America’s 250th birthday celebration is heating up — literally — as communities from coast to coast gear up for Independence Day festivities, all while dangerous temperatures force both organizers and revelers to take extra precautions.
President Donald Trump is heading to South Dakota to speak and watch fireworks at Mount Rushmore. Meanwhile, New York City’s Times Square will host a midnight ball drop, bringing a New Year’s Eve-style countdown to the July Fourth holiday for the first time.
The biggest events are set for Saturday, when fireworks displays will light up skies in towns across the country alongside backyard cookouts and neighborhood block parties. Trump is also scheduled to speak at the National Mall in Washington before what’s being described as a historically large fireworks show.
Despite the festive atmosphere, dangerously high temperatures are gripping much of the Midwest and East Coast, raising serious safety concerns. Health officials are urging people celebrating outdoors to drink plenty of water and seek air-conditioned spaces when needed.
The extreme heat has already disrupted some holiday programming. In Washington, organizers of the Capitol Fourth concert closed a Thursday rehearsal to the public because of the conditions. The Friday concert itself — a long-standing Independence Day tradition in the nation’s capital — may be canceled entirely. Saturday’s Washington celebrations will include additional water stations, cooling areas, and expanded medical support.
Cities and venues elsewhere are also adjusting. From Boston to Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Gettysburg National Military Park, event plans are being modified to account for the scorching temperatures. Amtrak has canceled select trains in the Northeast, citing heat that could compromise the integrity of the tracks.
The holiday arrives at a particularly charged moment in the country’s history. The 250th anniversary has prompted reflection on America’s past while also highlighting its current political divisions — and even the celebrations themselves reflect that divide.
Freedom 250, an organization with ties to the White House, has emerged as a rival to America250, a bipartisan group that Congress established a decade ago. Freedom 250 has organized much of the Washington activity, including the Great American State Fair, which has drawn attention for its notably sparse attendance. America250, on the other hand, is behind the ball drops in multiple cities including New York, and is planning a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday.
A survey conducted in April by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that roughly 4 in 10 American adults feel “proud” about the country reaching its 250th anniversary, while about 3 in 10 described feeling “excited.”
Joe Fuqua-Bejarano, an auto technician in Topeka, Kansas who is selling fireworks on the side, offered his take on what makes America special — and it isn’t politics. “We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said.
Christina Zhou, a 25-year-old research assistant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said she plans to focus on what’s happening close to home. “It feels a little bit more like within our own personal control,” she said.
