John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is located in Fresno, CA and is our community pick for kids indoor activities this 4th of July weekend. Remember, this type of activity can easily consume a full day so plan accordingly.

John’s Incredible Pizza Company

7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 323-1111
Take a look inside!

4th of July celebrations and fireworks in Fresno are right around the corner. This year many people are opting to stay home in lieu of the expensive 2-week family vacation but doesn’t mean your holiday fun has to suffer.

Barbeques on the 4th of July are an absolute must otherwise the holiday just wouldn’t feel the same. Most grocery stores are having significant sales this year so check your local paper to see which chain has the best offers and make sure your barbeque has plenty of propane!

This year the Fourth of July falls on a Friday, which makes for a fun and short work week for most.

If your family is like ours you’ll start the day with outdoor games or swimming (if you have a pool) then move to the cookout and ice cold beverages. As the sun begins to set it’ll be time to pack up and get ready for the fireworks show.

This year you can find all of the Fresno County fireworks for the cities of: Clovis, Coalinga, Fowler, Fresno, Kerman, Kingsburg, Orange Cove, Reedley, Sanger, Selma, Shaver Lake on the Fresno county website. Most cities have gates opening between 5-7pm and fireworks starting around 9pm.

The fun part about having the 4th of July on a Friday is you then have the rest of the weekend to have more fun.

The kids will undoubtedly need to get out for some physical activity and other fun things on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures are expected to approach 100 degrees this holiday weekend so you might plan some indoor activities to keep the kids (and you) cool.

If the kids have the desire to have just plain fun with rides and games there are many options around California for parks, but again you’ll likely be dealing with intense heat. If you’re like us and you have a little one in a stroller, it’s just not an option.

Which leads us to the idea of kids indoor parks and playgrounds. We consider these to be a “must-have” in California. Fortunately, John’s Incredible Pizza Co. answered that call.

Here’s what you get and why we and our group of friends like it so much:

* John’s Incredible Pizza is huge! You’re not going to run out of space or fun things to do here. John’s is easily the largest indoor fun place for kids anywhere. Now you can even take an interactive look at what a typical John’s Pizza is like on the inside.

* John’s has many indoor rides and games. These are real indoor rides for kids, like the twister that spins you around at what feels like several hundred miles per hour and the coolest bumper car setup we’ve seen anywhere. The Fresno location also features laser tag, thunder alley bowling, and the virtual roller coaster.

* Interactive and fun video and other games

* Multiple themed dining rooms. Themes range from music videos to cartoons, each is easily the size of a standard restaurant.

* The reason for multiple dining rooms would be the all-you-can-eat-buffet. The buffet ties the rides for our favorite part of John’s. Simply said John’s has more pizza flavors than you can imagine, tons of pasta variations and a fantastic salad bar for those seeking a lighter fare. Of course if you dine on the salad bar you’ll have room for the all-you-can-eat dessert section too, which includes soft-serve ice cream, cakes, cookies and more.

John’s Incredible Pizza Co. is located in Fresno, CA and is our community pick for kids indoor activities this 4th of July. Remember, this type of activity can easily consume a full day so plan accordingly.

John’s Incredible Pizza Company

7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 323-1111
Take a look inside!

4th of July free weekend activities > community pick frozen yogurt:

Victoria Gardens Mall, Rancho Cucamonga
Cultural Center, Rancho Cucamonga
Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt (across from Living Spaces Furniture)
12709 Foothill Blvd.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
p. (909) 899-7599
interactive map and directions

It’s officially Summer and 4th of July celebrations are just around the corner. How will you celebrate this year?

Due to the economy many people will be foregoing their originally planned Summer vacations and 4th of July travel plans and staying home, but that doesn’t mean your 4th of July celebration can’t be fun.

There are some great ideas that will keep the kids happy, many of them free or at a great value. You just need to plan ahead a bit and consider what’s available.

Fireworks shows are a great way to end the holiday. The city of Rancho Cucamonga fireworks are being held at the Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter and Adult Sports Park. Fireworks tickets can be purchased at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center or online.

Obviously the actual 4th of July (this year on a Friday) is the day many families get together for outdoor barbeques, swimming and other fun things to do. The cost of food has skyrocketed but most grocery chains will be having sales the week of the holiday so take advantage of them. Stock up in advance with hamburgers, hot dogs and your favorite beverages but don’t forget the cool treats because temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees this holiday weekend.

Given the 4th of July falls on a Friday this year, events will need to be planned for the weekend. If you want to save money like we do, keep it close to home and find ways to keep the kids cool.

One great idea is to head over to the Victoria Gardens mall. It’s fun for everyone particularly if you have kids. There are also free things to do and great values and sales at many of the stores.

The mall features a grassy park with shade trees and surrounding restaurants with outdoor seating. This is the area where they hold concerts in the park and movies in the park (for kids), be sure to check the event dates and times because there are a couple of block out weeks with no scheduled events.

Attached to the grassy area where kids can run and play is the ever-popular spraying water fountain. This is an area where streams of water shoot into the sky at random times from the ground keeping the children cool (and soaked). Most parents have learned to bring a bathing suit or change of clothes so they can continue on with their activities at the mall. You might consider this if Victoria Gardens is part of your holiday plans and you have young children.

If you prefer to keep the kids dry or need a relaxing place after the water festivities, head over to the Cultural Center. The Cultural Center features the fantastic Paul A. Biane library where you can take a break and read with your children for their Summer reading programs. The Cultural Center also contains the Lewis Center Playhouse where you can watch shows and engage in special events.

