4TH OF JULY @ Berkeley Marina
Wednesday, July 4th, 2012, noon-10pm
The 4th of July is a great day to have a lot of fun. The biggest party is at the Berkeley Marina from noon-10PM. There’s all kinds of free fun! Adventure Playground, always a favorite, is open 11am-8pm. Get your face painted, try the giant slide, or splash in the water at the beach!
There’s live entertainment from noon until 9:30PM on the main stage including Downtown Rhythm, Lee Waterman & Jazz Caliente, The Hipwader’s Children’s Music, Tin Sandwich Harmonica Trio, The Ian Franklin Band, Foxtails Brigaide, & Steel Pans. Tucked around the marina are Afro Cuban Rumba Drumming, Circus Art performers, and on The Buddy Club Stage in Shorebird Park you’ll find jugglers and magicians. There’s art & crafts, yummy food, massages, free dragon boat rowing from 2-6pm, pony rides, a dunk tank, and much more including the grand fireworks off the end of the Berkeley Pier at 9:30pm.
Let’s hear it for the red, white, and blue…but keep it green, too. The party shouldn’t leave the environment trashed. If you can, bring your own dishes -- Frisbees double as plates! A bandana is your cloth napkin to use at all of the international food booths. With water stations located around the event, you can refill your own reusable bottle and keep a lot of plastic out of the landfill. Be sure to use the recycling stations located throughout the marina for your disposables.
Free admission. Alcohol-free event. No cars after 7pm.
Getting There:
CARS: There is plenty of free parking in the Marina, noon-11PM. However, the roads close 7-10:30PM (and the Police have the option to close them earlier if the lots are 100% full) so you can't get in or out between those hours. Come in earlier! After the fireworks, and after all of the pedestrians have left the Marina, the road opens to vehicles (around 10:30PM) when you may drive out.
BUS: AC Transit runs on a slow 51B Sunday schedule from Downtown Berkeley BART right into the Marina. At the end of the event, however, you have to walk, with the rest of the crowd, out to 6th and University Ave. near Spenger's to pick up a bus back to BART. Unfortunately, we do not have an event shuttles.
BICYCLES: Free valet bicycle parking. Ride your bicycle over the Berkeley overpass and Richmond Spokes will valet park it for you in the lot near Adventure Playground from noon-10PM. But be sure to pick it up by then!
Dogs are OK on a leash.
Sponsored by the City of Berkeley. 
Produced by Another Bullwinkel Show
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