RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Fourth of July celebrations will get underway this weekend in Riverside County, ahead of America’s 247th birthday.

On Saturday, the city of Murrieta will be combining pre-Independence Day festivities with a 32nd “Birthday Bash” for the municipality, which incorporated in 1991. There will be an outdoor concert, food vendors, a kids play zone and pyrotechnics after nightfall in California Oaks Sports Park.

The city of Menifee’s traditional “Independence Day Celebration” also will be held Saturday in Wheatfield Park, beginning at 4 p.m., featuring a parade along La Piedra Road, children’s activities, live music and fireworks at sundown.

“The annual Independence celebration has something for everyone and is a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and celebrate with the community,” Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman said. “The city is proud to keep this great tradition going in our city, along with all of our amazing partners, who help make this event a success year after year.”

The city of Eastvale has scheduled a fireworks extravaganza on Saturday, beginning at 9 p.m., in Community Park on Citrus Street.

On Fourth of July weekend, multiple pyrotechnics celebrations are planned.

The city of Coachella is scheduled to host a fireworks spectacular after sundown in Bagdouma Park on July 1, while the city of Desert Hot Springs will hold a celebration after dark on the same date at Desert Hot Springs Middle School on Two Bunch Palms Trail.

The city of Perris will host a show on July 1 at Morgan Park on East Morgan Street.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio and the Jurupa Area Recreation & Park District will hold shows at 9 p.m. on July 3. The Jurupa Valley spectacular will be held in Vernola Family Park on Wineville Avenue.

On the Fourth of July, events are planned at a string of venues countywide.

Corona’s traditional “Main Street U.S.A Parade” will begin about 9 a.m. at Ontario and Main streets, featuring law enforcement units, fire engines, marching bands, military hardware and show animals. The procession will travel about a mile, concluding at Olive and Main streets around noon. A fireworks show is set for 9 p.m. in Santana Regional Park.

Moreno Valley’s Fourth of July Parade will get underway at 9:30 a.m. at Alessandro Boulevard and Frederick Street, concluding two hours later on Towngate Boulevard. The celebration will continue at 2 p.m. outside the Civic Center Amphitheater on Frederick Street, where a “Family FunFest” is planned, complete with rock bands, a beer garden and kids’ activities. Fireworks are scheduled after sunset.

At 10 a.m., Temecula’s “Star Spangled Parade” will proceed, featuring the Temecula Valley Mounted Posse, Veterans of Foreign Wars, members of the American Legion, the Riverside County Fire Department, the Boy Scouts of America and other organizations. The parade will run along Old Town Front Street. There will be pyrotechnics in Ronald Reagan Sports Park after dark.

In addition to the above venues, fireworks shows are scheduled at the following locations, beginning at 9 p.m. on July 4:

— Beaumont, Stewart Park, Ninth Street and Orange Avenue;

— Lake Elsinore, Lakepoint Park, 420 Lakeshore Drive;

— Palm Desert, Civic Center Park, Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue;

— Palm Springs Stadium, 1901 E. Baristo Road;

— Rancho Mirage, Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive;

— Riverside, La Sierra Park, 5215 La Sierra Ave.;

— Riverside, Mount Rubidoux, 4706 Mount Rubidoux Drive; and

— Temecula, Pechanga Resort Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway.

In 2020, all but one public Fourth of July fireworks celebration was canceled because of the coronavirus public health lockdowns. The celebrations returned on a scaled-down level in 2021 and were back in full swing last year.

In Riverside County, private parties are prohibited from using fireworks except in Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Indio, where so- called “safe and sane” fireworks, certified by the state fire marshal, can be sold to the public.

The devices are mostly pyrotechnics that don’t explode or fly, including sparklers, ground spinners, fountains, snappers and caps.

Under county Ordinance 858, which was amended by the Board of Supervisors in response to an outbreak of blazes in 2020, fines for illegally storing, transporting or setting off fireworks can range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Any person who triggers a brush fire due to the illegal use of fireworks can be held responsible for all suppression costs. Under the revised ordinance, property owners also face liability.

In Riverside, people can report illegal fireworks by calling the city’s hotline at 951-826-5311. Elsewhere in Riverside County, reports are fielded via the sheriff’s non-emergency enforcement line, 1-800-950-2444, or at https://www.riversidesheriff.org/555/fireworks.

Fourth of July Shows Start This Weekend in Riverside County