Fireworks, heat, hot dogs and politics: America celebrates its 250th birthday

By — Steven Sloan, Associated Press Steven Sloan, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fireworks-heat-hot-dogs-and-politics-america-celebrates-its-250th-birthday Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Fireworks, heat, hot dogs and politics: America celebrates its 250th birthday Nation Jul 4, 2026 6:01 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The 250th anniversary of American independence is colliding with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave bearing down on millions of people across multiple states as celebrations got underway Saturday throughout the United States. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of history's most celebrated articulations of democratic ambitions, is being marked in myriad ways. WATCH: Trump hails U.S. exceptionalism, warns of communist 'threat' in speech at Mount Rushmore President Donald Trump plans to speak on the National Mall before what is being billed as a historically enormous fireworks show that will rain down over the nation's capital. He was in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered a dark speech about the threat of communism in the U.S. Fireworks are scheduled to be set off over Navy Pier in Chicago and against the skyline of New York City. New York hosted a ball drop at midnight to usher in the holiday with the same fanfare as New Year's Eve and saw tall ships parade pass the Statue of Liberty, recalling the fanfare around America's 200th anniversary in 1976. Fans in colonial era fancy dress as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day before the Paraguay vs. France match of the World Cup at Philadelphia Stadium, in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026. Photo by Mike Segar/Reuters Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits. Undeterred, a U.S. Marine from Guinea became a newly minted citizen at George Washington's Mount Vernon in Virginia, wearing a crisp dress uniform and a small smile, while a 7-year-old raced onto a parade route in Brattleboro, Vermont, to snatch a Tootsie Roll. In Louisville, Kentucky, people used a Sharpie equipped with a feather to scribble their signatures on a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Heat is defining the big weekend in many places In Washington, a rodeo and the city's main Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday were canceled, but a smaller one rolled along in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in the morning as onlookers sought shade under trees along the route. Also in the area, dozens of members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front wearin