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Colorful Fourth of July fireworks bursting over a harbor full of boats on the California coast
Independence Day Guide · Saturday, July 4, 2026

4th of July in
Ventura County.

Every fireworks show, parade, and celebration across the county for 2026, from the Oxnard harbor to Ojai's stadium, with times, locations, and which shows are free. This year's the nation's 250th, and the county is going all out.

Fireworks ShowsParades & DaytimeFAQ

The Fourth of July is the county at its best: warm nights, the ocean close by, and a fireworks show or a hometown parade within a short drive of wherever you live. The one thing to know up front: the shows are spread across three nights. A few cities light up on Friday, July 3, and the rest go off on the Fourth itself.

Below is every 2026 celebration I could confirm, organized into fireworks shows and daytime parades and events, with times, spots, and which ones cost money. Most are free. When you're done here, our full events calendar has everything else happening that weekend, and the guides hub has more seasonal roundups like this one. Pick a show, plan your parking, and get there early.

Where to see the fireworks

Fireworks Shows

Seven shows across the county, roughly west to east. Note the dates: Ventura and Moorpark go off on Friday, July 3; everything else lights up on the Fourth. Nearly all start around 9 PM.

Downtown Ventura Fireworks
Fireworks over a coastal city and harbor at nightFriday, July 3

Downtown Ventura Fireworks

Ventura
Fri, July 3 · Live music 7 PM, fireworks ~9 PM
Free

Ventura's big free show goes off the night before the Fourth. Live music downtown from 7–9 PM, then fireworks around 9, launched over downtown from the Santa Clara Street parking structure. Tune your radio to KBBY 95.1 FM for the synchronized soundtrack. It's part of the city's America 250 celebration this year. (Note: the old ticketed Ventura College Rotary show is on pause until 2027, so this free downtown show is the one for 2026.)

Downtown Ventura (launched from the Santa Clara St. parking structure)

Details & organizer
Fireworks by the Sea, Channel Islands Harbor
Fireworks reflecting on calm harbor water on the Fourth of JulyOver the water

Fireworks by the Sea, Channel Islands Harbor

Oxnard
Sat, July 4 · Fireworks ~9 PM
Free

The county's marquee waterfront show. Fireworks launch over the water east of Victoria Avenue around 9 PM and are visible from nearly anywhere around the harbor. Make a day of it: an extended farmers market runs 11 AM–7 PM, 50+ decorated boats cruise the Electric Boat Parade, and there's live music and waterfront dining all afternoon. Parking fills early, so get there before dark.

Channel Islands Harbor, Harbor Blvd, Oxnard

Details & organizer
4th of July Fireworks Spectacular
Fireworks lighting up the night sky over a town

4th of July Fireworks Spectacular

Thousand Oaks
Sat, July 4 · Fireworks ~9 PM
Free (premium car passes available)

The Conejo Recreation & Park District's big show, launched from "Fireworks Hill" behind the Hillcrest Center for the Arts. General viewing across the Conejo Valley is free; premium car passes get you into the close-in lot. The patriotic soundtrack is simulcast on KHAY 100.7 FM. It caps a full day of CRPD family activities: pancake breakfasts, home run derbies, and a free evening Concert in the Park.

Hillcrest Center for the Arts, 403 W. Hillcrest Dr, Thousand Oaks

Details & organizer
Star-Spangled Rock & Country Jam + Fireworks
Colorful fireworks bursting in the night skyLive music

Star-Spangled Rock & Country Jam + Fireworks

Simi Valley
Sat, July 4 · Gates 3 PM, fireworks ~9 PM
Free (VIP available)

The Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley throws an all-day music festival at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park: live rock and country on stage, food vendors, a kids' Fun Zone, a silent auction, and a beer and wine garden, all building to fireworks at 9. General admission is free; VIP tickets add BBQ, drinks, and reserved viewing.

Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, 5005 E. Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley

Details & organizer
Santa Paula Fireworks Spectacular
Aerial view of fireworks over a small town at night

Santa Paula Fireworks Spectacular

Santa Paula
Sat, July 4 · Festivities 4 PM, fireworks ~9 PM
Free (parking opens 2 PM)

Small-town charm with a full evening behind it. Live music at the amphitheater, food trucks, face painting, lawn games, and inflatable jumpers at the Santa Paula Creek Sports Park, then fireworks at 9. Admission and parking are free (lots open at 2 PM). No drones, alcohol, or personal fireworks, and expect a slow crawl out afterward.

Santa Paula Creek Sports Park, 301 Harvest Loop, Santa Paula

Details & organizer
Ojai 4th of July Fireworks at Nordhoff
Fireworks over a stadium and hills at nightTicketed

Ojai 4th of July Fireworks at Nordhoff

Ojai
Sat, July 4 · Gates 5:30 PM, fireworks 9:15 PM
Ticketed ($7–$40)

Ojai's beloved stadium show, run by an all-volunteer committee. Gates open at 5:30, live music from 6, then fireworks at 9:15 over Nordhoff High. This is the one ticketed hometown fireworks show worth planning for: adults $15 at the gate, kids $7, family passes ($30–$40) in presale. Gates close at 9, so don't cut it close. Pair it with the free downtown parade and pancake breakfast that morning.

Nordhoff High School Stadium, 1401 Maricopa Hwy, Ojai

Details & organizer
3rd of July Fireworks Extravaganza
Bright fireworks bursting against a dark night skyFriday, July 3

3rd of July Fireworks Extravaganza

Moorpark
Fri, July 3 · Gates 4 PM, fireworks 9 PM
$8 advance / $10 gate (+$5 parking)

Moorpark gets a jump on the holiday with its 40th-anniversary show at Arroyo Vista Community Park. Gates at 4, live music at 5 and 7:30, a flag presentation at 7, and fireworks at 9. Buy admission and parking in advance, since it's cheaper and smoother. No pets, alcohol, BBQs, or drones. A great option if you want fireworks Friday and a relaxed Fourth.

Arroyo Vista Community Park, 4550 Tierra Rejada Rd, Moorpark

Details & organizer

Before the sun goes down

Parades & Daytime Celebrations

Parades, a classic car show, a pancake breakfast, and an America 250 celebration with real history behind it. Most of these run in the morning or early afternoon, so you can pair one with a fireworks show at night.

Pushem-Pullem Parade & 4th of July Street Fair
A festive Fourth of July street parade with floats and a crowd of spectators49th year

Pushem-Pullem Parade & 4th of July Street Fair

Ventura
Sat, July 4 · Parade 10 AM, fair 10 AM–4 PM
Free

Downtown Ventura's signature daytime tradition, now in its 49th year. The Pushem-Pullem is a human-powered parade (bikes, scooters, strollers, wagons, no motors allowed) presented by the Rotary Club of East Ventura. It rolls straight into an all-day street fair on Main Street with arts and crafts, a car show, live bands, and food. Family-perfect, walkable, and completely free.

Main Street, Downtown Ventura

Details & organizer
4th of July Family Parade
Two children waving small American flags outdoors on the Fourth of July

4th of July Family Parade

Oxnard
Sat, July 4 · Parade 10:30 AM (sign-in 9:30)
Free

The morning kickoff to the harbor's big day. Decorate a bike, scooter, wagon, stroller, or the family dog in red-white-and-blue and join the march up Harbor Boulevard from Albacore Way to Marine Emporium Landing. Free to join, and sign-in starts at 9:30. Stick around for the farmers market, and come back at night for Fireworks by the Sea.

Channel Islands Harbor (start: Harbor Blvd & Albacore Way), Oxnard

Details & organizer
Ojai Independence Day Parade
Riders on horseback carrying an American flag in a small-town Independence Day parade

Ojai Independence Day Parade

Ojai
Sat, July 4 · 10 AM
Free

A true small-town parade down Ojai Avenue, run by an all-volunteer committee. Horses, classic cars, floats, and plenty of local color under the oaks. Free to watch, and about as quintessentially Ojai as the Fourth gets. It's the daytime half of the celebration; the ticketed Nordhoff fireworks close out the night.

