Red fireworks, white flour pancakes and blue water

Young Chang

NEWPORT-MESA -- Art Gronsky has a day of touch-ups to go.

For the last two weeks, he’s been painting his 30-footer vessel of 54

years dark blue and white for the annual Old Glory Boat Parade. But the

labor of love never seems completely done.

There are the last-minute brush strokes. The 50 red, white and blue

helium balloons to inflate. The reels of patriotically tricolored bunting

to trim the borders. And, of course, the 20 American flags that must be

hung from the stern, the deck and every conspicuous nook.

“This year, the theme is America the Beautiful, so we’re going to try

and decorate it beautiful,” said the 80-year-old Newport Beach resident.

Waterfront and landlocked patriots are prepping for the Fourth of July

this week. Local festivities include the boat parade, put on by the

American Legion Yacht Club and American Legion Post 291; the 43rd annual

Fourth of July celebration at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort; and

the 28th annual Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast in Costa Mesa, sponsored

by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3536.

Michele Butterworth, activities director at the Newport Dunes, shares

her annual favorite moment.

When the fireworks go off at 9 p.m. on the fourth every year,

Butterworth said they fly up, explode into a blanket of light, beam down

on the beach and illuminate a sea of people on sand.

“It’s really cool to see everyone sitting here on the beach,” she

said. “It kind of makes the whole day worth it.”

The Newport Dunes’ celebration will include limbo games, Hula-Hoop

contests, horseshoe tournaments -- people just love these horseshoe

tournaments, Butterworth said -- carnival games, face painters and music.

About 11,000 people are expected, and organizers are confident there’s

something to suit everyone.

“There’s a lot of people, a lot of excitement and a lot of things to

do,” Butterworth said.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3536 have their gala ready: a

pancake breakfast with a menu including sausage, eggs, coffee and milk.

Door prizes will be given away at this event, to be held at the Veterans

Memorial Hall in Costa Mesa, and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have

volunteered their time.

Newport Beach’s boat parade will also kick off with a pancake

breakfast. Organizers will serve a barbecue lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30

p.m., and then a steak-fry dinner from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Of the afternoon’s boat parade, co-chairman of the event Dennis Lahey

said it’s a chance for restaurants to fill their window seats and

waterfront residents to trickle outside.

“It’s kind of our thank you to the community,” Lahey said.

FYI

WHAT: The Old Glory Boat Parade

WHEN: Parade will start at 1 p.m., the events for the day will start

at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast

WHERE: The parade will take the same route as the Christmas Boat

Parade in the harbor in Newport Beach. Breakfast will be served at the

American Legion Post 291, 215 15th St., Newport Beach

COST: $6 for breakfast, the parade is free to watch

CALL: (949) 673-5070

WHAT: The 28th annual Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast

WHEN: 7 a.m.

WHERE: Veterans Memorial Hall, 567 W. 18th St., Costa Mesa

COST: $3 for adults, $2 for children 12 and younger

CALL: (949) 646-6302

WHAT: The 43rd annual Fourth of July celebration at the Newport Dunes

Waterfront Resort

WHEN: Festivities will start at 11 a.m. Fireworks will start at 9 p.m.

WHERE: 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach

COST: $25 per car for parking

CALL: (949) 729-3863