Where To Celebrate The Fourth Of July In The Rogue Valley

It’s one of our favorite times of the year, Independence Day in Southern Oregon. This part of the country is proud of its patriotism and it shows with the celebrations that take place throughout the Rogue Valley. By far the grandest being Ashland’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration. With so much fun stuff going on throughout the day, we wanted to highlight two of our favorite celebrations, so you can experience the best of the 4th of July in the Rogue Valley!

Ashland’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration

When it comes to quintessential 4th of July celebrations, there are few places that do it better than the City of Ashland. The festivities begin with the 43rd Annual 4th of July Run on Thursday, July 4, 2019, at the Ashland Library. This annual run is a longstanding tradition dating back to 1976. There are a 2-mile fun run and a 10K that attract competition from around the Rogue Valley as well as running talent from other regions in the U.S. The race takes runners through downtown after which the routes are scenic and on closed roadways. You can check out this year’s Course Map for the Ashland 4th of July Run here.

Register for the Ashland 4th of July run here.

Following the race, you can find a place to set up lawn chairs or stand along the Ashland Plaza for what is one of the longest standing and largest 4th of July parades in Oregon. This parade attracts nearly 20,000 attendees each year and is truly one of the most fun celebrations of the year. The festival kicks off with a fighter jet fly by directly over downtown Ashland.

The mission of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration “is to create and operate a long-standing historic Ashland tradition to celebrate our country’s independence, freedom, and liberty”. This year’s theme for the parade is “celebrating 50-years of friendship” with Ashland’s sister city of Guanajuato in Mexico. Ashland is a proud city built upon the relationships its community fosters and friendship is at the forefront of this historic relationship with Guanajuato. Be on the lookout as each float participating in the parade gets graded on their interpretation of this theme.

After the parade, the crowd mosies down to Lithia Park where local food vendors and artisans set up booths. There is a BBQ in the park as well as live music all afternoon. One of the best things to do, especially if it is a hot day (some 4th of July’s have been over 100 degrees in the past!), is to cool off in Lithia Creek as you enjoy lunch and take in the festivities.

Later in the evening, Ashland puts on a spectacular fireworks display which can be seen from all throughout the town. The Ashland 4th of July public fireworks display will begin at approximately 10 p.m. The fireworks are launched from Iowa St just north of the SOU Raider Stadium. The area around the launch site is closed for public safety.

A few great places to watch the fireworks are:

• Hunter Park
• Walker School
• Anywhere around SOU
• Ashland High School
• Ashland Middle School
• For a truly spectacular display drive up anywhere on the hillside surrounding Ashland. Pompadour Bluff is a great choice.

Ashland 4th of July Timeline

• 7:45 AM 4th of July Run starts at
• 10 AM Ashland’s 4th of July Parade starts
• 10 PM (approximately) Ashland’s Fireworks display starts

Central Point Chamber Freedom Festival 2019

Celebrate the 4th of July in style in one of the most patriotic cities in the country. This annual Independence Day parade and festival in Pfaff Park is a celebration of America and the beautiful town of Central Point.

The Central Point Chamber Freedom Festival is filled with free activities for the kids including face painting, balloon artist, crafts, games and so much more!

On the stage will be one of Southern Oregon’s favorites, The Brothers Reed!

Panache Dance and ABK will also have performances.

This year we will have contests galore including pie eating, pizza eating, diaper derby’s, mother-daughter look-alike, father and son look-alike, and a few other surprises.

New this year is a Baby Stop. An area for babies and toddlers to play comfortably in the shade away from the larger crowds. The Pregnancy Care Center will be there with an air-conditioned van for babies to feed and nap.

Later in the evening, you can head over to The Jackson County Expo and Fairgrounds for the first annual BoomFest, presented by the Cow Creek Tribe of Indians. Bring all of your family and friends to the Expo for food, fun, and entertainment from late afternoon until nightfall when one of Oregon’s largest fireworks displays will take place.

Boomfest will feature a beer garden for those 21+ plus a Kids zone with family-friendly activities for parents and their kiddos.

Central Point 4th of July Timeline

• 7 AM pancake breakfast
• 7:30 AM Run 4 Freedom 5K & 1 mile
• 9:30 AM Pine Street Parade
• 10:30 AM Pfaff Park Festivities with food, artisans, vendors, live music and free kids activities
• 4 PM BoomFest Gates Open
• 9:30 PM (approximately) BoomFest fireworks display begins

We hope you have a wonderful 4th of July here in the Rogue Valley! Please remember to always drink responsibly and be mindful of other drivers on the road.

And, if you’re looking for a place to stay in Ashland or Medford this 4th of July weekend, check out our vacation rentals available.