Community Corner

July 4th 2014 in San Clemente: What You Need to Know

The ins and the outs. And oh yeah, expect a a flyover by the Condor Squadron.

From the city of San Clemente:

On Friday, July 4, 2014 the city of San Clemente will host an Independence Day celebration for the community.

At 9 p.m. the city continues its annual tradition and will present a spectacular fireworks display from the Municipal Pier. The end of the Pier, opposite the entrance, will close at noon on Thursday, July 3rd for preliminary preparation and the entire Pier will close on Friday, July 4th at 8 a.m. and remain closed for the entire day. The Fisherman’s Restaurant will be accessible to its patrons.

A flyover by the Condor Squadron, consisting of four AT-6 aircraft World War II trainers will take place along the participating coastal cities of Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente. The flyover will begin at 6:05 p.m. in Huntington Beach and arrive in San Clemente at 6:25 p.m. where it will flyover the coast, conduct a 360 in the air and conclude at 6:30 p.m.

Members of the public are reminded to not camp out the evening before the Fourth of July. The San Clemente Municipal Code prohibits overnight camping and being on the beach between the hours  of midnight and 4 a.m. Those in violation of the ordinance can be cited, while unattended property left on the beach is not the responsibility of the city.

Additionally, ocean access surrounding the Pier and access under the Pier will be prohibited during the show. It is critical that surfers, body borders and swimmers remain 1,000 feet away from the end of the Pier. This represents a 1,000 foot perimeter around the entire Pier and must be kept clear as a safety precaution to keep people out of harm’s way from the fallout from fireworks.

For pedestrian safety and to avoid major traffic problems, San Clemente Police Services will be restricting vehicular traffic between approximately 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. in the entire lower Pier Bowl area adjacent to the Pier. Pedestrians should take caution, especially with the increased crowds, to stay clear of the train tracks. The municipal beach and Pier will be closed to the public after the 
fireworks display until the morning of Saturday, July 5th.

Following the fireworks show, San Clemente Police Services will conduct traffic control and assist people in exiting the Pier Bowl, diverting them in a systematic fashion to freeways and surface streets. There will be three designated routes out of the Pier Bowl, including:

  1. Palizada and directed to the freeway at Palizada or north onto El Camino Real
  2. Del Mar and diverted onto Presidio.
  3. Victoria and diverted southbound onto the freeway at Valencia and Calafia (two lanes will be open on El Camino Real)
Although intersections/streets will not be closed, please expect all Pier Bowl streets to be impacted by the exit route, including the following:
  • East Palizada/Seville
  • East Seville/Del Mar
  • East Palizada/Puente
  • East Ola Vista/Palizada
  • Del Mar/Ola Vista
  • East Victoria/Ola Vista
  • El Camino Real/Palizada
  • Palizada/Estrella
  • Del Mar/El Camino Real
  • Victoria/El Camino Real
  • El Camino Real/Presidio
When leaving the beach, people are asked to take their trash with them. Any trash and litter remaining on the beach will end up polluting the ocean. Roping or blocking-off portions of the beach for private use is not permitted.

Also, the city of San Clemente has ordinances prohibiting any fireworks, 
including Safe & Sane fireworks within the City limits, and ordinances prohibiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages on the beach and Pier. San Clemente Police Services will strictly enforce these ordinances.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here