In 2025, Lincoln City held the first drone show on the Oregon Coast instead of fireworks over Siletz Bay. The change was in response to growing community concerns about environmental and wildlife impacts at this sensitive site, which is located within 1,000 feet of the Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge. Public safety, fire risk, and impact on pets and veterans of war were factors, too.
In 2026, Lincoln City decided to move all nighttime celebrations away from this sensitive ecological site. The City of Lincoln City will be holding a professional firework display over Devils Lake the night of July 4th.
Explore Lincoln City will host a new event in the Taft District near Siletz Bay—Stars, Stripes and Wildlife raises awareness around this unique ecological area and the reasons to protect it and the wildlife that lives here. With music, food, fun and wildlife education, we introduce this new way to celebrate the holiday in a favorite location that is friendlier to wildlife, pets, and military veterans.
Salishan Spit—the traditional firework launch site—is a highly sensitive area governed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation District and very near the Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge. Many concerns have been raised about the site, which is home to many species of wildlife, including a resident harbor seal population and many nesting birds, including the federally protected Western Snowy Plover.
Fireworks impact air quality, waterways, soil, human health, and, of course, wildlife.
Additionally, the Salishan Spit is particularly vulnerable to erosion, which is exacerbated by the heavy equipment necessary to produce a fireworks show.
Moving fireworks away from this sensitive area is better for Siletz Bay, Salishan Spit, Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge, Pacific Ocean, Taft Beach and all species that call this area home.
Stars, Stripes and Wildlife was created to celebrate the July 4th holiday while highlighting the importance of protecting local wildlife and natural spaces.
Visitors can enjoy live music, food vendors, family-friendly activities, and educational opportunities that showcase the ecological significance of Siletz Bay. The event offers a festive way to celebrate while learning how small actions can help preserve the places and wildlife that make Lincoln City special.
Together, these efforts create a holiday experience that is friendlier to wildlife, pets, military veterans, and future generations.
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We all love the Oregon Coast — from rugged rock formations and windswept dunes to wildlife in towering forests — and it’s easy to resolve to protect it so all can enjoy it in the future. As you head to the beach or venture out for a coastal hike or whale-watching excursion, treat the land and its wild inhabitants with consideration and care.
Wherever the surf meets the beach, a rocky bluff, a dune, or a stand of wind-whipped Sitka spruce, that land is free and open to everyone. It can’t be built up, fenced off, or claimed as private; it belongs to us all.
But the Oregon Coast is much more than where the ocean meets the sand.
Wave the flag this July 4th in the Taft District in Lincoln City at Stars, Stripes and Wildlife to experience music, local flavors, and family fun celebrating the wildlife, ecosystems and natural beauty of Siletz Bay