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Fireworks: what to know

Anaheim is taking a tougher stance on illegal fireworks this year.

You'll see stepped up patrols, on the ground and in the air, confiscation of illegal fireworks, citations for lighting illegal fireworks and for property owners who knowingly allow illegal fireworks on their properties.

With fines up to $3,000, it's not worth it. We'll be using drones and helicopters, and you could end up with an unexpected costly fine in the days after the Fourth for documented violations at a home or other property.

Anaheim Police is also investigating the sale of illegal fireworks with two June arrests and the confiscation of more than 1,800 pounds of dangerous fireworks.

Only what are known as Safe and Sane fireworks are allowed in Anaheim and only on July 4 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (see below for a rundown of legal and illegal fireworks).

There are no fireworks allowed anytime in east Anaheim south of the 91 Freeway and east of the 55 Freeway because of high wildfire risk.

Fireworks stands are open now through Saturday, July 4.

Each year, eight Anaheim-based nonprofits and eight high schools sell Safe and Sane fireworks — the only fireworks allowed in Anaheim. These stands help them raise money for community programs throughout the year.

The stands are open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the last day of sales on July 4 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Below is a map of fireworks stands. Click here for an enlarged map.

Do the Fourth right: fines, reporting fireworks

As we gear up for a fun Fourth of July, we’re reminding everyone to celebrate responsibly.

Illegal fireworks are never allowed in Anaheim.

The only fireworks allowed in Anaheim are Safe and Sane, and they're only allowed on Fourth of July.

Safe and Sane fireworks

• fountains
• sparklers
• smoke balls

Illegal fireworks

• M-80s
• bottle rockets
• mortars
• Anything that goes in the air or explodes

City enforcement teams are patroling on and around Fourth of July, especially in neighborhoods with a history of illegal fireworks.

Teams are led by Anaheim Police with Code Enforcement, Anaheim Fire & Rescue and Park Rangers.

We are patroling to catch offenders in the act and to make our presence known to deter illegal use.

We're also dispatching drones and helicopters to reports of illegal fireworks.

Evidence will be documented by air with citations by mail to properties knowingly allowing illegal fireworks.

We know how disruptive and dangerous illegal fireworks can be, and their use can bring serious fines.

Illegal fireworks

• First offense: $1,000
• Second offense: $2,000
• Third offense: $3,000

Misuse of Safe and Sane fireworks

• First offense: $250
• Second offense: $500
• Third offense: $1,000

If you see illegal fireworks actively being lit, call Anaheim Police at 714-765-1900 with a detailed description, address or close location and any other details.

Frustrating, we know, but Fourth of July typically sees about 2,000 overall police calls with about 300 for fireworks.

We appreciate your patience as officers prioritize the most serious calls and threats to safety.

If you're just hearing fireworks and not seeing who's doing them, help us by reporting illegal fireworks use at Anaheim.net/reportfireworks.

Unfortunately, general calls about hearing fireworks in your neighborhood do not result in effective citations.

We use general online reports to inform our patrols leading up to, during and after the Fourth of July this year and beyond.

Please note information submitted on the website will not generate a call for police or fire service.

For urgent fireworks issues, call Anaheim Police at 714-765-1900. As always, If you see an emergency situation with serious risk to people and property, call 911.

Join us for an Anaheim tradition celebrating our nation's birthday at our annual Anaheim Fourth of July Celebration on Saturday, July 4.

Events are at Canyon High School and Peralta Canyon Park in Anaheim Hills.

It's a day of great fun for everyone, with all invited. If not attending, you'll want to take note of road impacts and plan accordingly.

Firecracker 5K/10K

The Firecracker 5K/10K run and walk starts at 7 a.m. with check-in starting at 5 a.m.

Sold out: please note the run and walk is sold out with no additional registrations available. Thanks to all who signed up.

The route is from Canyon High just east of Imperial Highway and along Santa Ana Canyon Road to Anaheim Hills Festival shopping center (see map below).

The 5K route goes just past El Rancho Charter School at Martin Road and to Anaheim Hills Festival for the 10K before looping back to finish at the Canyon High track.

Parking is at Canyon High.

