Watch Fireworks at Palo Alto, Shoreline Boulevard

There are many options to make 4^th of July a memorable event in Palo Alto, California. Especially, if you are an Indian or a non-US citizen, there is a lot to know and learn about the Independence Day celebrations in America. You can plan an outdoor activity with your family and friends that includes a Chili Festival, BBQ and watch the fireworks at night.

In Palo Alto, there is the Palo Alto Summer Chili Cook-Off Summer festival to celebrate Fourth July Independence Day. The event commences from 12 noon to 5 pm on 4^th July 2010. In this event, there are several teams, which participate and compete in the cooking championship. You can attend this event at Mitchell Park, East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto. There is no admission fee and the food tasting is free of cost.

The summer chili cook off festival is very popular and has many games and attractions for the kids and adults alike. The forms are also available online on the Palo Alto city website and at other leading stores or health clubs. Filling these, forms allow the local residents or anyone interested in cooking to participate in the cooking festival and earn attractive rewards.

Apart from the cooking and food tasting events held in Palo Alto and SFO, the fireworks at night on 4^th July are a big favorite attraction. Local Palo Alto residents can view these fireworks at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. Specifically, you would need to drive to the Shoreline Boulevard and park at the amphitheatre or even find a parking place on the streets.

If you have not been to the fireworks earlier at Shoreline, it is advisable that you reach the place at least 2-3 hours before the fireworks begin. The streets and even the freeways around Shoreline Amphitheatre tend to be very crowded. People sit on the pavements, near the shoreline park and almost everywhere around the area. You can see people with portable chairs; blankets and some snacks as they try to find an appropriate place to sit and watch the fireworks display that go on for over 10 minutes.

There is much excitement and huge crowds walking towards the park at Shoreline blvd to view the fireworks display. If you are an avid photographer, it is recommended that you carry your camcorder or a camera to click good pictures of the fireworks at Palo Alto. Set your camera and camcorder to night light settings and adjust the speed well in advance.

Back in India, we watch the Independence Day parade on television or at the grounds. However, there are no elaborate fireworks displays as we can see here in America. It is truly an awesome sight to see the fireworks at night and watch the sky lit up with jewels of light. One after the other, you can see colorful fireworks go up on the sky. Each time, as the firework crackers burst the light in the sky, the crowd around you screams with joy. Hence, you tend to feel as excited as others do and want to scream along with them.

Once the excitement is over, it can be much crowded on the streets. Yet, there are well-trained volunteers who manage the crowds and guide them in an organized way. Those who are driving to the event might find the streets a little crowded after the fireworks display ends. Hence, there might be delay on the roads until you reach the freeway or the expressway.

Thus, there is much to do on Independence Day holiday in Palo Alto. Those who like a long drive can also plan to watch the fireworks at San Francisco. However, you would need a lot of patience since the whole area is heavily crowded in the evening as people assemble to enjoy the lights and fireworks on Pier 39. Plan to have a good time with friends and family with a nice BBQ park lunch and finish off with watching fireworks at night to celebrate your freedom.