| | Published July 4th, 2012
| Lamorinda Rocks Independence Day!
| | Cathy Dausman |  | | Photo Ohlen Alexander
|
Three little words: Best day ever! If you live in Lamorinda, there's no place like home on the 4th of July. Prepare to leave your summer doldrums behind, because Lamorinda knows how to celebrate Independence Day.
There is food aplenty, live music, runs for fun and for a cause, parades for canines and humans alike, fireworks, and enough spirit to spill over when you have to go back to work on the 5th.
Festivities begin in Orinda July 3 with a Volunteer Decoration Party, which helps decorate entrants in the July 4 parade. Then, stick around as the Cal Alumni Big Band presents an evening of Big Band Jazz as part of Orinda's Tuesday night Summer Concerts in the Park series.
The fun continues July 4 with a pancake breakfast and flag ceremony, Haley's Run for a Reason, and a special Salute to Veterans during Orinda's 29th 4th of July parade.
The Orinda BART station serves as the parade's staging area, from which it makes its way first toward Theatre Square, then over to the Village. Spectators begin to gather in the area to the south of the Square, along Brookwood Road and down toward Nation's. Once the parade heads back under the freeway, reaching Orinda Way via Santa Maria Way, the crowd grows larger and louder as the parade passes the grandstand by the Orinda Community Center, finally winding down near Camino Sobrante. While it doesn't yield quite the sweet haul of Halloween, basket-bearing youngsters line the streets eager to scoop up the candy that's tossed from many of the floats in time-honored Lamorinda tradition.
Expect street closures to accommodate the parade, which will be followed by activities in the Community Center Park. Details are available at www.orindaassociation.org.
Moraga's got the Spirit of '76 from early morning to after sundown featuring fun runs, food, patriotic pooches strutting their stuff in the ever-popular dog parade, a car show, bike parade, old fashioned kids' games and jumpies, a family magic show, live music and Lamorinda's only fireworks display. The Moraga Commons Park is the place to be!
At 7 p.m. Livin' in the USA takes the stage with their "all hits" patriotic themed format including costumed impersonations from Elvis to The Boss (watch clips at http://tinyurl.com/6q7prkv).
Residents of the Moraga Country Club have front row seats to the fireworks show, but hundreds of Lamorindans view the show from the hillside at the Moraga Commons.
Moraga Way will be closed in the vicinity of the country club for two hours in the evening. View Moraga's full celebration calendar online at http://tinyurl.com/85blwq7.
Lafayette's Plaza Park may be your destination of choice on Friday evenings this summer, but the city is taking July 4th off according to Recreation Supervisor John Warshaw. Jay Lifson, of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, says the city is "working with Orinda and Moraga to promote their events on the 4th." Lafayette residents are encouraged to outsource their 4th of July fun and head to Moraga and Orinda!
Moraga Event Schedule
(Moraga Shopping Center)
8 a.m. Kiddie Runs
8:30 a.m. 5 mile/2 mile run/walk
(Moraga Commons Park)
8 a.m. MYIC Pancake Breakfast
9 a.m. Dog Parade
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Car Show
9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Community Booths
10:30 a.m Bike Parade
10 a.m. - 6p.m. Jumpies
11 a.m. Old Fashioned Kids Games
12:30 p.m. Family Magic Show
7 p.m. Livin' in the USA music
show/impersonations
9:30 p.m. Fireworks!
Street Closure: Fireworks
8:30-10:30 p.m.
Moraga Way bordering the Moraga Country Club, between Hardie Drive and MOFD Station 41.
Orinda Event Schedule
July 3
4-6 p.m. Volunteers' Decoration Party
Community Center Plaza/park
6:30-8:30 p.m. Cal Alumni Big Band Jazz,
Orinda Community Center
Orinda July 4 events (at/near Community Center)
7:30-10 a.m. Pancake Breakfast
7:55 a.m. Flag Ceremony
8 a.m. Fun Runs (http://angelhaley.org)
10 a.m. Parade
10:30 - 1:30 p.m. Park Activities, Orinda
Community Center Park
Street Closures: 4th of July Parade
Approximately 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Westbound Highway 24 on-ramp: closed (east side of Camino Pablo)
- One northbound lane of Camino Pablo will
remain open.
- Southbound lanes of Camino Pablo with the
on/off ramps on southbound side of the
street also remain open.
Moraga Way closed from Wells Fargo Bank to
the Davis Road intersection
Santa Maria and Orinda Way between Santa
Maria and Camino Sobrante will close.
Highway 24 on and off ramp access: use St.
Stephens Drive.
|
 | | Photo Ohlen Alexander
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA