Head to the Waterfront Festival at Pier 39

The time to celebrate our country’s independence is right around the corner. While the day has gone down in history as the day we adopted the Declaration of Independence, thus our independence from Great Britain, we’ve continued to observe it as a national holiday since its inception in 1776. It has become a day that we get together with family and friends to cookout and enjoy some great food before setting off or watching some pretty spectacular fireworks once the sun goes down. If you’d prefer to let someone else do the cooking and aren’t too confident with your own abilities in setting off fireworks without losing a limb, you can always head over to the July 4th Celebration at the Pier.

There will be enough going on to keep people of all ages entertained during this day of fun, food, and fireworks at Pier 39.

Food

You should definitely come with a healthy appetite as there will be so many different dining options to choose from. Whether you’re in the mood for seafood, sweets, or just a tasty adult beverage, there is something for everyone.

For the seafood lover, you pretty much have your choice of a vast majority of the restaurants on the pier: seafood and sushi from Hana Zen, Italian and seafood fusion from Swiss Louis Italian & Seafood Restaurant, and even classic fried fish and clam chowder from Pier Market Seafood Restaurant. It should come as no surprise that there are more seafood restaurants to choose from than the others, seeing as how we are located on the bay. Don’t worry, though. Head over to the world’s only man-made floating island for a delicious dinner at the Forbes Island Restaurant. The unique dining experience comes with unmatched views and incredible food.

We haven’t forgotten about those with a sweet tooth or a desire for an adult beverage, and honestly, the two can pretty much go hand in hand. Snatch up a few cupcakes from Cup & Cake Café or a waffle cone or shaved ice from the Waffle Cone Shop before stopping in for one of the 12 craft beers on tap. If you prefer wine to beer, the Wines of California Wine Bar has you covered.

Amazingly enough, we’ve only mentioned a small fraction of the great places to grab a bite while down at Pier 39 for the 4th of July celebration. So when we say bring a healthy appetite, we mean it!

Fun

Seeing as how this year’s celebration is being brought to you by the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, you can expect a lot of shark related fun for the whole family. You can get pictures taken in the official Shark Week photo booth, visit the Aquarium by the Bay and their Shark Lab, and even a shark selfie scavenger hunt.

There will be live music by the youngest social cause band in the world, WJM, which kicks off the day at 12pm. At 5pm, you’ll be treated to the Bay Area’s best 80’s cover band, Tainted Love.

For something a little bit more exciting, head over to 7D Experience for two incredible activities in one place. DarkRide is a sensory attraction for those that love rollercoasters and interactive challenges that keep you inside where it’s nice and cool. You can also work alone or with a group of friends in the Laser maze Challenge by going up, over, and through different laser beams with the hopes of beating your challengers’ times.

Fireworks

Now for what you’ve all been waiting for! The fireworks! Starting at approximately 9:30, the city of San Francisco will set off an incredible array of stunning fireworks over the San Francisco Bay. There’s nothing better than seeing the twinkling lights of multi-colored fireworks trailing down over the water. It’s certainly a sight to behold and one you definitely shouldn’t miss this year.

The 4th of July Celebration at the PIER is a pretty popular event, so much so that you can almost guarantee that finding a parking spot and fighting traffic may put a damper on your day before you even get there. Keep that from happening by reserving a Bay Area car service in advance. They can drop you off for the festivities and pick you up once the fun is over. If you have had a few drinks throughout the day, everyone will still get home safely and will be able to remember the fun you’ve all had until it’s time to do it again next year!