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The biggest birthday party in the country is almost here—and this year's Fourth of July isn't just another excuse to grill burgers and watch fireworks.
July Fourth marks America's 250th birthday and cities from coast to coast are going all out for the semiquincentennial with historic reenactments, blockbuster concerts, giant fireworks displays, tall ships, parades and enough patriotic fanfare to make Uncle Sam blush.
To help travelers decide where to celebrate, Lonely Planet has rounded up its favorite destinations for America250, spanning iconic history hubs, classic road trips and a few delightfully unexpected picks.
Some of the biggest celebrations are happening in places you'd expect: New York City is preparing for one of its most spectacular Independence Day weekends ever, with Macy's famous fireworks, an International Parade of Sail featuring nearly 50 tall ships from around the world and a special Times Square ball drop marking midnight across every U.S. time zone and territory.
Boston and Philadelphia, meanwhile, are embracing their Revolutionary roots. Boston Harborfest is back with historical reenactors, Declaration of Independence readings and the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, while Philadelphia's Wawa Welcome America festivities stretch across nearly two weeks with museum events, concerts, parades and fireworks in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Lonely Planet also highlights Route 66 as the quintessential American road trip, Nashville for its massive "Let Freedom Sing!" concerts and synchronized fireworks, and Chicago, where a Cubs-Cardinals rivalry game, Navy Pier fireworks and lakefront celebrations offer a distinctly Midwestern take on the holiday.
There are also a few wonderfully quirky additions, like Aptos, California, which earned a spot thanks to its famously tiny Independence Day parade (billed as the world's shortest), while Fire Island Pines makes the list for its annual Invasion of the Pines, a drag procession that commemorates a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history—it’s become one of the country's most distinctive Fourth of July traditions.
Elsewhere, Colonial Williamsburg offers an immersive step back into the 18th century, Mount Rushmore will host its first Independence Day fireworks in six years, Seattle pairs waterfront festivities with fireworks over Lake Union, Washington, D.C., promises monumental celebrations along the National Mall and Disney's parks will stage their signature holiday spectaculars on both coasts.
Lonely Planet's best places to celebrate America's 250th birthday
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Route 66
- Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
- Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
- Chicago, Illinois
- New York City, New York
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Aptos, California
- Seattle, Washington
- Fire Island Pines, New York
- Washington, D.C.
- Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort