Thursday, July 2, 2026
When’s the last time the Fourth of July fell on a Saturday? 2020, but what with Covid, we barely noticed. This weekend, you can celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday at a comedy jam, a sing-along, a cemetery tour or a Pilates class (with puppies). There will even be a few fireworks shows, we hear — though our hearing may be gone on Sunday. For more July events, visit The Georgetowner’s online calendar.
History After Hours
Tonight, Thursday, July 2, at 6:30 p.m., Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, 1644 31st St. NW, will host Brew to the People: A Coffeehouse Conversation. After viewing the exhibition “Founding Fortunes: The Estate Sale of Martha Washington,” attendees can imbibe coffeehouse-style non-alcoholic drinks and snack on pizza at the Dower House, a Gothic Revival building on the grounds. Tickets are $12.23 on Eventbrite.
Second of July Fireworks
Independence Weekend gets sparking with Thursday Night fireworks shows in Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Road in Bladensburg, Maryland, and Yeonas Park, 1319 Ross Drive SW in Vienna, Virginia. Starting at 6 p.m., prior to the fireworks, Bladensburg‘s event features DJ Flava of 93.9 WKYS, food trucks, amusements, exhibits and pony rides. In Vienna, Ochos de Bastos takes the stage at 8 p.m., after which Vienna Youth Players will perform the National Anthem. Purchase your shaved ice and ice cream before the rockets go up at 9:30 p.m.
Are You Wild About Harry?
Speaking of Vienna, on Friday, July 3, at 8 p.m., Harry Connick Jr. performs with his band at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road. Isaac Daniel of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Jackson Sinnenberg of WAMU 88.5 lead a pre-show discussion at 7 p.m. on the Farmhouse Lawn. Tickets start at $61.
250 Laughs Guaranteed
On Friday, July 3, America 250 Comedy Jam presents two shows, at 7 and 9 p.m., in the “intimate setting and lively atmosphere” of DC Comedy Clubhouse, 2013 14th St. NW. Tickets are $28.52 on Eventbrite.
Chill-ebrate America 250
Greenbelt, Maryland, will hold a fireworks-free Independence Day Chill-ebration on Friday, July 3, from 3 to 8 p.m., at Roosevelt Center, 121 Centerway. The event includes arts activities run by Greenbelt Recreation, a free 4 p.m. screening at the Greenbelt Cinema, Katy Gaughan Drumming for Wellness at 4:30 p.m., the Greenbelt Honk! Situation at 5:30 p.m. and DJ-accompanied mingling at 6:30 p.m.
Third of July Fireworks
On Friday, July 3, at 7 p.m., Montgomery County 250th: Shine Together kicks off at Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Road in Kensington, Maryland, with live music from the Nighthawks. The fireworks are due to begin around 9:15 p.m.
Sing Along With Planet Word
On Saturday, July 4, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., We Sing America, a free, all-ages, community sing-along presented by Planet Word, will fill Franklin Park — 13th to 14th Streets NW between Eye and K — with voices, many on key. Leading the singing: Nolan Williams Jr., joined by his NEWorks Voices of America and a live band. Esther Ciammachilli of WAMU Morning Edition will host.
Semiquincentennial Central: The National Mall
Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks, the Semiquincentennial’s main event, starts at 1 p.m. on the National Mall between 14th and 17th Streets NW. Expect an Independence Day Parade, military demonstrations, tributes to service members and American heroes, remarks by special guests, family-friendly festivities and patriotic performances. Aiming to break the Guinness World Record, Pyrotecnico technicians will send up more than 850,000 fireworks from a network of sites — including eight barges in the Potomac River — during a 40-minute show that begins around 10:30 p.m.
Watching From Washington Channel
District Pier at the Wharf presents Fourth at the Wharf from 7 to 11:30 p.m. The VIP experience includes: Chris Ryan Band from 7 to 9 p.m.; backstage access; exclusive access to the Dockmaster Building; VIP-only restrooms; two drink tickets (plus cash bar), featuring an all-American lineup from Samuel Adams, Jack Daniel’s and Tito’s; all-American light fare; and breathtaking views of the National Mall fireworks.
