WASHINGTON—Americans from across the country told The Epoch Times that they were filled with gratitude as they prepared to celebrate the Freedom 250 event in the nation’s Capitol.
The July 4th festivities mark the key event in a year-long celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and will conclude with the largest fireworks display in American history.
“Every generation gets one moment that they remember for the rest of their lives,” the White House event website says. “In 2026, generations of Americans will look up at the sky and remember the incredible sights of the 250th anniversary.”
Worth the Wait
The line to enter the event stretched about a mile long, as the 5 p.m. start time was delayed. Every few minutes, the sonic boom from fighter jets doing a flyover ripped across the sky. Adults smiled and pointed with childlike joy as they passed by.
Deree Tideman, visiting from South Carolina with two friends, said the thought of American soldiers, and their sacrifice, was top of mind.
“This heat is nothing in comparison with what they endured in the wars that have kept this country free,” she told The Epoch Times.
“And I’m glad to be here today. This is an honor, and I’m just glad to be a US citizen.”
Her lifelong friends, Alyson Nalley and Whitney McDaris, expressed the same feelings of pride and gratitude.
Flyovers and Record-Breaking Fireworks
The event kicked off with a series of performances, dotted with fighter jet flyovers and air shows. Showrunners had to curtail the celebration a little: It was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. but the 101-degree temperatures raised safety concerns.
Around 6:30 p.m., clouds rolled in, and things cooled off.
Musical guests for the event included some of the same performers from President Donald Trump’s inauguration, such as Lee Greenwood and tenor Christopher Macchio. The U.S. Army and Marine Bands also performed, along with the Joint Armed Forces Chorus.
Trump is expected to speak at the event around 9:45 p.m.
The president’s speech will be followed by a spectacular 40-minute fireworks display. The show is being advertised as the greatest in the history of the United States, and presenters will set of more than 850,000 fireworks.
An alternate slate of big-name musical guests boycotted the July 4th event, but performed the day before at the “A Capitol Fourth” event. The lineup included Patti LaBelle, Chicago, and Kool & The Gang. “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor Alfonso Ribeiro hosted.
Trump said on June 24 in a kickoff rally for events leading up to the July 4th celebration, “As we stand on the edge of our 250th year of independence, I am thrilled to declare that America is back.
“We are beginning the most unforgettable birthday party any country has ever seen. Oh, you’re gonna have a good time,” he said.
America the Beautiful
Manho Liu, a Hong Konger visiting from Jurupa, California, proudly showed The Epoch Times a letter from Trump praising him for his struggle for freedom in his home country. He waved a black flag calling for the liberation of Hong Kong and China from the Chinese Communist Party.
“The United States has been independent for 250 years, but we Hong Kong people have now lost our freedom,” he said in Mandarin; using an app to translate.
“America has brought me freedom and democracy,” he added.
Mark and Debbie Davis made the trip up from Nashville to celebrate the country’s birthday.
“It’s just amazing to have been born in this country rather than anywhere else. I appreciate the fact that our forefathers fought and died and built what we enjoy today: so grateful,” Debbie said.
Mark added that the nation’s freedom must be protected, or lost.
“I want to live a quiet life but I expect to have to fight for what we have now,” he told The Epoch Times.
“And I want to teach that to everybody that I can: that this is not free. We have to earn it. We have to keep earning it. We have to say no to idiots that try to change freedom in America to something else.”
