The City of Santa Clarita is expected to host a variety of activities to honor the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, July 4, 2013, according to Santa Clarita city officials. It will feature fireworks, independence day races, and the annual Santa Clarita Fourth of July parade.

The festivities will culminate with the Independence Day 5K race, hosted by the Santa Clarita Runner’s Club. There will be a versatile range of races for runners of all levels at Newhall Park. The times for the races will commence at 7:00 a.m. for the 10K; 7:45 a.m. for the Kid K; and 8:00 a.m. for the 5K race/walk. Every participant will be rewarded with a Jamba Juice drink at the end of the race. To sign up for this event, register at scrunners.org. Newhall Park is situated at 24933 Newhall Avenue.

The annual Santa Clarita Fourth of July parade, a Santa Clarita beloved tradition that dates back to 1932, will commence at 9 a.m.  in Old Town Newhall to celebrate America’s independence. It will feature lavish floats, music, military presentations and much more. The parade route will be through Main Street, Lyons Avenue and Orchard Village Road before finishing at 16^th Street.

The annual Fourth of July fireworks show, one of the City’s most popular events, will take place at Westfield Valencia Town Center at 9:15 p.m.. KHTS AM 1220 will feature a live soundtrack accompanying the grand fireworks show so tune in to 1220 AM during the fireworks show. It will be a event with a high volume of people in attendance featuring an incandescent, blazing display of colors and lights so it is recommended that guests arrive early.

Due to the high number of vehicles trying to exit the area and the traffic restrictions, extensive delays should be expected. Motorist heading to the east side of the City should use the exits onto Citrus Street, while motorists heading to the west side of the City should use the signalized exits onto Valencia Boulevard or Magic Mountain Parkway.

For more information about this year’s festivities, please visit Arts.Santa-Clarita.com/ or contact the City of Santa Clarita’s Arts and Events Office at (661) 286-4018.