AIRBORNE ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Fireworks, parachutists and World War II fighter planes will take to the skies in celebration of the Fourth of July in the Valley area.

Pyrotechnic displays and carnival festivities will take place at three Valley locations in honor of the country’s 214th birthday.

In San Fernando, fireworks at Recreation Park--located at Bradley and Park avenues--will launch the 64th Annual San Fernando Fiesta. Activities on Independence Day will start at 5 p.m. with a performance by the American Heritage Ensemble. The show will last until 8 p.m. and will be followed by a fireworks display at dusk. Admission to the fireworks show will be free.

Bruce Cohen, director of the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce, said he expects about 10,000 people to attend the fireworks display. He estimated that between 10,000 and 30,000 people will turn out for the fiesta, which will begin Friday and end Sunday. Highlights of the fiesta will include the coronation of Miss San Fernando, a musical performance by Los Caminantes, and food and game booths, Cohen said. For further information, call the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce at 361-1184.

West Valley residents can watch the sky erupt in color at Cal State Northridge. In addition to fireworks, the Northridge celebration will feature performances by sky divers, the Los Angeles Raiders’ cheerleaders, and several musical and dance groups, said Coleen Briggs of the Chatsworth Chamber of Commerce.

About 10,000 people are expected to attend the display, sponsored by the Northridge, Chatsworth and Granada Hills chambers of commerce, and the Cal State Northridge athletic department.

Campus parking lots for the CSUN festivities will open at 2 p.m. July 4, and gates to the stadium, where the show will take place, will open at 3 p.m. Tickets for the show are $6 for adults and $4 for children if purchased before July 4. On Wednesday, tickets will cost $7 and $5. For the locations of advance ticket offices, call the Northridge Chamber of Commerce at 349-5676.

The Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a July 4 fireworks celebration at Pierce College. Live entertainment, which will include sky divers, singers, dancers and bands, will start at 5:30 p.m. About 15,000 are expected. “We’re just swamped,” said chamber official Jenny Lojeski. “It’s a huge event.”

The college’s Winnetka Avenue gate will open for parking at 1 p.m.; the Mason Street gate will open for parking at 4 p.m. Parking will cost $4. Tickets bought prior to the event will cost $7 for adults and $5 for children and senior citizens. At the gate on Wednesday, tickets will cost $8 and $6. For the locations of advance ticket offices, call the Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce at 347-4347.

In addition to the Valley fireworks displays, the city of Agoura Hills will sponsor festivities between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. July 4 at Chumash Park, at Argos Street and Parkheath Drive. The celebration will include game and food booths and a performance by a barbershop quartet.

The city of Acton will host a parade, called the Hoedown Hayday, on July 4. The parade will start at 10 a.m. and will feature parachutists, an air show by World War II fighter planes, the Antelope Valley High School Marching Band and floats. After the parade, the public is invited to lunch at the Acton Community Club, 3748 Nickels Ave., Chamber of Commerce President Pat Lelie said.

The Westlake Junior Women’s Club will sponsor a family parade in Westlake Village that will begin at the Westlake Medical Center, 4415 Lakeview Canyon Road, at 10 a.m. Participants are encouraged to decorate non-motorized vehicles for the parade, and everyone who attends will receive a free Popsicle, women’s club member Karen McConnegy said. Small children should be accompanied by an adult. For information, call (818) 706-1504.

The Sunland-Tujunga Rotary Club will host a parade and a celebratory afternoon featuring a chili cook-off, bands and dancers. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and will proceed west along Foothill Boulevard from Mount Gleason Avenue to Sunland Park. Activities will end at dusk, Rotary Club spokesman Ted Mertz said.

The city of Burbank will mark Independence Day with an evening of live music, clowns and fireworks at the John Burroughs High School Memorial Field at Keystone Street and Verdugo Avenue. The celebration, titled “Let Freedom Ring,” will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $3; children under age 3 may enter free.

The Saugus Speedway, 22500 Soledad Canyon Road, will hold a night of stock-car racing followed by fireworks. Admission for the evening, which will last from 7 to 10:30 p.m., will be $10 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-11 and free for children under age 6. For information, call (805) 259-3886.

Those interested in celebrating with a little exercise can take part in Caballero Canyon’s Natural Fourth Stroll. Participants should meet at the southern end of Reseda Boulevard in Tarzana. The walk will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Along the way, strollers will stop on Mulholland Drive to watch the Tarzana city fireworks display. Participants are encouraged to bring food and a blanket. The walk is free. For information, call (800) 533-7275.

The city of Lancaster will sponsor a July 4 celebration at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 155 E. Ave. I. Afternoon activities including food, bands, family games and magic shows will begin at 12:30 p.m.; fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. There is no admission charge. For information, call (805) 945-7811.

The city of Palmdale will hold an evening of music and fireworks at the Palmdale High School football field, off California 138 at 20th Street East. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m., a performance by the band Koko-Jo will start at 7 p.m., and a fireworks display will begin at 9:15 p.m. Food will be sold, but alcohol will be prohibited, said Bob Green, Palmdale’s assistant director of parks and recreation. The event is free. For information, call (805) 273-0513.

The Santa Clarita July 4 celebration will begin at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast in downtown Newhall. The day will continue with a 5K walk or run at 9 a.m. in Newhall Park--located at Newhall Avenue and Dalbey Drive--and a parade whose theme is “Spirit of the ‘90s” at 10 a.m. on San Fernando Road in downtown Newhall. After the parade, which will feature the Peanuts character Snoopy riding in a horse-drawn stagecoach, a barbecue will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at Newhall Park. Evening entertainment at College of the Canyons in Valencia will start at 6:30 p.m., and a fireworks show there will begin at 9:20 p.m. Admission is free. For information, call (805) 259-1234.