What to Know
- June 14 is Flag Day
- The Pacific Wheel will shimmer with the flag and patriotic symbols from sunset to 12:30 a.m.
- Free to see (Pacific Wheel rides are additional); view in person or via the live cam
Flags will fly at businesses, schools, and homes across Southern California on Wednesday, June 14, all to honor Flag Day, but if you're seeking the biggest flag in the region, you'll need to wait for sunset.
This flag isn't made of cloth and it won't be attached to a flagpole; rather, it is set to shimmer on the side of the Pacific Wheel, the solar-powered Ferris wheel that serves as Pacific Park's striking centerpiece.
The playland is found on Santa Monica Pier, which is free to visit. But visitors should note that taking a spin on the nine-story wheel is ticketed, as are the other rides found around the amusement park.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Like Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Park is free to enter, but do have funds for the attractions, games, and treats.
The American flag will glitter across the side of the park's tallest feature from sunset, which is just after 8 o'clock as we get closer to the summer solstice, to 12:30 a.m. on Flag Day 2023.
But you don't need to be there to enjoy the show: It will be presented on the Pacific Wheel's live cam.
The mid-June holiday dates to 1777, when the first design was adopted following a resolution made by the Second Continental Congress.
Surely the notion of such a fanciful flag presentation, one that involves 174,000 LED lights and over 16,000,000 color value combinations, would have seemed like something that was beyond extraordinary back in the late 18th century, a true vision of the future.
In addition to the large-scale flag, look for patriotic hues to shimmer across the side of the sky-high wheel, a show that's a free gift to everyone who stops by the iconic pier or checks the live cam.
