Nations 233rd Birthday, Washington DC, Constitution Avenue and 7th to 17th St.

An 1825 invitation to an Independence Day celebration.

1st President of the US - George Washington
2nd President of the US - John Adams
3rd President of the US - Thomas Jefferson.

National Independence Day Parade(NIDP) and Diversified Events.

Originally entitled Yankee Doodle, painted by A. M. Willard that came to be known as The Spirit of 76. Often imitated or parodied, it is a familiar symbol of American patriotism.

Independence Day, Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Britain.

This Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the US.

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the 2nd Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.

After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of 5, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author.

Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail about this.

Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.

In 1791 the first recorded use of the name Independence Day occurred.

Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nations heritage, laws, history, society, and people.

Families often celebrate this Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue and take advantage of the day off and, in some years, long weekend to gather with relatives.

Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag.

Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, My Country, Tis of Thee, This Land Is Your Land, Stars and Stripes Forever, and, regionally, Yankee Doodle in northeastern states and Dixie in southern states.

Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show.

Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed.

A salute of one gun for each state in the US, called a salute to the union, is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.

Major displays are held in New York on the East/Hudson River, in Chicago on Lake Michigan, in San Diego over Mission Bay, in Boston on the Charles River, in St. Louis on the Mississippi River, and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

During the annual Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, host one of the worlds largest fireworks displays, over the Detroit River, to celebrate Independence Day.

If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience, again, varying by region.

Held since 1785, the Bristol July 4th Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the US.

Numerous major and minor league baseball games are played on Independence Day.

On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.

Americas National Independence Day Parade takes place annually on July 4th at 11:45 am in D.C., before a street audience of hundreds of thousands of spectators.

The Parade consists of invited bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military and specialty units, giant balloons, equestrian, drill teams, VIPs, national dignitaries, and celebrity participants.

The Parade is a major national event which seeks to draw the attention of Americans to the real meaning for the holiday.

It is a patriotic, flag-waving, red white and blue celebration of Americas birthday!

The Parade is co-hosted by the National Park Service and produced by Diversified Events.

Public access to the National Mall begins at 10:00 a.m., with all visitors are required to enter via a security checkpoint.

# Arrive early to find a good viewing spot.
# Bring food and water. Vendors will be available, but lines may be long.
# Dress appropriately for the weather. Shady spots are at a minimum, so be prepared to cope with hot and humid weather.


Following the parade you can spend the afternoon enjoying the cultural festivities at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival which takes place on the National Mall from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.

A Capitol Fourth Concert begins at 8 p.m. and the evening ends with a spectacular display of fireworks over the Washington Monument.

More than 3,000 performers, dancers, cultural organizations, balloons, floats, and military personnel from more than 25 states marched down Constitution Avenue.

More than 250,000 people are expected to view this spectacular display for American Pride.

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