4th of July in Ventura County 2026

The Fourth of July in Ventura County is spread across three nights this year, and knowing which city lights up when is half the battle. Here is the whole slate for 2026, from the free harbor show in Oxnard to Ojai's ticketed stadium fireworks, plus every parade and daytime celebration worth your morning. For the full interactive list with maps and links, see our Ventura County 4th of July guide.

The fireworks, night by night

The most important thing to sort out first: not every show is on the Fourth. Two of the county's shows go off on Friday, July 3, so if you plan it right you can catch fireworks two nights in a row.

Friday, July 3

Downtown Ventura runs the county's biggest free show on the 3rd, not the 4th. Live music downtown from 7 to 9pm, then fireworks around 9, launched over downtown from the Santa Clara Street parking structure with a synchronized soundtrack on KBBY 95.1 FM. It is part of Ventura's America 250 programming this year. (The old ticketed Ventura College Rotary show is on pause until 2027, so this free downtown show is the one for 2026.)

Moorpark also goes early with its 3rd of July Fireworks Extravaganza at Arroyo Vista Community Park. Gates at 4pm, live music at 5 and 7:30, a flag presentation at 7, fireworks at 9. This one is ticketed ($8 in advance, $10 at the gate, plus $5 parking), and buying ahead saves you money and a headache.

Saturday, July 4

The marquee show is Fireworks by the Sea at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. Fireworks launch over the water around 9pm and are visible from just about anywhere around the harbor. It is a full day down there: an extended farmers market from 11 to 7, an electric boat parade of 50-plus decorated boats, live music, and waterfront dining. Free, and the best all-in-one family option in the county.

Thousand Oaks puts on its Fireworks Spectacular from Fireworks Hill behind the Hillcrest Center for the Arts, with a soundtrack on KHAY 100.7 FM. General viewing is free across the Conejo Valley; premium car passes get you the close-in lot.

Simi Valley pairs its fireworks with an all-day music festival, the Star-Spangled Rock and Country Jam at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park. Gates at 3pm, free general admission, fireworks at 9.

Santa Paula keeps it hometown with its Fireworks Spectacular at the Santa Paula Creek Sports Park. Festivities from 4pm, food trucks and inflatables, fireworks at 9. Free admission and parking.

And Ojai runs the one ticketed hometown show worth planning around, at Nordhoff High School stadium. Gates at 5:30, live music from 6, fireworks at 9:15. Adults $15 at the gate, kids $7, family passes in presale.

Daytime: parades and the small-town Fourth

If you have kids, or you just like your holidays before dark, the morning is where Ventura County shines.

Downtown Ventura's Pushem-Pullem Parade and Street Fair is the classic, now in its 49th year. It is a human-powered parade (bikes, scooters, wagons, no motors) that rolls straight into an all-day street fair on Main Street with a car show, live bands, and food. Free.

In Oxnard, the harbor's morning Family Parade steps off at 10:30 (sign-in at 9:30). Decorate a bike or wagon, march up Harbor Boulevard, then stay for the market and come back for fireworks.

Ojai does the Fourth right: an Independence Day Parade down Ojai Avenue at 10am, preceded by a community pancake breakfast. Both are about as small-town as it gets.

Out in Fillmore, the Sespe Creek Car Show hits its 40th year with classic cars, a chili cook-off, and a cornhole tournament downtown. And at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, the America 250 celebration runs 10am to 5pm with live music, Iwo Jima reenactors, and a noon program featuring a Medal of Honor recipient.

How to do the Fourth without the stress

• Get there early. Every fireworks show has a parking crunch, and the harbor and Ojai are the worst of it. Arrive before dark.
• Know your date. Ventura and Moorpark are July 3. Everyone else is the Fourth. Double-check before you load the car.
• Bring a radio. Ventura syncs to KBBY 95.1 FM and Thousand Oaks to KHAY 100.7 FM. It makes a real difference.
• Free vs. ticketed. Most shows are free. The two that cost money, Ojai and Moorpark, are worth buying ahead for.

The full list, with every address, time, and organizer link in one place, lives in our Ventura County 4th of July guide. Bookmark it and check back, since a couple of the smaller events were still finalizing their 2026 hours as of this writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I watch 4th of July fireworks in Ventura County in 2026?

Ventura County has free July 4 fireworks in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, and Santa Paula, plus a free show in downtown Ventura on July 3 and ticketed shows in Ojai (July 4) and Moorpark (July 3). Most start around 9pm, and the Oxnard harbor show is the biggest waterfront display.

Is there a fireworks show in Ventura on the Fourth of July?

Ventura's free community fireworks show is on Friday, July 3, 2026, not the Fourth, launched from the downtown Santa Clara Street parking structure around 9pm. On July 4 itself, downtown Ventura hosts the daytime Pushem-Pullem Parade and Street Fair.

Which Ventura County 4th of July events are free?

Most of them. The fireworks in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, and Santa Paula are free, as is Ventura's July 3 show and every daytime parade and the Fillmore car show. The ticketed exceptions are Ojai's stadium fireworks ($7 to $40) and Moorpark's July 3 show ($8 to $10 plus parking).

What time do the fireworks start on the 4th of July?

Most Ventura County fireworks shows begin around 9pm, with Ojai's a little later at 9:15. Daytime festivities open much earlier, as early as 3pm in Simi Valley, so arrive well before dark for parking and a good spot.