Road closures for the run start at 6 a.m. and begin clearing around 8:30 a.m. with most clear by 9 a.m.

See map below or an enlarged version here.

Santa Ana Canyon Road eastbound lanes close from Imperial Highway to Monte Vista Road at Anaheim Hills Festival Center during the run.

Westbound Santa Ana Canyon lanes remain open during the run. We urge driving carefully through the area.

For runners, results will be available online later on Saturday, July 4, at Anaheim.net/fourthofjuly.

Medals will be handed out at the finish line.

Yankee Doodle Dog Show

The Yankee Doodle Dog Show is a crowd favorite that starts at 9 a.m. at Canyon High.

The patriotic dog costume contest features awards for small, medium and large dogs as well as the Yankee Doodle Dog award for the most patriotic pup!

It's always fun to see our furry friends bringing their looks and best tricks!

Dog show registration starts at 8:15 a.m. with event day registration available. Register beforehand at Anaheim.net/fourthofjuly.

Fourth of July parade

The Fourth of July parade begins at 1 p.m. at Canyon High with marchers, vehicles and dignitaries.

It starts at Imperial Highway and goes along Santa Ana Canyon to Fairmont Boulevard.

Parade road closures start at 10:30 a.m. and run through 2:30 p.m.

A full closure of Santa Ana Canyon, east and westbound lanes on both sides of the street, will be in place from Imperial to Fairmont Boulevard during the parade.

You'll want to plan ahead. 

Music, food and fireworks

Music and food at Peralta Canyon Park start at 3 p.m. ahead of fireworks at 9 p.m.

Santa Ana Canyon near Peralta Canyon Park sees closures starting at 3 p.m. and reopens by 10 p.m.

Closures are along Santa Ana Canyon from Lakeview Avenue to Pinney Drive/Royal Oak Road.

Watch for signs, traffic control assistants and Community Services staff for help.

Parking is available along Royal Oak Road and other neighborhoods. As always, be courteous parking in neighborhoods.

Everyone from across Anaheim and beyond is welcome. The event is in east Anaheim as all fireworks — other than professional shows — are banned in the area because of high wildfire risk.

For more on the day's events, see Anaheim.net/fourthofjuly.

The Anaheim City Council has approved a $2.6 billion budget for the next 12 months that maintains city services while improving the city's financial outlook, helped by continued growth in visitor revenue and the expected payoff of a major debt next year.


The adopted budget for fiscal 2026-27 includes a $573.7 million general fund that pays for day-to-day services such as police, fire, parks, libraries and community programs.


The city estimates about a $45 million gap between spending and revenue for fiscal year 2026-27, a deficit down from $63.9 million a year ago.


The improvement is partly due to the expected payoff of bonds issued in the late 1990s to fund improvements in and around The Anaheim Resort.


Those bonds are expected to be paid off in spring 2027, freeing up more than $120 million annually for the general fund and giving the city more flexibility for future services, staffing and other priorities.

The budget maintains Anaheim’s county-leading public safety and community services. It does not include any cuts to city services and includes incremental expansions to public safety and other areas.

About 65% of general fund spending is dedicated to police and fire services, with Anaheim Police budgeted for 431 sworn officers and Anaheim Fire & Rescue budgeted for 250 firefighters and paramedics.

The budget also includes continued investment in parks and community facilities, including upgrades at Boysen Park, development of River Park along the Santa Ana River and improvements at La Palma Park.

For a more thorough breakdown of the adopted budget, click here.

Reliving skateboarding history

Anaheim’s famous for a lot of things. But this one’s pretty awesome: skateboarding.

The history of one of the coolest sports is intertwined with our city, and skateboarding wouldn’t be what it is today without Anaheim.

Tony Hawk’s favorite place to skate as a kid? Anaheim. The birthplace of Vans shoes? Anaheim. The first nationally televised skateboarding competition? Anaheim.

Anaheim’s skateboarding history is highlighted in an exhibit running through July 12 at Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in downtown Anaheim.

“Concrete Wave: 60 Years of Vans and the Culture Born on Broadway” highlights the Anaheim origin story of Vans and the skateboard culture that grew up around it.

