From fireworks soaring above the Washington Monument to hot dogs being downed in New York City’s frank-eating contest, Americans aren’t shy about celebrating their nation’s birthday. Many places are rolling out long-established Independence Day traditions on Monday (even if some of those traditions aren’t as long-established as they sound). Rain was forecast in many cities, but revelers were trying not to let it dampen their fun. Some Fourth of July highlights from around the country:
Obama: America a ‘miracle’
President Barack Obama called America a “miracle” that needs to be defended and nurtured on Monday during his final July Fourth celebration at the White House.
The Democrat made the brief comments to hundreds of people who gathered after rain forced officials to cancel an annual barbecue on the South lawn for military service members, veterans and their families.
It was the second straight year that weather scuttled the picnic.
Obama also led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to his older daughter, Malia Obama, who turned 18, reminding those gathered it’s a father’s job to embarrass his daughter.
Increased security for New York city’s fireworks show
Police dispatched 5,000 officers to oversee the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks display in the nation’s largest city. That’s the largest detail the New York Police Department has ever assigned on July Fourth.
Authorities said there were no known, credible threats against New York but vowed to remain vigilant.
Cool, rainy weather dampens July fourth in the nation’s capital
The rain was mostly gone, but lingering cloud cover led to a dreary Fourth of July on the National Mall.
After a day of showers and gray skies, the fireworks began as scheduled at 9:09 p.m., but most of the bursts of color were impossible to see. The clouds hanging over the Mall were so low that the top of the 555-foot Washington Monument was invisible.
Although thousands of people still flocked to the Mall, crowds were noticeably thinner than in previous years. The show was also hampered by a turf restoration project that closed off five city blocks’ worth of prime viewing space on the Mall.
The “Capitol Fourth” concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, however, was as festive as usual, with standout performances by Gavin DeGraw, Amber Riley and Smokey Robinson, among others.
Despite the rain, macy’s firework show dazzles in New York
More than a million spectators in New York City braved a light sprinkle of rain as they watched Macy’s annual July Fourth fireworks display.
The nearly 30-minute-long show Monday featured dazzling blues, reds and whites among other colors from the more than 56,000 pyrotechnic shells launched from barges in the East River.
The rain didn’t stop Columbia University law student Danielle Arthur, an American flag painted on her left cheek, who said she was proud to live in the USA while watching the show from Manhattan.
“It’s a nice day to celebrate the country and show off your pride,” she said.
The Macy’s show was aired live on NBC, and organizers said it was the biggest firework display since the millennium show of 2000.
In the nation’s birthplace, a parade and a parkway party
In Philadelphia, where the Founding Fathers approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the national birthday party ran all day.
It kicked off at 10 a.m. with a reading of the document and an event honoring everyday heroes, with celebrity guest Leslie Odom Jr., a Philadelphia native who plays Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical “Hamilton.” Then came the holiday parade, including Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell.
Next up was a five-hour party with free entertainment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The celebration was to continue with a five-hour concert with performers including Odom and singer-songwriter Leon Bridges. Fireworks close out the day.
New York: hot dogs on the menu
American as apple pie? Fuhgeddaboudit. The frankfurter rules the Fourth in New York City, where the annual Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest marks its centennial this year — well, not really.
Nathan’s dates to 1916, but showmen behind the hot dog competition have acknowledged they made up a long-told story about the contest beginning that year, too. It actually started in the 1970s.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut beat his record Monday when he polished off 70 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. He also regained his title after losing the Mustard Yellow International Belt to Matt “The Megatoad” Stonie in 2015.
“Last year was rough,” Chestnut told the crowd. “This year was the best ever.”
Boston’s blowout
Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to line the banks of Boston’s Charles River to watch the fireworks there, with millions more across the country watching live on CBS.
The celebration featured pop stars Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato, country group Little Big Town and, as always, the Boston Pops Orchestra, which drives home the climactic fireworks finale to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”
