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Thursday, July 4, 2025 | 4 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Grape Day Park & Center for the Arts The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, is proud to present the 60th Annual Independence Day Festival, a beloved community tradition filled with music, culture, and patriotic fun. This free family-friendly event returns on Thursday, July 4, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Grape Day Park and the Center for the Arts campus. Festival goers can look forward to an exciting day of entertainment and celebration featuring: - Live music on the main stage - Artisan market and local vendors - Delicious food trucks and craft beer garden - Great Green Canteen VIP Experience - Free arts & crafts, face painting, and airbrush tattoos (4:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.) - Complimentary admission to the Escondido History Center (4 p.m.–7 p.m.) - Fireworks spectacular at 9 p.m. Main Stage Schedule: 4:30 p.m. – Opening Remarks and National Anthem by the Mayor’s Contest Winner 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. – Back to the Garden This crowd-favorite tribute band channels the spirit of the 1960s and ’70s, covering hits from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, and more. Their nostalgic sound and multi-instrumental performances bring peace, love, and harmony to every stage they play. 6:20 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Hula Hoop Contest 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Kimmi Bitter Hailed as one of Southern California’s rising retro-country stars, Kimmi Bitter blends vintage twang with modern Americana soul. With a voice reminiscent of Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt, her timeless sound has earned her acclaim on stages across the country. 7:50 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Dance Party Interlude 8:00 p.m. – 9 p.m. – 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band Enjoy a stirring patriotic performance from one of the U.S. Marine Corps’ premier musical ensembles. 9 p.m. – Fireworks Show! This event is free and open to the public, with activities and entertainment for all ages. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and festive spirit! Special thanks to our sponsors: City of Escondido, Linden Root Dickinson Foundation, County of San Diego, and the California Center for the Arts Charitable Trust. VIP seating available in the Great Green Canteen: “The Great Green Canteen” – A CCAEF Independence Day Fundraiser BBQ with VIP seating Ticket Cost: $80 for a table of 4 Table seating includes the following for each attendee: 1 beer token, VIP concert seating in the orange grove area of the Great Green for the entire event, and 1 meal from the Great Green Canteen BBQ. - Cheeseburger on a brioche - Nathan’s Hot Dog - Blackened Chicken Sandwich - Black Bean Patty on Brioche *all served with a fresh cut watermelon wedge and potato salad Click here to order VIP seating at the tables! California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Instagram

Free speech scholars say ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show indefinitely represents "jawboning," when government officials pressure private companies to suppress speech.

Celebrate the Fourth of July in style with an intimate, exclusive experience at Vistal. Reserve a private table on the outdoor terrace for up to six guests for $600, and enjoy front-row views in an unforgettable setting. This VIP experience includes a cheese & charcuterie board for four and a bottle of Schramsberg sparkling wine. Savor in Vistal’s classic a la carte menu and indulge in dishes like the Ancient Dip with pumpkin seed dip, crudités vegetables, taro & plantain chips, the Wagyu Burger with Beemster XO cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, butter lettuce, house pickles, sliced tomato, shallot aioli and brioche bun or try fresh and local seafood like the Bocaccio Rockfish Zarandeado with cipollini onions, fresno chile, roasted poblano polenta, petite epazote, charred avocado and zarandeado sauce. Tables can be booked via Resy, and includes guaranteed complimentary self-parking for three hours. Vistal Bar + Restaurant on Facebook / Instagram

The group behind the statue says a second permit, to reinstall the piece after Wednesday's removal, was revoked without explanation. It has since posted free 3D printable copies of the statue online.

The commission will either recommend the San Diego City Council approve or deny the project. If approved, Midway Rising could break ground next year, transforming San Diego's Midway District.

