Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.

Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska, has held a celebration on the same town square.
In 1979 Seward was designated "America's Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA" by resolution of Congress.
Seward has also been proclaimed "Nebraska's Official Fourth of July City" by Governor James Exon in proclamation.
Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations.

Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the Rebild Hills of Denmark.

Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1).
It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River.

The famous Macy's fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC, and locally on WNBC-TV since 1976.
In 2009, the fireworks display was returned to the Hudson River for the first time since 2000 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of that river.

The Boston Pops Orchestra has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplanade called the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" annually since 1973.
Canons are traditionally fired during the 1812 Overture.
The event was broadcast nationally from 1991 until 2002 on A&E, and since 2002 by CBS and its Boston station WBZ-TV.
WBZ/1030 and WBZ-TV broadcast the entire event locally, and from 2002 through 2012, CBS broadcast the final hour of the concert nationally in primetime.
The national broadcast was put on hiatus beginning in 2013, which Pops executive producer David G. Mugar believed was the result of decreasing viewership caused by NBC's encore presentation of the Macy's fireworks.
The national broadcast was revived for 2016, and expanded to two hours.
In 2017, Bloomberg Television took over coverage duty, with WHDH carrying local coverage beginning in 2018.

On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.

In 2019, President Donald Trump announced plans for a Salute to America celebration in the Capitol, including displays of military vehicles at the National Mall, a presidential address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, flyovers by the Blue Angels and the presidential aircraft, and a fireworks display.
Trump had attended the Bastille Day military parade with French president Emmanuel Macron in 2017, and had expressed a desire for the U.S. to "top it" – including a proposed military parade on Veterans Day in 2018, which was cancelled due to cost concerns.
Trump's plans faced criticism at the time, with some alleging that it was an attempt to politicize the holiday and use it as a political event due to presidents historically not involving themselves directly in Independence Day festivities; comparisons were also drawn to the similarly controversial "Honor America Day" held on Independence Day in 1970 by supporters of President Richard Nixon.
According to a July 4 The Times article, the Pentagon said that the commanders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Navy, United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps would "not attend President Trump's Salute to America speech because of "schedule conflict," although the chairman of the Joint Chiefs did attend.
Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska, has held a celebration on the same town square. In 1979 Seward was designated "America's Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA" by resolution of Congress. Seward has also been proclaimed "Nebraska's Official Fourth of July City" by Governor James Exon in proclamation. Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations.
Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the Rebild Hills of Denmark.
Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1). It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River.
The famous Macy's fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC, and locally on WNBC-TV since 1976. In 2009, the fireworks display was returned to the Hudson River for the first time since 2000 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of that river.
The Boston Pops Orchestra has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplanade called the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" annually since 1973. Canons are traditionally fired during the 1812 Overture. The event was broadcast nationally from 1991 until 2002 on A&E, and since 2002 by CBS and its Boston station WBZ-TV. WBZ/1030 and WBZ-TV broadcast the entire event locally, and from 2002 through 2012, CBS broadcast the final hour of the concert nationally in primetime. The national broadcast was put on hiatus beginning in 2013, which Pops executive producer David G. Mugar believed was the result of decreasing viewership caused by NBC's encore presentation of the Macy's fireworks. The national broadcast was revived for 2016, and expanded to two hours. In 2017, Bloomberg Television took over coverage duty, with WHDH carrying local coverage beginning in 2018.
On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.
In 2019, President Donald Trump announced plans for a Salute to America celebration in the Capitol, including displays of military vehicles at the National Mall, a presidential address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, flyovers by the Blue Angels and the presidential aircraft, and a fireworks display. Trump had attended the Bastille Day military parade with French president Emmanuel Macron in 2017, and had expressed a desire for the U.S. to "top it" – including a proposed military parade on Veterans Day in 2018, which was cancelled due to cost concerns. Trump's plans faced criticism at the time, with some alleging that it was an attempt to politicize the holiday and use it as a political event due to presidents historically not involving themselves directly in Independence Day festivities; comparisons were also drawn to the similarly controversial "Honor America Day" held on Independence Day in 1970 by supporters of President Richard Nixon. According to a July 4 The Times article, the Pentagon said that the commanders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Navy, United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps would "not attend President Trump's Salute to America speech because of "schedule conflict," although the chairman of the Joint Chiefs did attend.
Independence Day (United States)