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Independence Day Weekend Ferris wheel lighting at the Santa Monica Pier

Published on June 23, 2023

The Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel will be lit red, white, and blue on Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4, to Celebrate 4th of July Weekend.

Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America. Independence Day is a day to celebrate the birth of the United States of America; Independence Day is celebrated with parades, fireworks, barbecues, and other festivities. It is a time for families and friends to come together and celebrate the American spirit.

Pacific Park will join other area landmarks in lighting red, white and blue for the weekend and the Pacific Wheel will display a 90ft tall, animated American flag. This special lighting event will take place on the evening of Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4. The Ferris wheel lights can be seen from dusk until 11:35 PM each evening. Enjoy watching the light program online at www.pacpark.com/live.
 

WHAT:
Special Lighting of the Pacific Wheel for Independence Day Weekend 2023

WHEN:
Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4
dusk (around 8 PM) to midnight

WHERE:
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

 

The American Revolution was a political upheaval that took place between 1765 and 1783 during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America. The revolution in the colonies was a result of a number of factors including taxation, restriction on trade from the colonies to other nations and territories, and the King George’s refusal to allow the American colonists to have a say in their own government.

When celebrating holidays, you may fun some of the history fun and surprising.

  • The Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4th. The Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd, 1776. The actual signing of the Declaration took place on August 2nd, 1776.
  • Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. John Hancock and Charles Thompson were the only two people to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. The other 56 delegates signed the Declaration on August 2nd.
  • The average age of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45. The youngest signer was Thomas Lynch, Jr. (27) of South Carolina. The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania.
  • The Declaration of Independence was written on a “laptop.” Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a writing desk that could fit in his lap.
  • Jefferson changed the wording of the Declaration of Independence from “the pursuit of property” to “the pursuit of happiness.” The original wording of the Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equal and have certain unalienable rights, including “the pursuit of property.” Jefferson changed the wording to “the pursuit of happiness” because he believed that happiness was a more important goal than property.
  • John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both signers of the Declaration of Independence, died on July 4, 1826. This was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Adams and Jefferson had both predicted that they would die on this day, and they were both correct.
  • John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both signers of the Declaration of Independence, died on July 4, 1826. This was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Adams and Jefferson had both predicted that they would die on this day, and they were both correct.
  • The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, is depicted holding a torch and a tablet. The tablet has a date engraved upon it, July 4, 1776. This date represents the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
  • The oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States is the 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island which began in 1785. This parade has been held every year since 1785, making it the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
  • The most popular Independence Day food is hot dogs. Americans consume an estimated 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day each year.

Independence Day weekend is a very popular time for visitors and locals to head to the beach and pier in Santa Monica, so if planning a visit on or around 4th of July Weekend, expect higher than average crowds, congestion in the late afternoon on the 10 freeway heading to Santa Monica, and limited parking at the most popular parking garages and beach lots. There are NO fireworks in Santa Monica for 4th of July, but you can see the red, white, and blue lights of the Pacific Wheel which will also feature a 90 foot animation of the American flag.

Pacific Park regularly programs the Ferris wheel to display seasonal programing and themed light designs for holidays and special occasions. The Pacific Wheel’s state-of-the-art lighting package was installed in 2016 and can display over 1.6 million different colors and animate patterns and icons in 24 frames per second. The energy efficient LEDs on the face of the Ferris wheel are powered by solar arrays inside Pacific Park. The light programs are curated and designed by Pacific Park staff. Each design is manually animated; some designs can take hours of programming. The aim is to provide fun, high-energy, and sometimes whimsical designs to entertain guests on the Santa Monica Pier and surrounding beaches.

 

Feature image courtesy of @peonytea88