Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2026

26 2026 Scenic 395 From Death Valley to Rhyolite Ghost Town, and from The Amargosa Big Dunes to Oasis Valley Trails...Beatty is in the center of it all. Made possible by a Nevada Commission on Tourism grant. www.travelnevada.com PHONE: 1.866.736.3716 WWW.BEATTYNEVADA.ORG JUST 98 MILES NORTH OF LAS VEGAS ON HIGHWAY 95. B E A T T Y , N E V A D A YOUR GATEWAY TO ADVENTURE! DON'T MISS OUR EXCITING BEATTY EVENTS! Visit our website for details. Beatty, NV place.” According to Spradlin, organizers pick and choose the variety of designs and shells for this grand show. The pa- triotic event normally includes sparklers and explosions with sequence and formations. “You get to enjoy the fea- tures of every single shell that we shoot off. And you have time to enjoy it before the next one covers it up,” he said. The committee planning the display each year, called Patri- otic Americans for Fireworks, makes a typical show, in the Kern Valley, with shells that range anywhere from three inches to eight inches in diameter. Spradlin explained that the three-inch shells could typically reach a height of 300 feet. An eight-inch shell can reach a height of 800 feet. Previously the committee has added two 10-inch shells. Other years the organizers instead added more five-inch and six-inch shells to the show. The planners assure that the show is continuous enough to be interesting without any dead sky between the shells. The show always lasts for at least 20 minutes and can be seen from a distance as far as the town of Bodfish. And Spradlin thinks the timeframe is kind of an optimum time for the display to last. At the end of the main body of the show, the organizers pick up the pace with a main finale near the end of the show. Then they build expectation before putting out the grand finale, “with a Dis- neyland-like effect,” Spradlin explained. The fireworks show organiz- ers believe it’s easier for vis- itors to attend and spend the weekend up in the Kern River Valley if the show is on the Saturday closest to Indepen- dence Day, which is why the show is always on a Saturday. And with so many lodging options to choose from, in- cluding many campgrounds, motels, and Airbnbs, it’s not difficult to find accommoda- tions. Word to the wise, on the topic of lodging, is to plan in advance of any holiday. However, there is more to the valley than fireworks. In other words, visitors will nev- er be bored, with a Major Art Center inWofford Heights, gift shops, and a tattoo artist. Nor would anyone object to shopping the mom-and-pop antique, clothing, and special- ty stores in Kernville. Check out the nightlife with bars, grills, and saloons fea- turing entertaining musicians in Lake Isabella and all the sur- rounding towns. Top-notch eateries, which even children would find enchanting, in- clude friendly and welcoming service throughout the valley. For recreation lovers, raft- ing on the nearby Kern River is a thrill-seeker’s dream. Hiking, bike parks and paths, and skateboarding are also satisfying to enjoy in the Kern Valley. And swimming and inner tubing at the river can be tranquil and safe, in certain areas, at the right time of the year. Swimming, boating, and canoeing at the lake are activi- ties also very available. Spradlin explains that the committee’s Round Up at the Pump at the Shell gas stations and the cash register at True Values in town, along with strategically placed Donation Canisters, take all year to pay for this lavish flash of sky colors along with other fund- raising efforts such as auctions and raffles. Locals count on the tourism the attraction brings to the mountain com- munity, located an hour’s drive each way from Ridge- crest and Bakersfield. Patriotic Americans for Fireworks interested in celebrating the birth of the nation, and the freedom that Americans and visitors enjoy, make so much effort to assure your family receives another show this year. Fundrais- ing continues all year round. “People are very considerate and interested in the fireworks and they’ll donate typically every time they come in, for the full year, trying to help us out, trying to give a show for the whole community,” said Spradlin. “We get thousands and thousands of people here. That’s for sure.” Zambelli Fireworks is the same company that the plan- ners have used for 25 years. Spradlin and his friends de- cided it was important enough to the community to raise the funds. “We get a lot of people that respond and acknowl- edge and thank us.” He said, “People respond and it’s a very giving community, very patriotic.” Continued from Page 22 Fireworks Event organizers set up the fireworks before a previous Lake Isa- bella July Fourth Fireworks Show. Photo by Patrick Ray, Kern Valley Sun Sopectators watch the fire- works over Lake Isabella during a past Fourth of July show. Photo by Aaron Crutchfield