Fireworks extravaganzas at dusk, live music, the smoky aroma of barbecue and a lot of wine and beer can only mean one thing: San Luis Obispo is gearing up for another activity-filled Fourth of July.
“I plan to relax, hang out with friends and enjoy my day off,” said psychology sophomore Shauna Shea. “I’m going to Shell Beach with friends during the day. I’ve heard of a lot going on so it should be a fun celebration.”
Pismo Beach, Cayucos, Paso Robles and Morro Bay will all be having Fourth of July celebrations.
As for the planned festivities, Pismo Beach will be celebrating with free live music and food on the pier during the day and a fireworks show over the water at dusk.
“It’s a traditional Fourth of July event where families come together and enjoy the day, all culminating with the fireworks show at night,” said Rebecca McMurry, CEO of the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Fireworks’ worst enemy, fog, is a deterrent for some SLO residents trying to figure out how to spend their fourth.
“I went two years ago and it was like a war zone. It was really foggy and there were explosions everywhere,” said microbiology senior Sophie Basecke.
Clear skies or fog, the fireworks show will start at 9 p.m.
According to McMurry, there has only been one year out of the nine that she’s worked for the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce in which the fog was so dense that you couldn’t see the fireworks.
People looking to secure a front row seat at the fireworks display should plan on arriving early, as thousands of people are expected to attend.
“As far as your eye can see, in every direction, north, south, east, west, there are people covering the beach,” McMurry said.
Cayucos will be ringing in the fourth with a free sand sculpture contest, parade, barbecue and fireworks display from the pier.
“It’s kind of like, ‘What happens in Cayucos, stays in Cayucos.’ There are all sorts of quirky little things, wall to wall people and it really has that hometown America feel,” said Susan Estes, a public relations representative for the Cayucos Chamber of Commerce.
Meridian Vineyards will be holding a celebration in Paso Robles, which includes live music, food and beverages, ice cream, wine and beer for an extra fee and a fireworks display over the vineyard at dusk. Tickets for this event are available at the SLO Chamber of Commerce.
“This event has been going on for twelve years and every year it sells out. There is always a mix of people, families, locals, people from the Bay Area, Los Angeles, all over. Last year, there were over 1,000 people and we expect the same this year,” said Erin Okamoto, Merchandise Coordinator at Meridian Vineyards.
Morro Bay will also be holding their annual Fourth of July Chamber of Commerce Celebration, which includes free carnival games, sack races, egg-spoon races (racing with an egg balanced on a spoon), tug-of-war, and a laser show starting at 9 p.m.
The laser show is something unique to Morro Bay, which actually looks better with fog, saves the city funds, and lessens environmental impact, including the potential for wildfire and harmful effects on wildlife, according to the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce Web site.
While many people in the SLO county might find live music, parades, and firework displays a perfect way to spend their day, many Cal Poly students instead grab a six-pack and head straight for the beach.
“I hear Shell Beach is poppin.’ I went last year and there were a lot of people. I like everything about it, the whole scene there,” said environmental engineering freshman Mason Sloan.
Unlike the beach areas, downtown San Luis Obispo is not expected to be a high volume party spot.
“San Luis generally slows down on the fourth because the big areas are Pismo Beach and Cayucos with the fireworks displays. We monitor the bars just as we would any other Friday or Saturday night,” said Sgt. John Bledsoe of the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
The Pismo Beach Police Department anticipates that many partygoers will spend the day at Pismo Beach or Shell Beach. The entire Pismo Beach Police Department will be working on the 4th, in addition to outside agencies providing extra patrol cars, motorcycles, and bikes to monitor popular celebration spots, according to Cmdr. Mark Miller of the Pismo Beach Police Department.
All 14 branches of police enforcement in the county enforce a zero-tolerance policy for drunk driving and drinking in public year-round, but monitor the streets extra carefully by increasing patrol units on big holidays, such as the Fourth of July. If pulled over with a blood alcohol level of .08 or above, the driver will be found guilty of impaired driving and face legal consequences. Severe penalties will also be applied to having an open container of alcohol in public.
Throughout the county, “safe and sane” fireworks (meaning they don’t fly or explode) are allowed only on one’s personal property, such as in a private back yard. All non-safe and non-sane fireworks are prohibited on all public property throughout the county, which includes the beaches.
The Morro Bay Police Department will also be bringing in extra police force, including four extra bicycle patrol teams and an additional dispatch unit.
“To prepare for this event we put together a joint operation plan with the fire department. We also have a traffic plan to facilitate the movement of people away from the waterfront as safely and quickly as possible after the fireworks are over,” said Cmdr. Tim Olivas of the Morro Bay Police Department.
Unlike Pismo and Shell Beach, Morro Bay has never had problems with drinking in public, drunk driving or illegal fireworks displays on the Fourth of July.
“It’s more of a family-oriented event. There is no alcohol at the event and there is not even a fireworks display. There is a laser show instead,” Olivas said.