South Bay Today
Saturday, July 4, 2026
☀️ partly cloudy · high 84°, low 55°
Happy Fourth. It's 84 and sunny with zero chance of rain, about the best hand the sky could deal for a day that ends in fireworks. The morning belongs to parades (the Rose, White & Blue in San Jose at 11 and the Los Altos Hills march at 9:30), and after dark you have your pick of fireworks at Shoreline, Mission College, and Cupertino, plus a drone show over Lake Cunningham.
Today's field guide
A Fourth of July across the valley
Start slow with coffee and pastries in Saratoga, then point yourself at Sunnyvale's Murphy Avenue for live music and Ferris wheel rides as the town marks the 250th. Pho in Los Altos resets the afternoon, and if you want something offbeat there's a musicians' meetup in Mountain View built entirely around one Pink Floyd song. Caribbean food and cocktails in Palo Alto lead into fireworks at Mission College.
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Breakfast
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Breakfast · Saratoga
Saratoga cafe for coffee, pastries, and cafe bites on Big Basin Wy.
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Morning
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10:00 AM · Murphy Avenue · Sunnyvale
Hear live music, ride the Ferris wheel and amusement rides, and celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
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Lunch
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Lunch · Los Altos · $15–30/person
Los Altos Vietnamese restaurant for pho, banh mi, and rice plates on State St.
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Afternoon
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3:00 PM · Bay Area Musicians Meetup · Mountain View
Jam with local musicians at a meetup focused on Pink Floyd's song Money.
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Dinner
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Dinner · Palo Alto · $15–30/person
A lively spot for Caribbean classic dishes, cocktails, outdoor seating & live music.
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Evening
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9:40 PM · Mission College · Santa Clara
Watch a professional fireworks display at Mission College.
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Tonight's pick
San José Independence Day Celebration with Drone Show
6:00 PM · Lake Cunningham Park · San Jose
Lake Cunningham Park stacks water slides, live mariachi, and lucha libre into the afternoon, then hands the sky over to a drone show at 9. It's a full evening, not just a fireworks cameo.
Event details →
Also on the calendar
A spread of Fourth of July options: two morning parades, the SF Symphony at Shoreline, a free lawn concert in Cupertino, a nature open house for families, and fireworks after the Giants game. Open the full calendar →
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9:30 AM · Los Altos Hills · Los Altos
Line the street and watch floats, marching bands, and community groups parade through Los Altos Hills.
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10:30 AM · Memorial Park Amphitheater · Cupertino · Free
Bring a blanket and catch live music spanning classic rock, Latin, blues, and R&B on the lawn.
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11:00 AM · McClellan Ranch Preserve · Cupertino · Free
Meet animal ambassadors, learn about local wildlife, and do hands-on activities with park rangers.
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11:00 AM · San Jose
Watch the free Fourth of July parade and enjoy the festival that follows in San Jose.
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7:00 PM · Shoreline Amphitheatre · Mountain View
Listen to the San Francisco Symphony perform the hits that defined summer 1969.
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9:00 PM · Excite Ballpark · San Jose
Watch fireworks light up the sky after the San Jose Giants game.
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Newly opened
Hono, a Japanese ramen and noodle counter, opened in Campbell at the end of June.
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Hono — 33 S Central Ave, Campbell
Opened 5 days ago
Japanese ramen and noodle concept in Campbell.
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What locals are talking about
From an all-day World Cup watch party at Almaden Lake to the long lines at Ramen Nagi and the eternal San Jose versus San Francisco debate, here's what the neighbors are into.
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All-day World Cup watch party at Almaden Lake with food trucks, live music, and sunshine.
r/SanJose
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Ramen Nagi at Valley Fair draws long lines and positive reviews.
r/SanJose
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Discussion about why San Jose lacks same recognition as San Francisco.
r/SanJose
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New resident asking for recommendations on affordable furniture shopping.
r/SanJose
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Thanks for letting us into your morning ☀️
If you spot something we missed — a new restaurant, a great event, a story worth telling — just hit reply. We read everything.
— Stephen 👋
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