Fourth of July
Fireworks and more.

By Cheryl Eddy

THE WORDS "bombs bursting in air" might ring a little icky these days, but barbecues, free outdoor concerts, bowl-a-thons, independent bookstores, and the San Francisco Mime Troupe have been around a lot longer than ol' George W.'s been in office. Plus, a colossal Friday night fireworks display ain't such a bad way to kick off a summer weekend. All events take place July 4 unless otherwise indicated.

San Francisco

'Celebrate Your Independents!' Various locations; 387-2272. July 4-6. Ten San Francisco independent bookstores (Booksmith, Borderlands, Browser, Builder's Booksource, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, Christopher's, Fields, Green Apple Books, Get Lost, and Modern Times) plan special Independence Day weekend festivities, including no sales tax on purchases, in-store events, and a raffle.

City of San Francisco's Fourth of July Celebration Pier 39, Embarcadero at Beach; 705-5500, www.pier39.com. Noon-9pm, free. Anyone not turned off by huge-ass crowds can enjoy the sounds of Taming Ingrid, the Zydeco Flames, David Martin's House Party, and others at this party leading up to the annual waterfront fireworks display.

Fireworks viewing and dinner party Aboard the Balclutha, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Hyde St. Pier; 561-6662, ext 29. 7pm, $50-125 (reservations required). The maritime preservation and education programs of the S.F. Maritime National Historic Park benefit from this floating dinner party aboard the historic vessel Balclutha.

Fourth of July barbecue Annie's Cocktail Lounge, 15 Boardman; 703-0865. 4-10pm, $7. Belly up to Annie's (it's a bar, so 21 and over and no children, please) for an all-you-can-eat bonanza, plus a contest and prize for the best apron.

'Fourth of July Piano Marathon' Victorian Englander House, 807 Franklin; 362-6080. Concerts every hour from 1-5 p.m., $5 ($15 for an all-day pass). Pianists Seth Monfort and Lisa Spector tickle the ivories in five different programs highlighting versions of "Yankee Doodle," 19th-century American and Latin American tunes, Joplin and Gershwin, and more.

Ghirardelli Square festival Ghirardelli Square, Plaza level, 900 North Point; 775-5500. 11:45am, free. The historic chocolate factory hosts a daylong festival of live family entertainment. Visitors can also learn more about the Ghirardelli family on a 20-minute walking tour (tours run 2-5pm, weekends, July 4-Sept 1).

'July 4th Freedom Concert' Recovery Theatre, 133 Golden Gate; (510) 798-9155. 8pm, $15-20. The Last Poets and Marvin X perform spoken word, with dancer Raynetta Rayzetta and music by violinist Tarika Lewis, djembe player Tacuma King, and percussionist Kele Nitito.

'Nude Freedom Day' Baker Beach; 922-2986, pages.prodigy.net/seniornude. 3pm, free. Head to Baker Beach for this clothing-optional celebration.

'Ol' Fashioned Fourth of July Alternative Family Picnic' Yerba Buena Gardens, Esplanade Gardens, Fourth St at Mission; 543-1718, www.ybae.org. 11am-4pm, free. Families of all stripes are welcomed at this annual event, which features live music, political speeches, kids' activities, and more.

San Francisco Mime Troupe's 'Veronique of the Mounties' Dolores Park, 18th St at Dolores; 285-1717, www.sfmt.org. July 4-6, 2pm (live music at 1:30pm). Free. (Show continues at Bay Area parks through Labor Day; check Web site for a schedule). The Mime Troupe's annual summer show makes good use of the group's trademark razor-sharp political humor in this musical tale of a mountie determined to stop the United States from invading its latest enemy, Canada.

Bay area

'All-American Fourth of July' USS Hornet, Alameda Point, Alameda; (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org. Noon-11 p.m., $5-15. The historic aircraft carrier hosts a day of nonstop live performances by Radio Noise, the Unauthorized Rolling Stones, Sacred Journey, and others; when darkness falls, the flight deck doubles as an ideal spot for viewing fireworks above the bay.

'Celebrate END Dependence Day' La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2568. July 4-5, 9pm. $10. Underground Railroad and Brown Fist Collective present an alternative to "all the flag-waving nonsense" with live music and performance.

