For a guide to some of the best places around the country to watch pretty, colourful explosions, read on:
Voted one of the nation’s best firework displays by USA Today and Business Insider, Seattle’s Seafair Summer Fourth is all pie-eating contests, sack races, food vendors, beer gardens and live music during the day, and then epic fireworks (more than 3,500kg!) at night. It’s free, but with reserved seating available for purchase. The best seats are at Gas Works Park, at the north end of Lake Union. You’ll look over the lake, with the iconic Space Needle in the background.
It’s not just about fireworks at the Fourth of July celebrations in Anchorage – the day starts with a pancake breakfast at 8am, followed by a parade at 11am, a festival and an annual baseball doubleheader at Mulcahy Stadium. The fireworks usually start at the end of the second game – around 11pm, when it’s finally dark enough in this city that’s only about 890km from the Arctic Circle!
“These fireworks are BIG and LOUD.” So says the website for Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall in Washington, DC. There are loads of great spots from which to watch these epic fireworks, including rooftop bars, from across the river in Arlington and the most-coveted spot, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
On the banks of Boston’s Charles River listen to Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812 Overture’ – complete with real cannons and the peal of nearby church bells – before the sky explodes in a colourful fireworks show. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and is so beloved it’s televised across the U.S every year. Gates open three hours before this free event starts – pack a picnic and get there early to see the famous show which, this year, will feature West Side Story star, Rita Moreno, alongside the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Macy’s Fourth of July show in NYC has been hosted by the department store for more than four decades – this year will be the 42ndfireworks extravaganza. It takes place over the city’s East River, on five barges stationed between Houston and East 41st Streets. More than three million spectators across three of New York City’s boroughs – Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens – will see the fireworks, plus many millions more who watch from their TVs. A highlight of this year’s show will be Kelly Clarkson singing ‘God Bless America’ to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the song.
Lights on the Lake is one of the top five Fourth of July fireworks displays in the nation, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. It all takes places on Lake Tahoe South, where the fireworks are reflected in the waters for double the amazing effect. For great views head to Nevada beach, or book a spot on the Mississippi paddle wheeler or one of the luxury motor yachts that cruise the lake.
Another top spot for fireworks in Nevada is, of course, Las Vegas. Sin City is lit up at any given moment, but on the Fourth of July they ramp things up even more, and every corner of the Las Vegas Valley lights up with spectacular fireworks displays. Many resorts compete to host the largest fireworks show, so you should have a great view pretty much wherever you are.
America’s oldest Independence Day celebration is held in the historic town of Bristol, overlooking Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. There’s a classic ‘Main Street America’ feel to the town, with beautiful stately homes decorated in red, white and blue for the occasion. There’s also a Fourth of July ball, a Drum Corp show, a visiting ship and, of course, fireworks displays over Bristol Harbour.