The kids might also enjoy a little shop called Moondoggies, which is stocked with various breeds of the cutest pups. Often a prospective buyer will be holding one of these little pups so the kids can get play with them a bit. In general the mall seems to be very dog-friendly. We see many people each weekend who bring their dogs along for a walk at the all-outdoor mall, always on a leash of course. If you want to be sure though before bringing your dog to the mall you should call guest services and ask.

After a long hot day at the mall the kids will undoubtedly be looking for that cool, sweet treat commonly known as ice cream. Ice cream is great but if you’re looking for something they’ll love that’s also healthy make the switch to frozen yogurt. We did about 4 months ago and have never turned back and it wasn’t just for health reasons.

This frozen yogurt easily rivals your favorite ice cream without the fat, sugar, calories and heavy feeling after eating it. Plus they offer fresh fruit toppings like strawberries, blueberries and pineapple.

Our favorite flavors? Mine is strawberry and vanilla mixed with blueberries on top while my kids typically go for strawberry-banana with fresh strawberries. It’s simply the best frozen yogurt (or ice cream for that matter) we’ve ever had. If you’ve been disappointed by watery, icy frozen yogurt or tiny servings that are overpriced consider Golden Spoon. They pioneered the industry and have mastered their product to the point that ice cream just doesn’t make sense anymore.

There’s a Golden Spoon within a minute of the mall. We typically stop there before we go to Victoria Gardens then eat our smooth treats while we walk or stop by on the way home. It’s well worth the one minute drive so make it part of your holiday weekend. Like us, once you’ve tried it you’ll never go back to ice cream!

Here’s how to make Golden Spoon part of your Victoria Gardens holiday plans:

Exit the mall and head South to Foothill Blvd. and then travel East. It only takes a moment so just as you pass the entrance to the 15 freeway you’ll see the location on the right. It’s in the same center as Living Spaces furniture and sits just across from it. It’s a great quick stop before going to the mall or an even better one on the way out.

Although we frequent Golden Spoon we plan to pick up several to-go quarts for our 4th of July barbeque. It’s easier for a large group of people.

This year remember that the mall has many things to offer a family that are free plus there are great sales and values at the stores. We expect that discounts will be even deeper over the holiday weekend.
4th of July free weekend activities > community pick frozen yogurt:

Victoria Gardens Mall, Rancho Cucamonga
Cultural Center, Rancho Cucamonga
Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt (across from Living Spaces Furniture)
12709 Foothill Blvd.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
p. (909) 899-7599

View Larger Map

4th of July fun >fireworks:

Colonies Crossroads Shopping Center
Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt
1902 N. Campus Ave.
Upland, CA 91786
p. (909) 985-1625

There are many fun things to do this 4th of July weekend. Many people will stay home light up the barbeque and enjoy the outdoors but remember temperatures are predicted to rise again by July 4, close to 100 degrees so plan accordingly.

The 4th of July falls on a Friday this year so you have the entire weekend to plan fun events. We’ll likely have the standard bbq with some swimming pool fun but undoubtedly, the kids will want to get away from the house for a bit.

A great idea that is also free is to head over to Victoria Gardens mall in Rancho Cucamonga. Although their concerts in the park and movies in the park won’t be happening that weekend there are still some fun things to do for the kids.

Our favorite has been the outdoor water fountain where the kids can run through and cool off during hot days but another idea is to head over to the Cultural Center. It’s cool and relaxed there plus the kids can read books for their Summer reading programs. They also offer wireless internet throughout Victoria Gardens though we feel it has the best signal inside the Cultural Center.

The stores are great at the mall too of course, including the restaurants so consider Victoria Gardens this holiday weekend.

There are many fireworks shows within driving distance to Upland. The City of Upland fireworks are being held at the Upland High School football stadium. They begin at 9:00pm.

Rancho Cucamonga fireworks will be held at the Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter & Adult Sports Park.

If you’re like us and not a big fan of crowds there’s a neat place to watch about 12 fireworks shows all at the same time. We discovered this by accident last year when our daughter was only a couple weeks old. There were a few families there at the time so apparently the word was out a bit.

We frequent the Colonies Crossroads shopping center right on the border of Rancho Cucamonga and Upland, primarily for our frozen yogurt habit. Behind this shopping center, which includes an Albertson’s grocery store there’s a small area overlooking a man-made lake. From here you can see numerous fireworks shows all at different distances, none of them very close but still a really neat experience if you’re looking for something more private and convenient.

This year Golden Spoon is staying open July 4 until 9pm, which is right when all of the fireworks shows start. Perfect for us! We’ll take the kids shopping for a while then head over to Golden Spoon for frozen yogurt before the shows start. There’s also a Coffee Bean next door that works perfectly with frozen yogurt.

If you haven’t tried Golden Spoon you’re in for a treat. It’s the best frozen yogurt by far and even rivals the taste of your favorite ice cream without the fat and calories.

My personal favorite has been a mix of strawberry and vanilla with fresh blueberries but a close second is their mint. The kids love strawberry-banana with fresh strawberries on top while my wife is a fan of about 5 flavors ranging from strawberry to cake batter.

Going to a fireworks show is fun, we’ve done it for years but if you’re looking for one of those hidden gem type places to watch multiple shows head over to the Colonies Crossroads shopping center. Get your coffee and frozen yogurt and the family will be ready to go! Remember that all of the shows are at a distance so it’s quite an experience.

4th of July fireworks and fun:

Colonies Crossroads Shopping Center
Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt
1902 N. Campus Ave.
Upland, CA 91786
p. (909) 985-1625