The iconic Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier will light up in red, white and blue for the Fourth of July weekend.
The Ferris wheel at Pacific Park will join other area landmarks in displaying the colors of the American flag beginning Thursday evening.
The Pacific Wheel features 174,000 LED lights, which it will use to create a 90-foot tall, animated American flag with color patterns and transitions.
The world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel has nightly light shows beginning at the twilight’s last gleaming, around 8 p.m., through 12:30 a.m., a few hours prior to the dawn’s early light.
Those hoping to catch a ride on the nine-story carnival ride, which takes riders to heights of more than 130 feet over the Pacific Ocean, can visit the theme park from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursday’s holiday includes a “Fourth of July Star Spangled Soirée” at the nearby Ocean View Hotel. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the hotel will offer live music, face painting and other festivities.
If you can’t make it out to the Santa Monica Pier yourself, Pacific Park offers an online stream of the Ferris wheel.