Getty The busts of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln tower over the Black Hills at Mount Rushmore National Monument on July 02, 2020 near Keystone, South Dakota.
As part of the White House’s 2020 Fourth of July celebration, there is a fireworks display being held at Mount Rushmore national park in South Dakota Friday, July 3. The whole event kicks off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and the fireworks start at 11:15 p.m. ET/8:15 p.m. PT.
A live stream is embedded below.
The Event Includes Stories, Performances and More
Open to 7500 attendees, the event starts at 4 p.m. local time at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It features “hoop dancers and Lakota storytellers sharing the state’s Native American culture, performances by the United States Air Force Academy concert band, and many other talented people. Additionally, there will be incredible performances and flyovers in partnership with the United States Air Force and South Dakota’s own Ellsworth Air Force Base,” according to the South Dakota tourism website.
Masks are not required, though they encouraged and will be available at the event. The site also asks that everyone attending take “personal responsibility” and to follow the CDC-recommended guidelines, especially those who fall into vulnerable categories.
There is also a list of prohibited items for the event that includes weapons of any kind, alcohol, explosives, firearms, drones, glass, and structures like pop-up tents and canopies larger than 6′ x 6′. A complete list of prohibited items can be found here.
For those of you on the East Coast, the White House’s 4th of July celebration also includes a military flyover as part of the Washington D.C. Salute to America celebration. The flyover will be highlighting cities that played a part in the American Revolution.
“The highlight of this year’s celebration will be our salute to the Great Cities of the American Revolution,” the Department of Defense said in a statement. “The flyovers will begin in Boston and proceed to New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. From there they will join other Department of Defense and heritage aircraft in the Salute to America over our nation’s capital.”
The Fourth of July’s Origins
The Fourth of July — or Independence Day — is celebrated each year to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776. Congress voted to declare independence from British rule on July 2 but the declaration was not signed until two days later.
Independence Day is a federal holiday and has come to be celebrated with various outdoor activities, like picnics, barbecues, town festivals, fireworks displays, parades, and more.
Macy’s fireworks in New York City is the largest display in the country, but hundreds of other fireworks displays are lighting up the sky all over the country.
There is also the annual tradition of the free PBS concert called A Capitol Fourth, which boasts live performances by some of music’s hottest stars and also appearances or performances by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the United States Army Presidential Salute Guns Battery, the U.S. Army Band, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington.
This year’s Fourth of July celebrations have largely gone virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic but hopefully, things will be back to normal in 2021.
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