WASHINGTON – As the United States readies itself to celebrate its 250th anniversary of independence, the nation finds itself amidst a heated wave both politically and meteorologically. With the mercury rising and intensifying divisions, millions are experiencing extreme temperatures as the country kicks off the celebratory events nationwide this Saturday.
The milestone, which commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence—a powerful symbol of democratic ideals—will be recognized through a variety of events. President Donald Trump is set to headline the events in Washington, delivering remarks at the National Mall before the anticipated grand-scale fireworks display that promises to illuminate the capital. On Friday, Trump addressed a crowd at Mount Rushmore, warning of perceived threats of communism, all while the monumental visages of four key presidents provided a historic backdrop.
In other parts of the country, fireworks will light up the skies over Chicago’s Navy Pier and New York City, where festivities comparable to New Year’s Eve will take place, including a midnight ball drop. Bristol, Rhode Island, a town renowned for hosting the oldest annual Independence Day celebrations since 1785, continues its tradition. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Queen Latifah steps into the spotlight as host of a concert showcasing performances by The Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Stapleton, and a featured guest appearance by Chaka Khan.
The anticipation for this historic celebration has been mounting all year, offering a moment for Americans to contemplate their journey from being colonial subjects to a dominant global power. However, meticulously planned events have faced possible disruption, with the East Coast enduring unusually high temperatures, often exceeding 100 degrees, forcing some festivities to adapt or cancel altogether.
Across many regions, the heat is undeniably shaping the holiday weekend.
In Washington, the Great American State Fair was closed for several hours Friday afternoon during the worst of the heat. The city’s Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday was canceled.
To the chagrin of many on the East Coast, the weather was downright pleasant on the other side of the country. The Pacific Northwest enjoyed temperatures in the 60s on Friday with a few light showers.
In the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, Megan Kurowski, 31, brought her two dogs to the dog park so they could get some exercise before she went to work. Kurowski said she was feeling positive about America’s 250th anniversary and was planning a possible paddleboard to watch the fireworks.
“Everyone’s just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,” she said.
Other American pastimes are overlapping with the holiday.
More than a dozen Major League Baseball games are on the schedule for Saturday. The World Cup, being hosted in the U.S. for the first time in 32 years, will have matches in Houston and Philadelphia on Saturday following a nail-biter overtime win by Argentina over Cape Verde on Friday outside Miami. Pop culture enthusiasts can obsess over Taylor Swift’s Friday wedding to football player Travis Kelce at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. And Madonna released her 15th studio album, a collection of dance tracks.
An uneasy nation gets ready to celebrate
The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a deep divide that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration.
At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump spoke of communism as a “mortal threat to American liberty.”
“It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11,” he said.
Without naming Trump, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who is also a democratic socialist and recently backed several successful congressional candidates in their primaries, appeared to reference Trump during a speech Friday.
“Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
Ahead of the holiday, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano in Topeka, Kansas, sized up “what makes us awesome” as a people. It is clearly not the politics, in his view, but rather resilience.
“We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said from the fireworks stand where he is doing a booming business as a side hustle.
Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he wasn’t aware that the U.S. was celebrating its 250th anniversary and planned to stay low-key around the holiday. He and his wife generally skip the fireworks and instead stay home with their fearful dogs to keep them calm.
“America’s a great place,” he said, “but there are some concerns.”
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Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Hanna in Topkea, Kansas contributed to this report.
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