Washington, D.C
Independence Day Celebrations Around DC (2024)
Fourth of July at the Archives
Where: National Archives | National Mall, DC
When: July 4, 9am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Catch the annual dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of the National Archives . It starts at 10am, but doors open at 9am. Get there early to get a good seat and enjoy entertainment by the Experience Band and Show. After that, celebrate like it’s 1776! There will be lots of fun family activities,…meet historic figures, do some arts & crafts, and sign the Declaration of Independence yourself!
America’s Pastime
Where: Nationals Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: July 4, 11:05am (and July 3)
Admission: Ticket prices vary
A day at the ballpark is about as all-American as it gets when it comes to sports, and you can experience it and celebrate the holiday at Nationals Park. The July 4th game against the Mets is part of the Patriotic Series, when the Nats wear their red, white, and blue. And, FYI, the evening of July 3, and there will be post-game Freedom Fireworks, plus more promos for the rest of the games.
Root for the Baysox (& Firrworks)
Where: Prince George’s Stadium | Bowie, MD
When: July 3, 6:35pm
Admission: Starts at $10
For baseball on a smaller scale, the Bowie Baysox are hosting an Independence Day Celebration at their July 3 game against the Richmond FLying Squirrels. Enjoy the action on the field and fire works afterwards.
National Independence Day Parade
Where: Constitution Avenue NW, 7th-17th Streets | DC
When: July 4, 11:45am
Admission: Free
Many national holidays get a parade in DC, and July 4th is no exception. Scores of spectators always line the Constitution Avenue sidewalks to watch the procession celebrating Independence Day as it make its way from 7th to 17th Street. Marching bands, floats, giant balloons, equestrian groups, drill teams, and military units will be among the pageantry. Stake out your spot along the route early, as this event attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers every year.
4th of July in the District
Where: 13th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW | Downtown DC
When: July 4, 5-10:30pm
Admission: Free
Join Mayor Muriel Bowser for the second annual 4th of July in the District Concert featuring performances by the United States Air Force Band with Gavin Degraw and more acts to follow with live broadcast nationally on CNN. There will also be family friendly activities, food trucks, and more. The concert is free and seating is first come, first serve.
A Capitol Fourth
Where: West Lawn on the Capitol | Capitol Hill, DC
When: July 4, 8pm; gates open at 3pm
Admission: Free
The annual Independence Day concert at the Capitol airs live on PBS, but you can see the musical pageantry in person. Alfonso Rabiro will be hosting this year’s show, which will include performances by Alfonso Ribiero, Sheila E, Smokey Robinson, Darren Criss, Fantasia, the National Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Army Band, the Joint Armed Forces Chorus, and many more exciting acts. (KFDC Tip: Enjoy the show with less crowds at the dress rehearsal on July 3 – same time and place!)
Fireworks on the Mall
Where: National Mall, DC
When: July 4, 9pm
Admission: Free
The grand finale of the day: Shortly after 9pm, the sky above the National Mall will explode with color when the amazing iconic fireworks display begins. Fireworks will be launched from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool area, but you can find a place on or off the Mall to watch them (see tips below for a list of places to view them).
An American Celebration
Where: Mount Vernon | Mount Vernon, VA
When: July 4, 9am – 5pm
Admission: $26/adult, $13/age 6-11, free/5 & under
The home of George Washington salutes the first commander-in-chief with a dazzling display of made-for-daytime fireworks during its annual Independence Day event. Visitors will be treated to spectacular smoke fireworks in patriotic colors fired over the Potomac River. The event also includes an inspirational naturalization ceremony for new citizens, military reenactments, a special wreathlaying ceremony, a performance by the National concert band and more live entertainment, and a chance to meet General Washington himself. See the full schedule of events here and read more about Mount Vernon here.
Family Day: Summer Party
Where: Capitol Jewish Museum | Downtown DC
When: July 4, 9:30am – 1pm
Admission: Free
The museum invites you to join them before the fireworks for specialty crafts, music, food, and fun. Learn about Jewish Revolutionary War history from friends at National Museum of American Jewish Military History. Connect and celebrate a tradition for your home with mezuzah activities. They’ll also have themed crafts and activities and classic outdoor games and music on the newly opened 3rd floor terrace. Plus, build a goodie bag to enjoy during the fireworks!
