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🎆 Drone Show or Fireworks? Your 4th of July Guide and New Michelin Stars Announced

🎆 Drone Show or Fireworks? Your 4th of July Guide and New Michelin Stars Announced

July 4th plans, a local Michelin Star, and how we're living longer in San Mateo!

Greg Kemper
July 03, 2025

Hey neighbors,

Welcome to this week’s San Mateo Scoop! We’ve got your July 4th event guide for the holiday weekend with some restaurant updates and newly awarded Michelin stars!

You’ll find the information on the new Redwood City drone show for the 4th, and where to find fireworks (since they’re not in Foster City or Redwood City this year)!

Let’s get into it 👇

In this week’s edition:

🎇 Your guide to every firework and parade across the Bay
🍽️ Michelin stars shine on local faves
🎨 Plus: A paint + sip pop up lands in Bay Area

🩺 Live longer in San Mateo County

San Mateo County residents now live an average of 86 years — over 4 years above the California average and nearly 9 years beyond the U.S. average. Officials attribute the gain in part to long running initiatives like CalFresh, a countywide minimum-wage bump and this year’s $300-a-month “Baby Bonus” for low-income newborns.

There’s still life expectancy swings by locale, with Hillsborough and Menlo Park flirting with 89 years, while Half Moon Bay, Daly City and East Palo Alto hover between 75 to 81, data that will guide the next wave of targeted health investments. Read more here.

🏢 Kiku Crossing Opens in San Mateo

The City of San Mateo opened Kiku Crossing, a housing development downtown with 100% affordable housing. The 225-apartment development contains one-, two-, and three-bedrooms properties, residential amenities like a play area, rooftop deck, parking, and an after school program. There is a public art display on the Kiku 5th Avenue Garage featuring art from the Japanese American, Mexican American, and Ohlone communities. Read more here.

Painting and Vino is hosting three events in San Mateo at some of our favorite spots. The themed nights (Bay Bridge, Island Dreams, and Red Birds) offer you a chance to test out your creative side and try some local bars and restaurants! These are fun for a date-night activity or group outing — reserve your spots today before they fill up here!

Click here to be the featured business everyone hears about next week!

⭐️ Congratulations to Wakuriya, who earned a Michelin Star in the 2025 Guide. Wakuriya, located on De Anza Blvd. in San Mateo, blends traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisines. Run by lone chef Katsuhiro Yamasaki, Wakuriya’s menu features monthly updates and is sure to be an evening well spent!

115 De Anza Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402

Check out the full list of Bay Area Michelin Star winners here, including The Village Pub in Woodside, Selby’s in Redwood City, and Protégé in Palo Alto!

See more here!

Peninsula Humane Society Pet of the Week!

My name is Gordo! I'm a 2 year old Pug/Pomeranian mix that weighs about 21 lbs. My friends say I'm a literal bundle of excitement and I am ready to learn some new tricks! Get more information about me here!

Featured Subscriber Pet of the Week!

Our featured subscriber pet of the week is Oliver!

Want your pet to be featured next week? Respond to this email with your favorite picture of one your pets and we’ll pick one at random each week to include!

Peninsula

🎉🇺🇸 Foster City 4th of July Celebration | Leo Ryan Park | Foster City | 07/04 | More
Enjoy a day of games, food, live entertainment, and a family and dog parade by the lagoon.

🎇 Fourth of July Celebration & Drone Show | Downtown Redwood City | 07/04 | More
Fire-station pancake breakfast 7:30 AM, grand parade 10 AM, day-long festival, and a drone light show over the Port at 9:30 PM.

🌳 San Mateo Central Park Celebration | Central Park (Fitzgerald Field) | San Mateo | 07/04 | More
Live music, crafts, and family-friendly games in the heart of San Mateo.

🎸🍽️ Palo Alto Chili Cook-Off & Summer Festival | Mitchell Park | Palo Alto | 07/04 | More
Free chili tasting, food trucks, live music, and kids’ crafts and games in the park.

🇺🇸 🥞 Half Moon Bay Pancake Breakfast, Festival, and Parade | 501 & 735 Main Street | Half Moon Bay | 07/04 | More
Start with a pancake breakfast, followed by a street fair and classic parade.

🎶🇺🇸 Menlo Park Parade & Celebration | Santa Cruz Avenue | Menlo Park | 07/04 | More
Parade ends in Fremont Park with food, games, music, and family fun.

🎸🍻 Millbrae Independence Day Festival | Broadway | Millbrae | 07/04 | More
Beats, Brews & Vines brings music, food, and good vibes to Central Park.

North Bay

🎆🎸🎡 Marin County Fair & Fireworks | Marin County Fairgrounds | Marin | 07/04 | More
Fair rides, live concerts, and fireworks each night over the lagoon.

🎆 Sausalito Parade, Picnic & Fireworks | Old Town, Dunphy & Gabrielson Parks | Sausalito | 07/04 | More
A classic day of parades, live music, waterfront picnic, and fireworks.

South Bay

🎆 Cupertino Fireworks Show | Hyde Middle School | Cupertino | 07/04 | More
Neighborhood-friendly fireworks show with prime viewing at local schools.

🇺🇸 San Jose Rose, White & Blue Parade | Downtown San Jose | 07/04 | More
A vibrant, historic parade celebrating civic pride and diversity.

East Bay

🇺🇸⚓ Alameda Fourth of July Celebration | USS Hornet | 07/04 | More
Enjoy BBQ, drinks, music, and free ship tours on the deck of the historic USS Hornet.

🇺🇸 Alameda Fourth of July Parade | Downtown Alameda | Alameda | 07/04 | More
One of the largest and longest parades in the U.S.—filled with floats, bands, and fun.

San Francisco

🍻🌭 4th of July Pub Crawl & Hot Dog Contest | Rick and Roxy’s | San Francisco | 07/04 | More
A lively pub crawl with drink specials and a hot dog eating competition.

Weekend Peninsula Events

🔥 Campfire Program | Half Moon Bay State Beach | Half Moon Bay | 7/5 | More
Ranger-led stories, songs & nature talks light up beach evenings every Fri/Sat at 8 PM—family-friendly, dress warm.

🎨 Paint-A-Plane | at Hiller Aviation Museum | San Carlos | 7/6 | More
Kids paint fresh color onto a real Cessna Cardinal, climb into cockpits and enjoy aviation-themed crafts, 10 AM–noon.

🎸 Belmont Summer Concert | at Twin Pines Park | Belmont | 7/6 | More
Free Sunday concert series rolls on 1 to 4 PM—pack a picnic and dance to classic Steely Dan & Chicago hits.

🚍 Mobile Recreation Pop-Up | at Los Prados Park | San Mateo | 7/09 | More
Games truck, crafts, inflatables & sports gear roll into the park for free kids play.