Band CC Seger entertains the crowd at a previous year’s Stars & Stripes Celebration. Photo courtesy of the City of Citrus Heights

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Fireworks and fun! 

Join the City of Citrus Heights for its third Annual Stars & Stripes Celebration taking place at Van Maren Park at 6601 Thalia Way, starting at 6 p.m. June 28.

Guests are welcome to show up starting at 5 p.m. to secure a good spot on the lawn. 

The annual free, family-friendly celebration runs until 10 p.m. and features a spectacular 15-minute fireworks show, starting at dusk. 

An estimated 7,000 attendees filled Van Maren Park last year, according to city officials, which is nearly double the estimated attendance in 2023. And that attendance number will likely be higher this year, according to the city.

The fireworks show lights up the sky above City Hall at a previous year’s Stars & Stripes Celebration. Photo courtesy of the City of Citrus Heights

Enjoy live music this year from Mercy and the Heartbeats, food trucks and a special kids’ zone hosted by Sunrise Recreation and Park District and Citrus Heights Police Activities League (PAL), starting at 6 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to ride their bikes or carpool to the special event for traffic reduction and parking convenience.

Residents can also access Van Maren Park, located at 6601 Thalia Way on foot by walking paths through the Stock Ranch Nature Preserve located behind Walmart and Costco.

Parking has typically been available in the Citrus Heights Police Department (CHPD) lot off Fountain Square Drive and at the Citrus Heights Event Center and Dignity Health, both located at the corner of Greenback Lane and Fountain Square Drive.

Limited ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) parking will be available at City Hall and designated parking lots, with shuttling golf cart services to and from the event site. Event staff will also monitor the entrance of the Citrus Heights City Hall parking lot so the city reminds guests that disabled person parking placards must be clearly visible.

The City of Citrus Heights is looking for volunteers for specific roles at the upcoming Stars and Stripes celebration, said Marisa Brown, City of Citrus Heights communications officer.

Brown said two individual volunteer opportunities have been posted at https://www.citrusheightsvolunteers.net/agency.  

Help is needed with setting up decorations throughout the park, hanging banners, placing flags and making the space festive and welcoming before the event kicks off, according to Brown.

“We also need volunteers to join the cleanup crew and wrap up the fun, when the event is over,” Brown said. “We’ll need help with trash pickup, taking down decorations and packing up supplies so we can leave Van Maren Park as clean as we found it.”

Attendees relax on the lawn at a previous year’s Stars & Stripes Celebration. Photo courtesy of the City of Citrus Heights

Registered volunteers who sign up through the city’s volunteer hub will receive additional event details prior to the event and upon check-in, a free event T-shirt and a food voucher at the city booth.

Small, personal umbrellas are permitted at the event but canopies are not permitted. The public is advised to be courteous of fellow guests when setting up personal umbrellas.

Dogs are welcome at the Stars & Stripes Celebration but their owners are cautioned that the event includes a large crowd and a 15-minute firework show, so if your dog doesn’t do well in those circumstances, owners should leave them home.

Small ice chests and coolers are welcome but no larger than 48 quarts. The public is also reminded that alcohol is not permitted at the event, Brown said.

For more information about the city’s third annual Stars & Stripes Celebration, visit citrusheights.net/1338/Stars-Stripes-Celebration.