Fourth at the Wharf
Where: The District Wharf | Southwest DC
When: July 4, 5-10pm
Admission: Free
Enjoy the Fourth of July at The Wharf with a free celebration on District Pier. The celebration includes music, a bar for adults, and spectacular views of the annual fireworks launched from the National Mall. They also offer a VIP fireworks viewing experience benefitting the USO that gives you exclusive access to the Dockmaster Building on the tip of District Pie, complete with two complimentary drink tickets (additional beverages for purchase), all-American light fare, DJ, games, photo station, and a raffle. Read more about The Wharf in this KFDC post.
Neighborhood Parades & Celebrations
Where: Throughout the DMV
When: Most on July 4, times vary
Admission: Free
Keep it close to home at a community celebration. You likely are aware of July 4th events taking place in your neighborhood or nearby, but if you’re still looking for a hyperlocal fête, here are some that are known to be good ones: Capitol Hill (we can vouch it’s great from many years attending), Palisades, Takoma Park, College Park, Great Falls, McLean.
July 4th Celebration
Where: Armed Forces Retirement Home | Petworth, DC
When: July 4, 4-9:30pm
Admission: Free
All are welcome to join the 10th annual July 4th Celebration at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Enjoy live entertainment, bouncy fun, a kids’ scooter parade and contest, activities for all ages, and views of the evening fireworks on the National Mall. Concessions will also be for sale and plentiful.
4th of July Picnic
Where: Greenbelt Baptist Church | Greenbelt, MD
When: July 4, 4-7pm
Admission: Free
All are invited to join the Greenbelt Baptist Church for their annual 4th of July celebration. There will be food, games, music face painting, moon bouncing, and more. Stop by on the way to Buddy Attik lake where there will be fireworks in the evening.
Great Meadow Independence Day Celebration
Where: Great Meadow | The Plains, VA
When: July 4, 5pm
Admission: $50/car
Great Meadow, a 74-acre park and home of the Virginia Gold Cup races, is bringing back its famous fireworks show and activities for the 34th year a couple of days ahead of the 4th. Join for family games like cornhole toss, sack races, face painting, tug-of war, and more. Bring a picnic or purchase food on site — there will be food trucks and a beer garden. A spectacular fireworks display gets underway at dusk. BYO blankets and chairs for comfortable viewing (no umbrellas or tents, unless in reserved tailgate spaces.)
July 4th Fest
Where: Six Flags | Bowie, MD
When: July 4-6
Admission: Starts at $35
With amusement park fun thrown into the mix, Six Flags’ celebration will be pretty epic for kids. Along with all of the ongoing fun throughout the venue, there will also be fireworks, music, and lots of Coca Cola (sponsors of the event) on Independence Day and two days leading up to the holiday.
More July 4th Tips!
* Find off-the-Mall suggestions for viewing the fireworks.
* If you’re headed into DC, take public transportation! Cannot stress enough what a bad idea it would be to drive.
* Eater DC has a round-up of restaurants celebrating July 4th.
* For more activities during the long weekend following the 4th, see the KFDC Summer Guide.
Where better to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and the country’s rich history than the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. A new exhibit, which opened Thursday, tells the United States’ 250-year history with 250 objects.
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250 objects for 250 years at the National Museum of American History
Where better to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and the country’s rich history than the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in D.C. A new exhibit, which opened Thursday, tells the United States’ 250-year history with 250 objects.
Visitors will see the museum mainstays like the original American flag that inspired the “Star Spangled Banner” and the desk where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, but the new exhibit “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” will also show some artifacts never before displayed.
“A surfboard that was used by Duke Kahanamoku, who is a Native Hawaiian surfer who really popularized surfing to the world. He was an Olympian and we have his massive, 9-foot surfboard that he shaped in Southern California in 1928,” said Theo Gonzalves, a curator at the National Museum of American History.
The exhibit covers the history of the nation through political action, including a sweater worn by a young woman during a school walkout during the Civil Rights Movement and a Tea Party sign from the 2010s.