More Fourth of July Events
As an adjunct to the big show on the Mall, there will be a fireworks display in Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Drive, visible in and around the park and from Navy Yard. Quite a few towns within easy reach of the District are hosting Fourth of July celebrations, including the following seven in Maryland and four in Virginia. Note: Lawn chairs, blankets and coolers are almost always welcome, while alcohol is almost always banned. Regulations on cooking and pets vary, so check in advance.
In Maryland
The Laurel Independence Day Celebration in Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry St., kicks off at 3 p.m. with a parade, followed by family fun, live music and, at 9:15 p.m., fireworks over the lake.
The Greenbelt Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks in Buddy Attick Lake Park, 555 Crescent Road, opens at 3 p.m. There will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 4 p.m., followed by the National Anthem, then live music and a DJ. The fireworks start after 9 p.m.
The gates open at 4 p.m. for the Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department Fireworks Celebration at 15598 Hughes Road in Poolesville, with live music and food trucks. The viewing area is at the Polo Fields near Hughes and Sugarland Roads. Admission is $10 per car.
Starting at 5:30 p.m., kids can run onto the field for playtime, an inflatable obstacle course, a face painter and a balloon artist at the Chesapeake Baysox’s Star Spangled Spectacular in Prince George’s Stadium, 4101 Crain Highway in Bowie. Live music begins at 6:30 p.m. and there will be food concessions. Admission is $10 for kids and $15 for adults.
Frederick’s 4th starts at noon in Baker Park, 151 S. East St., featuring two entertainment stages, family-friendly rides, activities and food, with a fireworks show at dusk.
Germantown Glory in South Germantown Recreational Park, 18041 Central Park Circle in Boyds, features food vendors and TFC band at 7 p.m., with fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Also starting at 7 p.m., with live music and a 9:15 p.m. fireworks show: the Rockville Independence Day Celebration in Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park, 1800 Piccard Drive.
In Virginia
Independence Day in Fairfax City begins at 10 a.m. with a parade in Old Town Fairfax, complete with floats, giant helium balloons and marching bands, followed by an Independence Day Lawn Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 Main St. At 6:30 p.m., the action moves to Fairfax High School, 3501 Lion Run, for a presentation of the colors by American Legion Post 177, live music from the Vienna-Falls Church Chorus and NovaKane and fireworks when night falls.
The gates open at 4 p.m. for “The Big Boom” at Great Meadow, 5089 Old Tavern Road in The Plains, for family-friendly fun, with fireworks at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $60.
Another 9 p.m. fireworks show will hit the sky above Turner Farm, 925 Springvale Road in Great Falls. The gates open at 6 p.m. for “inflatable fun,” with a cornhole tournament from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (register in advance here). The suggested donation is $20 per family.
Herndon’s celebration, in Bready Park, 814 Ferndale Ave., begins at 6:30 p.m. with games, crafts and music. The fireworks go off at 9:30 p.m.
Presidential Memory Lane
On Sunday, July 5, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Congressional Cemetery History Education Manager Kurt Deion leads a Presidential Connections Tour at the cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. This thematic walking tour stops at graves and memorials of individuals — cabinet members, vice presidents, an assassination conspirator, a photographer, architects, a wayward son, secretaries, a landlady and a bodyguard — linked to U.S. presidents. Tickets are $11.20.
Paired Ps on Georgia Avenue
A match made in heaven, courtesy of Hook Hall and Lucky Pup Yoga: Puppies & Pilates in the Garden. Participants in this all-levels mat Pilates class on Sunday, July 5, at 9:45 a.m. will be besieged by playful pups, with dedicated puppy playtime afterward in the garden at Hook Hall, 3400 Georgia Ave. NW. Tickets are $49.87 on Eventbrite.
Paired Ws on Wisconsin Avenue
Shop Made in DC, 1304 Wisconsin Ave. NW, hosts another alliterative activity on Sunday, July 5, Watercolors & Wellness, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tickets — including a reserved seat, two curated prints to paint, access to shared watercolor supplies and a Mocktail Club beverage to sip while you create — are $14.10 on Eventbrite.