The Fourth of July is upcoming, and while many celebrations are impacted by the public health emergency, there are also many protests scheduled throughout the District. Social distancing measures are still in place, and with the District in Phase Two, crowd sizes are limited to 50 people or less.
The 18th Annual Capitol Hill July 4th Parade has gone virtual. Organizers will put together a collection of short videos from all of the organizations who usually participate in the parade, from marching bands to classic cars to the Princess Patrol. See it online
The National Archives will host its first-ever virtual July 4th celebration. For 50 years, the Archives has celebrated the founding of the United States with a traditional reading ceremony of the Declaration of Independence on the Museum steps. This year, the National Archives will host the reading online, as well as providing a host of educational activities for the whole family.
Mount Vernon is also hosting ‘An American Celebration’ on July 4th, with an address from a George Washington reenactor and military exercises. The mansion itself is closed, and protocol are in place. You can learn more about COVID-19 related restrictions, see the schedule and get tickets at www.mountvernon.org
The White House will celebrate the Fourth of July with a ‘Salute to America‘, including a flyover and fireworks display beginning just after 9 p.m. a pre-taped PBS special ‘A Capitol Fourth’ will air beginning at 8 p.m. A 35-minute fireworks display is set to begin at 9:07 p.m. and will air live at the end of the broadcast. It can also be seen from various parts of the District.
At her July 1 Situational Update, Mayor Muriel Bowser encouraged residents to celebrate the holiday from home or close to home.
“Ask yourself: Do you need to be there?” she said of the federal celebration. “Can you anticipate or know who else is going to be around you? Do you know if you’re going to be able to social distance?”
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will both be closed on Saturday, July 4 and reopen when cleanup from the fireworks has been completed. East Potomac Golf Course will close at 7 p.m.; the last tee time will be at 4 p.m., and East Potomac Tennis Center will close at 3 p.m. Arlington Memorial Bridge will be closed to pedestrians on July 4.
Multiple protests are scheduled throughout the day, largely centered on the National Mall and the downtown area. For list of many of these events, please see this article.
Vehicles should expect road closures, watercraft restrictions and delays starting at midnight, Saturday July 4. A full list of NPS closures is available at www.nps.gov
