Fourth of July Parade, Festival & Fireworks

Pancakes and a 5k on Todos Santos Plaza

At eight o’clock on the morning of the Fourth, the Rotary Club serves a pancake breakfast on Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord, and the Stars & Stripes Kids Fun Run starts from the same plaza. At 8:15 the Stars & Stripes 5k Run & Walk follows. In 2026 the holiday fell on a Saturday, in the middle of a three-day weekend, and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. A week ahead, the organizers posted a forecast of 83 degrees and sun and told people to “dust off your lawn chairs.” The day runs in two parts. The morning belongs to downtown, and the afternoon and night belong to Mt. Diablo High School at 2450 Grant Street.

The parade route from Grant Street

The Independence Day Parade steps off at ten. The 2026 parade was billed as the 34th annual. It starts at Mt. Diablo High School on Grant Street, goes south to Willow Pass Road, and turns right to wrap around Todos Santos Plaza. It then turns right onto Mount Diablo Street and returns to the rear entrance of the high school at Galindo Street. The parade page lists classic cars, floats, dance troupes, local businesses, community organizations, and the Blue Devils Marching Band. After the 2026 parade the committee thanked the band under the name Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps, for bringing “world-class talent” to the route. Entries must be family friendly. The committee states that the parade “may not be used as a platform for any political campaigns or special interest,” and it reserves the right to reject any entry. Spectators are asked to “cheer loudly for your favorite entries.” For those away from the curb, live coverage begins at ten as well.

Lawn chairs at Mt. Diablo High School

At four in the afternoon the gates open at the high school for what the organizers call “Concord’s Hometown Picnic.” Admission is free. The gates do not open early, so no one can claim a place on the grass before then. Security checks bags at entry. The festival is alcohol free, smoking is not allowed anywhere on the grounds, and dogs are not permitted, though service animals are welcome. The committee suggests blankets and lawn chairs.

Inside the gates are food and vendor booths, exhibits by local artists, and the Stars & Stripes Kids Carnival Midway. Volunteers work the midway in shifts. Many are students and families, and they run the kids’ games and hand out prizes.

The stage opens at 5:30. In 2026 the opening act was Brooks Lundy, billed as a hometown favorite. At 7:30 the stage passed to 3day Weekend, a ten-piece band with three singers, a horn section, and a full rhythm section. Its set list draws on Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Earth Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, Ike and Tina, and Stevie Wonder. The festival page, Visit Concord, and the committee’s own posts set the fireworks at 9:15. The schedule on the committee’s home page listed 9:00. The 2026 festival was counted as the 13th annual.

The Arts Foundation and the 2026 marshals

The whole day is presented by the Todos Santos Business Association Arts Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3). The parade page states that the parade is a production of the foundation and “is not an event of the City of Concord.” Patch’s 2026 holiday guide called the day the City of Concord’s signature Independence Day celebration. The festival page names the city as a partner, along with Visit Concord and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, whose high school hosts both the start of the parade and the evening program.

The foundation was organized to promote arts and culture “with the emphasis on participation.” Its charter commits it to “large-scale participatory events,” which it says, “when artistically inspired, can play a major role in the resurrection and rejuvenation of the City’s spirit, economy and the life of its people.” The same charter promises a venue for the exhibition of local community artists. After the 2026 celebration, the committee credited Tim McGallian, Michelle McGallian, and their team with “countless hours of dedication” in putting the day together. Marathon Petroleum was the 2026 title sponsor.

The 2026 parade carried the theme “Celebrating America 250 & California 175,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 175th of California. The parade page promised “patriotic displays, historical tributes, and creative expressions of local pride.” On June 27 the committee announced its grand marshals, the Rosie the Riveters. On the evening of the Fourth it thanked them for “bringing history to life” at the head of the parade.

That night the fireworks went up over Concord. The next morning the committee posted: “Until next year, Concord… thanks for celebrating with us!”