In 1966, brothers Paul and James Van Doren and partners opened a small shoe factory along Broadway in downtown Anaheim.

They had no idea their waffle-soled sneakers would become a hit with skaters in the early days of sport — and a street-fashion icon today.

The exhibit features vintage skateboard decks and iconic photography from skater Craig Stecyk III.

Today Vans is part of Greensboro, N.C.-based apparel company VF Corp. with its local headquarters in Costa Mesa.

But the brand’s legacy — and that of skateboarding — lives on in Anaheim.

The exhibit’s “concrete wave” title evokes the memory of one of Anaheim’s earliest skate parks.

Concrete Wave was a 1970s-era skate park near Harbor Boulevard and Ball Road, famous for its pools, slaloms and other skating surfaces.

Then there’s “Sadlands.” While not designed as a skatepark, the Moonscape play area at Brookhurst Park became an impromptu skate park that a teenage Tony Hawk has named as one of his favorite places to have skated.

Moonscape was known to skaters as Sadlands, a play on one of the region’s epic skateparks, Badlands in Upland, before the play area was redone in the 1980s.

Anaheim’s other skateboarding highlights:

• 1965: National Skateboard Championships Association formed in Anaheim
• 1965: National Skateboard Championships held at La Palma Park, aired on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” in the first broadcast of a skateboarding competition
• 1976: Skateboard Expo before 55,000 fans as part of a Beach Boys concert at what was then Anaheim Stadium
• 1981: Pro skater Neil Blender graduates from Loara High School
• 2016: Seventh annual Skateboarding Hall of Fame induction ceremony held at the Grove of Anaheim
• Today: Anaheim is home to seven city skate parks with an eighth on the way at Boysen Park

Tips for staying cool with summer bills

Anaheim enjoys great weather, but summer can bring the heat — and the highest power bills of the year.

Anaheim Public Utilities, our city's not-for-profit utility, powers homes at rates that are 50% or more lower than in neighboring cities.

As cost-effective as that is, bills are based on what you use, making summer bills the highest of the year.

In most cases, Anaheim bills span two months, reflecting 60 days of use.

You have the option of requesting monthly billing to better manage your household budget.

You can help even out bills throughout the year with our Level Pay Plan, which averages out your yearly usage each month.

The result is more steady, predictable bills. At the end of the year, an accounting is done to make sure your average was accurate, refunding any excess paid or charging for any usage beyond what was estimated.

Level Pay does not reduce the amount of your bill but helps with budgeting and sets a more predictable bill you can prepare for.

Anaheim Public Utilities has options available for those facing hardship and struggling with bills. You can find more at Anaheim.net/billassistance.

The good news? With a few small changes around the house, you can stay cool and save money without sacrificing comfort.

• Cool early: Run your air conditioner in the morning to stay ahead of the heat. It takes less energy to maintain a cool home than to cool down a hot one.
• Cover your windows: Close blinds, curtains or shades to block out direct sunlight and help rooms stay cooler.
• Use fans with your AC: Fans help move cool air around and let you keep your thermostat a bit higher without losing comfort.
• Stay on top of maintenance: Check and change air filters every three months, and make sure your AC is running efficiently.

Shift when you use energy

When temps are soaring and power demand is high, one of the best things you can do is adjust when you use major appliances.

• Avoid using heavy appliances from 3 to 9 p.m. That's when demand is highest across California.
• Do laundry and run the dishwasher early or late.
• Charge phones, laptops and electric vehicles outside peak hours —before 3 p.m. or after 9 p.m.
• Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or overnight.
• Wait to trim shade trees as their natural cover helps block heat — save the pruning for fall.
• Charge electric vehicles before 3 p.m. or after 9 p.m.

Cook smarter on hot days

• Skip the oven when it's hot. Use a microwave, air fryer or cook outside on the grill instead.
• If you do need to use the oven, turn on your exhaust fan to vent heat out of your kitchen.
• Use bathroom fans during showers to keep warm, steamy air from heating up your home.

By making a few smart choices, you can stay comfortable, conserve energy and keep your summer costs under control.

Check out energy-saving tips from Anaheim Public Utilities here.

Want to lower your bills even more? View the available rebates through Anaheim Public Utilities here.