Patriotic music, red, white, blue, BBQs, beer, sparklers, fireworks are some of the things that come to mind when I think of celebrating the 4th of July, the birth of my country’s independence!

What better way to celebrate my first 4th of July on the West Coast than with a bunch of friends visiting for the holiday! Being new to a city can be challenging to figure out the best location to watch fireworks. This year, I decided to push through the crowds at Gas Works Park.

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We decided not to do a whole day adventure to explore the celebrations of Seattle. Instead, we left my place around 5 pm with friends in tow and walked towards Gas Works Park on Lake Union. My plan was to stop along the way at different breweries or restaurants for a mini bar crawl towards the park. Who would have thought so many establishments would be closed on the holiday? We found Red Door and ate dinner and caught up on their patio before walking to the park.

We walked along the water to see the floating houses, along with the Aurora Bridge being lit by the setting sun.

Seattle 4th of July

We walked to the top of the hill in the Gas Works Park and claimed our spot on the uneven cement decorated what appeared to be a navigational compass or sundial. We waited for roughly an hour and a half for the show to begin. Dustin played some cards with a group of people sitting behind us. We also met a guy named Tyler right before the show. He showed us a picture of him having two guys on his shoulders and wanted me to sit on his shoulders during the fireworks.

Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park

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After looking over at my brother and having a silent debate, I decided it was safe enough to try out. I was helped up to his shoulders and took a few pictures. Unfortunately, none of the pictures were great because he kept moving around, which was a little scary when he was all over the place. This may be the only time in my life that I will regret not having cheer-leading experience!

After what felt like an eternity, I was lowered down and watched the rest of the fireworks like everyone else. The show was nice and had an excellent finale, but it did not compare to seeing fireworks on the East Coast.

Gas Works Fireworks

Gas Works Fireworks

Gas Works Fireworks

Where is your favorite 4th of July location?

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