---
title: "Surf City Throws Its 122nd Fourth of July Parade"
description: "Huntington Beach stages its 122nd annual Fourth of July parade this Independence Day, the centerpiece of a daylong Surf City celebration that organizers bill as the largest July 4 parade west of the Mississippi. A crowd in the hundreds of thousands is expected to line Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street, capped by fireworks over the pier."
category: "Los Angeles"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/los-angeles
author: "Desmond Clarke"
published: 2026-07-03T21:38:25.000Z
updated: 2026-07-03T21:38:25.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/surf-city-throws-its-122nd-fourth-of-july-parade
tags: ["Huntington Beach", "Fourth of July", "Orange County", "parade", "Surf City"]
---
# Surf City Throws Its 122nd Fourth of July Parade

Huntington Beach stages its 122nd annual Fourth of July parade this Independence Day, the centerpiece of a daylong Surf City celebration that organizers bill as the largest July 4 parade west of the Mississippi. A crowd in the hundreds of thousands is expected to line Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street, capped by fireworks over the pier.

Few places do the Fourth quite like Surf City, where the flag-waving is bracketed by the Pacific and, by nightfall, a fireworks show over the pier.

## A 122-year tradition

Huntington Beach holds its 122nd annual Independence Day parade this Fourth of July, [ABC7 reported](https://abc7.com/post/huntington-beach-celebrates-fourth-july-122nd-annual-independence-day-parade-watch-live/19442898/) — a run that organizers trace back to 1904 and promote as the largest Fourth of July parade west of the Mississippi River. The [HB 4th of July Board](https://www.hb4thofjuly.org/parade) says the roughly two-hour procession steps off at 10 a.m. and travels a route along Pacific Coast Highway and up Main Street, past the pier and through downtown.

This year's grand marshal is the radio host Tim Conway Jr. More than 150 entries are set to march — marching bands, veterans and public-safety units, civic groups and floats — in what amounts to a moving snapshot of the city.

## A crowd, and a caveat

Organizers say the parade draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands, a scale that makes for a festive but packed day. Reserved seats are sold along the route for those who want a guaranteed spot, while free viewing areas fill early; longtime residents stake out curbside positions well ahead of the start. Anyone heading down should plan for road closures, limited parking and long walks from wherever they leave the car.

## More than the parade

The parade is the anchor of a full slate. A festival runs at the pier through the afternoon and into the evening, and the day closes with fireworks launched over the water at about 9 p.m. — the image that tends to define the holiday here. For a beach town that grew up around its pier, the Fourth is less a single event than the year's biggest block party, and the 122nd edition is built to keep the streak going.

A note for spectators: it is high summer at the coast, so bring water, sunscreen and shade, and keep an eye on children and older relatives during the hottest stretch of the day.

## Sources

- [Huntington Beach celebrates Fourth of July with 122nd annual Independence Day parade](https://abc7.com/post/huntington-beach-celebrates-fourth-july-122nd-annual-independence-day-parade-watch-live/19442898/)
- [Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade](https://www.hb4thofjuly.org/parade)