Parades, fireworks and chances for puffin viewing are all part of the coastal Fourth of July lineup for 2024.

Even with dozens of events up and down the Oregon Coast and on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, local communities are keeping safety and wildlife in mind over Independence Day weekend.

While fireworks displays are planned in Astoria, Seaside, Rockaway Beach, Ilwaco and Long Beach, people who want to avoid fireworks and noise on the holiday altogether have plenty of options.

Cannon Beach is a fireworks-free haven. Because of a city ordinance, the area is a dedicated spot along the coast without fireworks of any kind, including sparklers, according to Sierra Spinler, marketing manager for the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce.

The city is home to elk who wander through downtown, and Haystack Rock is home to tufted puffins and other seabirds. Spinler said the no-fireworks rule helps preserve an area that can be a quiet refuge on the holiday.

“There aren’t many places you can go without fireworks, so it’s cool there’s a place people can come where you can relax,” she said.

Instead, Cannon Beach puts on a downtown Independence Day parade that starts at 11 a.m. on the Fourth.

“It’s really neat to see all the local businesses shut down for the parade and participate,” Spinler said.

At Haystack Rock, spotting scopes will be on the beach daily from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. through the Fourth for Cannon Beach’s Great Puffin Watch, hosted by the Friends of Haystack Rock.

Other Cannon Beach events include a book sale and fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, plus a $5 fill-a-bag sale all day Thursday, and tufted puffin walks starting at 7:30 a.m. daily between Friday and Monday.

Further south in Manzanita, there will be a parade and community contests starting at 1 p.m. on the Fourth. This year, local artist Lori Dillon created the parade poster, which will be on sale at the Manzanita Visitor Center.

Astoria and Warrenton are hosting back-to-back events for the holiday, including a fireworks show on the evening of the Fourth. The show’s location is strategically placed so people can watch from Astoria’s hillside neighborhoods, according to the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber is reminding people that only ground-based fireworks from Oregon-permitted retail stands are allowed.

Warrenton is hosting a parade and community barbecue at 3 p.m. along Main Street on the Fourth. The Liberty Theatre is also putting on a free concert of patriotic music at 7 p.m. Wednesday with the North Coast Symphonic Band.

In Seaside, a downtown parade starts at 1 p.m. from the south end of Necanicum Drive. An elaborate fireworks show over the Pacific Ocean begins at dusk.

When celebrations are over on Friday, volunteers will gather to clean up firework debris along the Warrenton parade route, Astoria Riverwalk and Seaside’s beaches. Chamber staff will be on patrol starting at 8 a.m.

Across the river, residents and visitors to the Long Beach Peninsula have several options to celebrate.

Fireworks are prohibited within the cities of Ilwaco and Long Beach. However, both cities will set off public fireworks displays — on the Fourth in Long Beach and Saturday at the Port of Ilwaco.

Other peninsula events include Ocean Park’s Kid’s Fun Zone at Sheldon Field at 10:30 a.m. on the Fourth, followed by the city’s Old-Fashioned Parade at 1 p.m.

On Friday morning, volunteers with SOLVE Oregon and the Grassroots Garbage Gang will be out on ocean beaches in Clatsop and Pacific counties to clean up firework debris.

Ilwaco will also host a Firecracker 5K at the Port of Ilwaco at 9 a.m. Saturday. Registration is open through the Ilwaco Merchants Association.

Where to see fireworks

Fireworks start at dusk Thursday, approximately 10 p.m., over the Columbia River in Astoria, over the Pacific Ocean in Seaside and Rockaway Beach and near the Bolstad Beach Approach in Long Beach. A fireworks show will also be held at the Port of Ilwaco at dusk Saturday.

See fireworks displays farther south along the Oregon Coast in Lincoln City, Newport, Yachats, Florence, Coos Bay, Bandon, Gold Beach and Brookings.

For more information about legal fireworks in Oregon, visit www.oregon.gov/osfm/pages/fireworks-.aspx#

For Washington state, visit tinyurl.com/WA-Fireworks-FYI