Fourth of July at the Berkeley Marina Berkeley Marina, Berk; (510) 548-5335. Noon, free. The city of Berkeley plans a day of fun for kids (puppet shows, a performing dog, storytelling) and adults (two stages of live music, international food booths, art cars), plus a people's parade (7pm, meet at bicycle bridge near Sea Breeze Market) and fireworks (9:30pm).

Fourth of July at Jack London Square Embarcadero at Broadway, Oakl; (510) 814-6000, www.jacklondonsquare.com. Noon, free. This event includes two stages of music (everything from hip-hop to Dixieland jazz), an appearance by the Radio Disney "Full-Blown X-Treme Team" (4pm), a pops concert (7:45pm) with the Oakland East Bay Symphony (featuring guest vocalist Ledisi), and fireworks (9:25pm).

'Independence Day on the Green' Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati, Rohnert Park; (707) 546-8742, www.greenmusicfestival.org. 4pm, $7-52. Bring a picnic or purchase a boxed dinner (and Sonoma County wines) at this kid-friendly outdoor concert of "stars and stripes music," featuring the San Francisco Starlight Orchestra and the Santa Rosa Symphony.

'Independence Eve Ball for Single Professionals' Fremont Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 46100 Landing Pkwy, Fremont; (415) 507-9962. July 3, 8pm-1am. $20. Single professionals of all ages are invited to this dance party.

'Larkspur Landing Music Series' Larkspur Landing, 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur; (415) 461-3700, ext 201. 6-8pm, free (series continues every Friday evening through Sept. 19). Jazz saxophonist Jules Broussard takes to the gazebo and kicks off this summer-long music series. The upcoming lineup tends toward danceable swing, Cajun, and blues acts.

Marinwood Firefighter's Association annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast 775 Miller Creek, San Rafael; (415) 479-0122. 8:30-11:30am, $4-7. Chow on pancakes and help raise money for a good cause.

Point Reyes open studios Various locations, Point Reyes; (415) 663-1616, www.pointreyesart.com, www.pointreyesvisions.com. July 4-6, 11am-5pm. Free. Eighteen Point Reyes artists working in a variety of mediums open their studios to visitors. Check the Web sites for brochures and maps.

'Red, White, and Blue Zydeco Fest' Eagles Hall, 2305 Alameda, Alameda; (415) 285-6285. July 3-5, 9pm. $11-13. The Eagles Hall hosts three straight days of zydeco music (July 3-4, show up at 8pm for dance lessons; July 5, dance workshops at 1 and 2:30pm, $10-35, register at 510-475-6856). Performers include Lil' Malcolm and the Zydeco House Rockers (July 3), T. Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers (July 4), and Mark St. Mary and his Zydeco Band (July 5).

'San Jose America Festival' Guadalupe River Park and Gardens, Discovery Meadow, Autumn and Santa Clara, San Jose; (408) 294-2100, ext 444; www.americafestival.com. 11am-10pm, free. The city of San Jose's fireworks display caps off this festival, a benefit for the Emergency Housing Consortium. Activities include three stages of entertainment, a "Kidland" with rides and games, a microbrew tent, and more.

'Sea Bowl Roll 'n' Stroll' Sea Bowl Lanes, 4625 Coast Hwy (Hwy 1), Pacifica; maya@thecherrybombs.com, www.seabowl.com. 2-9pm, $10. The Cherry Bombs Car Club Scholarship Fund, which helps at-risk kids attend summer camp, benefits from this rock 'n' roll bowling party, featuring live music by the Blazers, Deke Dickerson, and others; a display of classic cars and motorcycles; cult film screenings; and more.

'Stars, Stripes, and Spurs: The San Francisco Symphony July 4th Celebration' Shoreline Amphitheater, 1 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View; www.ticketmaster.com. 8pm, $23.25-28.25. The San Francisco Symphony aims for happy trails at this year's July 4 concert (selections from Oklahoma!, Copeland's "Rodeo," etc.) under the direction of guest conductor Edwin Outwater. Plus, kid's activities and, of course, plenty of fireworks.

'worldOnefestival' Cerrito Vista Park, Moeser at Pomona, El Cerrito; www.worldoneradio.org. 10:30am-7pm. Free. "Global good vibes" permeate this party hosted by worldOneradio and 88.1 KeCg 97.7 and featuring performances by world and roots music groups and folk dancers.