It also delves into military history with the Revolutionary War’s gunboat “Philadelphia,” and a uniform worn by Gen. George Washington.
Pop culture, lifestyle and entertainment are also front and center.
“We have a Nintendo game set and so there are folks that are looking at their at that Nintendo game set, and they’re thinking, ‘I can’t believe that that’s now part of history,’” Gonzalves said. “I’m old enough to realize what Nintendo was for our generation, but it is part of American history.”
Megan Smith, the head of experience development at the museum, said a seemingly mundane object is one of her favorite artifacts in the museum.
“Hidden in a kind of boring looking exterior, which is a file cabinet that contains over 52,000 jokes written by Phyllis Diller,” she said. “Phyllis Diller was one of the first female stand-up comedians in America. It’s just an ordinary filing cabinet, but it’s filled with her career basically, and her creative process and all of her knowledge.”
Scientific and technological achievement throughout American history is also celebrated, including the first radiocarbon dating machine from the 1950s.
Anthea Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan director of the museum, said staff at the museum had to whittle down nearly 2 million artifacts to 250 artifacts that define American history.
“To take 2 million to get down to 250, and the curators did a beautiful job. The whole team did a lot of thinking about what are those objects that help show us in action as a people? Help understand the dreams that we’ve put into the declaration, how it’s expanded, who it includes,” she told WTOP.
She said the exhibit is the brainchild of over three years of curation work.
The National Museum of American History is open every day but Christmas.
“I hope people see themselves reflected in our work and in these objects,“ Hartig said.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
Washington, D.C
The Work Behind the Welcome: NPS Tradespeople Restore Dupont Circle, Making D.C. Safer and More Beautiful (U.S. National Park Service)
NPS / Kelsey Graczyk
The hands behind the place
This work took more than plans. It took craftsmen and craftswomen.
NPS carpenters, masons, maintenance workers, preservation specialists, engineers and landscape architects worked together to renew the circle from the ground up. Crews installed about 10,000 feet of wood slats, cut and placed dowels, sanded rough surfaces, repaired worn concrete legs and painted benches to withstand weather and daily use.
Contractors also repaired fountain pipes and restored stone and marble features, returning moving water to the heart of the circle.
“I used to write project plans for this kind of work,” retired NPS Asset Manager Fred Francis said. “Now I’m out here helping do it. I’m working with a great group of people who are experts in their fields.”
Homelessness in the D.C. region ticked up slightly from 2025 to 2026, according to a new report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Homelessness in the D.C. region ticked up slightly from 2025 to 2026, according to a new report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Christine Hong, chair of the council’s Homeless Services Committee and chief of services to End and Prevent Homelessness with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, presented the findings at the council’s Wednesday meeting.
The report centers on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s mandated point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.
“This year, the count was conducted on Feb. 4. We had to postpone it one week due to the extreme cold and winter weather event that we experienced the week prior,” Hong said. “Although it’s an imperfect measure, it provides an important regional snapshot of homelessness on a single night.”
The D.C. region reported 9,790 total people experiencing homelessness, an increase of 131 people or about 1% from 2025. The year-over-year regional change was modest. This count is closer in line to the 2019 number, before the pandemic.
“The regional story is that homelessness fell during the pandemic era, a period when expanded federal resources and emergency protections were in place, and then increased after those temporary supports ended,” Hong said. “The main takeaway is that regional homelessness is no longer increasing at the pace seen in 2023 and 2024, and is in line with the years immediately preceding the pandemic.”
Results varied by jurisdiction.
D.C. had the largest numerical increase, with 225 additional people counted. Prince George’s County, Maryland, had 175 additional people counted, a 29% increase. Montgomery County saw the largest decrease, down by 390 people or 26%. Hong pointed to the county’s investment in short-term housing.
“Montgomery County also spent a great deal to expand emergency shelter for families, because we are committed to ensuring no family with children would sleep outside even one night,” she said.
The count also included detailed information on race, veterans and household types.
“The broader evidence is clear, and is referenced in the report, that housing costs and the cost of living are major drivers of homelessness risk, especially for families with low income,” Hong said. “In practical terms, this means family homelessness is closely tied to whether low-income families can find and maintain housing.”
Read the full report here.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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