Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier will mark Independence Day and the start of the nation's 250th birthday commemoration with a patriotic lighting program on its Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel from July 2 through July 5.
The nine-story wheel will display a 90-foot-tall animated American flag, red, white and blue light shows and custom America 250-inspired animations honoring the semiquincentennial. The lighting runs nightly from sunset, about 8:09 p.m., to midnight. Pacific Park is at 380 Santa Monica Pier.
The displays will join landmarks across Southern California in celebrating the Fourth of July while helping launch the countdown to the nation's 250th anniversary.
Independence Day is celebrated annually on July 4 and commemorates the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence, when the Continental Congress declared the 13 American colonies free and independent of British rule. The holiday is commonly marked with fireworks, parades, barbecues and beach picnics.
The Pacific Wheel is billed as the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel, with 174,000 LED lights mounted on its 40 spokes and two hubs. The lighting system can produce 16.7 million color combinations for computer-generated displays, and the LED system provides 81% greater energy savings than traditional incandescent bulbs, according to the park.
The wheel rises nine stories and lifts riders more than 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean, offering views of the Southern California coastline.
Pacific Park, billed as Los Angeles' only admission-free amusement park, offers 12 rides, 14 midway games, five food outlets and seaside retail shopping. Prices and operating hours are subject to change.
For more information and operating hours, call 310-260-8744 or visit pacpark.com.
Edited by SMDP Staff