We bet you already have plans for the July 4th holiday. You’ve created the menu and prepped the grill. You’ll host your annual Independence Day soirée. Perhaps travel to the lake house or rough it in the great outdoors with other campers. Spend the afternoon on water; kayaking, boating or paddleboarding. You’ll top off the holiday with tradition: fireworks. If that’s not the case, and you’re in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee area, here’s what you can find for the whole family!

Beth Weber Arts & Crafts Festival

July 1 to 4

Enjoy the fair along the cobblestone Kings Beach Plaza – just 50 yards from the water – which has been running for more than 30 years. All work and masterpieces created by participating artisans. Shop nearby shops and choose from an array of local restaurants. 10am to 5pm, 530.546.2768 for details or questions. 

Full Moon Rising Party

July 3

Watch the full moon rise over Lake Tahoe at this stunning lakefront location! Drink in the romance while being serenaded by a solo violinist. 5pm to 11pm, reserve your table or choose a bar seating, West Shore Café & Inn. 

Peter Joseph Burtt Live Concert

July 3

Enjoy the spectacular view on the lawn at West Shore Café & Inn with this live performance. A lifelong drummer, Peter Joseph Burtt, attributes his musical influence to time spent in Africa. Much of his music is played on traditional instruments: the lute like Kora, the Mbira, or thumb piano. 2pm to 5pm, free, West Shore Café & Inn. 

Fireworks Show & Deck Party

July 3

Watch the fireworks over Lake Tahoe from the sandy beaches of Kings Beach, CA. Make it an evening by purchasing tickets to North Tahoe Business Association’s Deck Party, and enjoy premium seating, food vendors, live music and a no host bar. 6:30pm, Kings Beach, CA, 530.546.9000 to purchase tickets.

Run to the Beach

July 4

Run to the Beach 5k and 10k starts at the North Tahoe Regional Park.  From the park you have the option of participating in the 5K or 10K trail run, both of which finish on the “big” beach in Kings Beach, CA. 8am, registration cost varies $30-$55, Tahoe Vista, CA.

Firecracker Mile Run

July 4

Start off the 4^th of July with a bang and race the one mile fun run from Tahoe Forest Hospital to Historic Downtown Truckee, through the crowds waiting for the parade to star. Registration opens at 9am, run starts at 10am, $20/adults, $15/children, benefits Auburn Ski Club Nordic Programs, Truckee, CA.

Tahoe City Fourth of July Fireworks

July 4

Celebrate Independence Day at Commons Beach for a spectacular fireworks show! 9:30pm, Tahoe City, CA.

Truckee Fourth of July Fireworks

July 4

Enjoy Independence Day fireworks over Donner Lake from West End Beach. The West End Beach event is just for Truckee Residents and Homeowners, but the public can view the fireworks from anywhere around the lake. Dusk, $6.00/advance entry fee, 530.582.7720, Donner Lake.

Truckee Fourth of July Parade

July 4

Independence Day festive parade traveling 1.5 miles on Donner Pass Road from Truckee High School Track parking lot into Historic Downtown Truckee, 10am to 12pm, $50 parade entry fee, Truckee Chamber of Commerce, Truckee, CA, 530.587.2757.

What’s on the agenda for your July 4th holiday?

In most areas, the June Solstice marks the start to summer. The school year has finally ended, temperatures rise as flowers bloom, lawn sprinklers are out in full effect, and suddenly; the seasons have changed.

That’s not the case in Tahoe. There are years when locals endure snowstorms into late June, perhaps even July. If there were many snow days for local schools, then children study away as June passes by. The air feels different; it should be summer; it should be warm. They why is town still so quiet? The crowds have yet to descend.

And then it happens in a flash. 4th of July weekend — Tahoe comes alive! The grocery stores are packed. Donner Pass Road, Highway 89 and North Lake Tahoe Boulevard become LA thoroughfares. Bumper to bumper traffic of cars, vans, and trucks packed with rafts and bike racks. Aw, summer in Tahoe. You have returned in full force.

Whether you flock here for the premier golfing, or the emerald green waters; to ski Squaw in July or sip a pint at the Auld Dubliner; to hike or boulder; to lounge by the Donner Docks or ride The Tahoe Queen; Tahoe is definitely the place to be for 4th of July. And this year, Squaw Valley is serving up The Ultimate Independence Day Weekend!

Here is a lowdown of what’s lined up at Squaw this weekend, and how to squeeze out every last bit of fun! (Don’t forget to pack your winter gear! You’ll need it for skiing/riding Saturday-Monday).

• How about a stroll through the 4th of July Fine Arts and Crafts Festival, grab a glass of vino at Uncorked, a bite to eat Twenty-Two Bistro and Bar, and round out your evening at the KT Concert Series? Now that’s just Friday.

• Because of the killer winter season, there’s still great snow to be enjoyed. This is the fourth time in Squaw Valley USA’ s history to open for Independence Day. Take a few runs in the morning, and hit up High Camp in the afternoon for a swim, or relax poolside while the DJ spins. You could also check out Gold Coast from 12pm-2pm for some live music – still a chance to kick back.

• Easy like Sunday morning, enjoy brunch in the Village and head over to The Cushing Pond for the 21st Annual Cushing Crossing.  This is the first ever summer pond-skim, opposed to spring, so it should be lots of fun to not shiver in the cold like years past. Also on the docket is Big Head Todd and the Monsters before the big show at 9:15pm.

• Don’t fight the traffic or the crowds, and catch the Squaw Valley Fireworks Show at 9:15pm from anywhere in the Village!  Lounge by the pool at the Lodge and take in the brilliant sight.

We promise you won’t be disappointed at Tahoe’s true start to summer!

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