Join Linda Cassady for a journey into the literary wonderland of Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, through the treasured Cassady Carroll Collection of USC's Special Collections. This engaging lecture explores how a remarkable book collection has inspired students to discover the genius behind Alice's adventures, transforming some into artists in their own right. Discover the extensive works by and about Lewis Carroll housed in the University of Southern California Special Collections, and learn how an innovative Wonderland Award competition sparks the imagination of Southern California students as they pursue and rediscover Dodgson's legacy. Come see how students tumble down their own rabbit holes of creativity, finding Alice in the wonderland of their own imaginations through art, literature, and scholarly exploration. The Carroll Collection The Cassady Lewis Carroll Collection was established in 2000 and has grown to contain more than 6,000 rare books, pamphlets, letters, and other items related to the work of Lewis Carroll including inscribed editions, books from Carroll‘s own library, and many works by major illustrators of the Alice stories. There are signed copies of movie scripts, playbills from stage adaptations, Victorian-era playing cards, and pop-up books. More recently, comic books, graphic novels, manga editions, literary parodies, computer games, movies, and original art work related to Carroll and his Alice books are part of the collection. The Wonderland Award The Annual Wonderland Award is an annual multidisciplinary competition at the University of Southern California that encourages new scholarship and creative work related to Lewis Carroll. A primary goal is to promote use of the G. Edward Cassady, M.D., and Margaret Elizabeth Cassady, R.N., Lewis Carroll Collection, held in Doheny Library at USC. Since 2005, about 600 students have reimagined, reinterpreted, and remixed Carroll’s stories. Submissions include film and screenplays; poetry and readings; short fiction; book art [writing desks, boxes of wonder, missing diaries]; music, lyrics, scores, and performances; art [photography, painting, digital art, art installations]; ballet and dance; golf courses, board and digital games [with music, readings, and polysyllogisms]; illustrated novels; arts and crafts [dolls, ceramic tea sets, and fashion], and scholarly essays. Linda Cassady and her husband, George Cassady, MD, gifted a Lewis Carroll Collection to the University of Southern California in 2000. Her area of "collecting” Carroll is as a sponsor and judge of the Wonderland Award, an annual multidisciplinary competition that encourages new scholarship and creative work related to Lewis Carroll. Linda is a member of the USC Libraries Board of Councilors. She is the past president and current treasurer of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America. Visit: https://coronado.librarycalendar.com/event/lewis-carroll-lecture-linda-cassady-36119

Artistic Director, Christian Tordahl takes the stage again leading the talented Hillcrest Wind Ensemble for what promises to be a night of fun and excitement. The ensemble presents “Summer Fun” a collection of light wind ensemble music and music from movies and the Broadway stage, on Saturday, June 28, at Linder Hall at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego, 2111 Camino del Rio South, in Mission Valley. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at hillcrestwindensemble.com or at the door. Join us for complimentary hors d'oeuvres at 6 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and concert begins at 7 p.m. The band’s lineup includes Aaron Copland’s, “An Outdoor Overture” and the more contemporary, “Metroplex” by Robert Sheldon. Music from the movies includes, “The Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Music Man”. A Broadway medley and music from “My Fair Lady” are also featured. The 45 piece Hillcrest Wind Ensemble is in its 39th. year of performing and is proud to be a musical ambassador for the community as a whole. For more information look us up online at www.hillcrestwindensemble.com. Hillcrest Wind Ensemble on Facebook

The past three summers have been the worst on record for Florida's coral reefs. To try to restore them, scientists are breeding corals that can handle heat better, using coral from other countries.

How brown are you? The government wants to know. Check out outrageous tales of censuses (censi?) past and, hopefully, future. Asian Story Theater, Teatro Máscara Mágica, and Umoja Theatre present comic episodes from some of the most creative writers in town in this musical-comical-video mashup! "The Last Census" will be the world premiere of an original script devised by a diverse team of writers, and performed by comics, musicians, dancers, and actors, all focused on the hilarious topic of The Census. About Asian Story Theater Asian Story Theater celebrates our Asian heritage, multicultural awareness, and understanding by dramatizing Asian and Pacific Island (API) stories. Visit: https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/asian-story-theater/6815235cd6f92340d4d971ce Asian Story Theater on Instagram and Facebook

In a corner of San Diego often overlooked, three childhood friends found purpose in graffiti art. What began as a creative path away from gang life eventually drew attention from law enforcement and changed the course of their lives in unexpected ways.