Ojai Avenue (Country Club Dr to Park Rd), Ojai

Details & organizer
Sespe Creek 4th of July Car Show & Chili Cook-Off
Vintage classic cars on display at an outdoor car show with palm trees behind them40th year

Sespe Creek 4th of July Car Show & Chili Cook-Off

Fillmore
Sat, July 4 · Daytime (around 9 AM–4 PM)
Free to browse

Downtown Fillmore's 40th-annual classic car show, with a chili cook-off, a cornhole tournament, live bands, and food and retail vendors. Laid-back, sun-soaked, and small-town to the core, one of the most under-the-radar good times of the county's Fourth. Free to walk through. (Exact 2026 hours weren't posted as of this writing, so check the organizer before you drive out.)

Downtown Fillmore

Details & organizer
Ojai 4th of July Pancake Breakfast
A tall stack of pancakes at a community breakfast

Ojai 4th of July Pancake Breakfast

Ojai
Sat, July 4 · Morning, before the parade
Low-cost fundraiser

Start the Fourth the old-fashioned way, with a community pancake breakfast before the parade steps off. It's a fundraiser tradition that pairs perfectly with a slow morning in Ojai: eat, then grab a curb spot on Ojai Avenue for the 10 AM parade. Simple, cheap, and exactly the point of a hometown holiday.

Downtown Ojai

Details & organizer
4th of July Celebration at the Reagan Library
A veteran in uniform among American flags at a patriotic Fourth of July gatheringAmerica 250

4th of July Celebration at the Reagan Library

Simi Valley
Sat, July 4 · 10 AM–5 PM
Free outdoors (museum admission separate)

A daytime celebration with real gravitas. Live music from the LA Sheriff's Department Band, Iwo Jima reenactors, presidential impersonators, face painting, crafts, and games, plus a special noon "America 250" program with a Medal of Honor recipient. Outdoor festivities are free; museum admission is separate if you want to see the exhibits. A meaningful, kid-friendly way to mark the nation's 250th.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 40 Presidential Dr, Simi Valley

Details & organizer

Good to know

4th of July in Ventura County: FAQ

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

Ventura County has free July 4 fireworks in Oxnard (Channel Islands Harbor), 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 9 PM. The Oxnard harbor show is the county's biggest waterfront display.

Is there a fireworks show in Ventura on the 4th 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 at about 9 PM, with a KBBY 95.1 FM soundtrack. On July 4 itself, downtown Ventura hosts the daytime Pushem-Pullem Parade and Street Fair. The old ticketed Ventura College Rotary show is paused until 2027.

Which Ventura County 4th of July events are free?

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

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

Most Ventura County fireworks shows begin around 9:00 PM, with Ojai's a little later at 9:15 PM. Daytime festivities and gates open much earlier, as early as 3 PM in Simi Valley and 4 PM in Santa Paula and Moorpark, so arrive well ahead of dark for parking and a good spot.

What's the best 4th of July event for families in Ventura County?

The Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard is the top family pick: a morning decorate-your-bike parade, an all-day farmers market, an electric boat parade, and free fireworks over the water at night, all in one place. Ojai's morning parade and pancake breakfast and Ventura's Pushem-Pullem Parade are also wonderfully family-friendly and free.

From the founder

Thinking about buying or selling in Ventura County?

I'm Jason Walters, a Ventura County realtor with the Walters Group and founder of Ventura County Local. I put guides like this together because I use them with my own family. If you're thinking about a move in Ventura County, want a neighborhood read, or just have a no-pressure question, I'm easy to reach.

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Event photos are representative stock imagery via Pexels, not photographs of the specific 2026 events. Always confirm dates and times with the organizer before you go.