.

The Crestline Chamber of Commerce will host a beer garden in the parking lot of Arrowhead Credit Union from 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Classic rock bands will provide tunes as SoCal Beer pours the suds, including a variety of craft brews. Several food vendors will set up and serve up a selection of treats.

Lake Gregory Company plans to close at 5 p.m. to sweep the beaches. They will reopen at 6 p.m. when the public is invited to grab a spot lakeside and watch the evening’s fireworks show beginning at 9 p.m.

VIP tickets for dining at the lake and reserved seating for the show through Lake Gregory Company will be available.

Hosted by the Crestline Chamber and Woodlands Church, a free community picnic is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. on July 3 at the Meadow at San Moritz Lodge.

The picnic includes family-friendly activities, including bounce houses, a classic car exhibition, gunny-sack/three-legged races, watermelon-eating contests, face-painting, cornhole, giant Jenga, and Connect-4, and a mini-sailboat regatta in the lagoon from the Crestline Yacht Club. All activities are free.

More information about the weekend is available at amboreedays.com and visitcrestline.org.

Lake Arrowhead

The Arrowhead Lake Association's 2022 Lake Arrowhead Fireworks Show begins at 9 p.m. on July 3.

Lucerne Valley 

The Lucerne Valley Community Independence Day Carnival is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 2 at Pioneer Park at 33269 Old Woman Springs Road.

The Lucerne Valley Roadrunners will host the free event, including games, vendors, information booths, food, and music. For more information, call 760-900-2870.

The Lucerne Valley 4th of July Parade begins at 9 a.m. on Independence Day. The parade route is on Highway 18 from Trade Post Road to Cafe 247 at Old Woman Springs Road.

Hwy. 18 will be closed from 8:30 to 11 a.m. from Trade Post Road to Cafe 247. Rabbit Springs Road north of Hwy 18 is an alternate route.

After the parade at 11 a.m., an awards and trophy ceremony is scheduled at Pioneer Park. To participate in the parade, call 562-522-8775.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCru