🇺🇸 How Gringos in Baja Celebrated the Fourth of July
Forget barbecues in the backyard—this year, Independence Day in Baja had Americans celebrating with tacos, tequila, and just enough sunscreen to pretend we planned ahead.
From Cabo San Lucas to Loreto, the stars and stripes flew proudly (alongside a few confused glances from Canadians). Beach towns lit up with fireworks, although to be fair, some might have been leftovers from New Year’s or just a neighbor named Jorge setting off cohetes for fun.
In Los Cabos, expats gathered at the usual spots—beach bars, rooftop grills, and anywhere that had hot dogs and Wi-Fi. Some brought out red, white, and blue everything—swimsuits, napkins, cupcakes, and one guy even dyed his dog. (Don’t worry, it was non-toxic. We asked.)
Local restaurants got in on the action too. A few offered “American specials” like BBQ ribs, burgers with guac, and suspiciously sweet apple pie. No one complained. It paired beautifully with cold cerveza and a spectacular sunset that made everyone forget the heat index hit 103°F.
Of course, no Fourth of July in Baja is complete without the traditional beach bonfire singalong. Somewhere between Springsteen and the Star-Spangled Banner, the ukulele came out, and all bets were off. The crowd was 50% patriotic, 30% tipsy, and 20% just here for the marshmallows.
And yes, someone absolutely tried to start a “U.S.A.” chant at the OXXO. It did not catch on.
But here’s the thing: Whether you were born in Boston or Boise, whether you celebrated with sparklers or sangria, one thing was clear—being part of this Baja community means we get to bring a little bit of home with us, and maybe leave it better than we found it.
So cheers to freedom, fireworks, and finding the only place in town that still had ice.
Happy Fourth, amigos.