Photo courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association
Fireworks from Mount Vernon will be broadcast on Friday July 3 on PBS as part of A Capitol Fourth.
The nation turns 250 this year, and the Washington region is throwing a party to match. Over two nights — Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 — three of the biggest Independence Day celebrations in the country unfold within driving distance of Alexandria, each with its own character and its own fireworks finale. Whether you want to claim a spot on the National Mall, make the trip down I-64 to where the country's founding ideas first took shape or simply pull a chair up to the television, here's how to take it all in.
Friday, July 3: A Capitol Fourth on PBS
This year A Capitol Fourth breaks with its own tradition. To make room for a crowded holiday weekend, the 46-year broadcast staple moves up one day to Friday, July 3, airing live from 8 to 9:30 p.m. ET from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Producers are billing the 2026 edition as the "250th Weekend Celebration," and organizers say they'll return to July 4 next year.
Returning host Alfonso Ribeiro leads a deep bench of talent for the semiquincentennial. PBS's announced lineup includes Chicago, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Kool & The Gang, Carly Pearce, Alan Jackson, Loren Allred and opera soprano Angel Blue, alongside the Broadway cast of Just in Time; actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna are also slated to appear. They join the program's returning musical core — the National Symphony Orchestra under pops conductor Jack Everly, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music, and military ensembles including the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own," the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, the Joint Armed Forces Chorus and the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. As always, the broadcast closes with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, live cannon fire from the Army's Presidential Salute Battery and a fireworks display — staged this year over George Washington's Mount Vernon, just down the Potomac.
If you're watching from home: The concert airs live on local PBS stations, and streams free on PBS.org, the PBS app, YouTube and the program's Facebook page, plus the American Forces Network for troops overseas. Most PBS stations rebroadcast the show immediately afterward, typically 9:30 to 11 p.m. ET, and video-on-demand is available July 3 through July 17. Check local listings for your station's exact air time.
If you're going in person: The concert is free and no tickets are required. Public access to the West Lawn opens at 3 p.m. through gates at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds; all bags are checked and guests pass through metal detectors. The U.S. Capitol Police strongly advise taking Metro — the nearest stations are Federal Center SW (Orange/Blue) and Union Station (Red) — because of street closures and traffic. There are designated viewing areas for guests with disabilities. The July 2 dress rehearsal is also open to the public, with access beginning at 3 p.m.
Image courtesy of VA250
Colonial Williamsburg 4th of July celebration
Saturday, July 4: Colonial Williamsburg's Biggest Fourth Ever
For a Fourth steeped in history, few places compete with the city where Virginia's leaders debated breaking from Britain. Colonial Williamsburg is marking America's 250th — and its own 100th anniversary as a foundation — with what it calls the largest fireworks display in its history. The day is built around free admission to the Historic Area from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (reserve complimentary tickets in advance), a public reading of the Declaration of Independence delivered by a Thomas Jefferson interpreter, performances by the Fifes & Drums and patriotic programming throughout the colonial taverns and trade shops.
The evening centerpiece doubles as a national television event. America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together, co-produced by PBS and the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250), broadcasts live from Williamsburg on Saturday, July 4 from 8 to 10 p.m. ET, with a repeat airing from 10 p.m. to midnight. The two-hour special blends live performance, music and historic interpretation, with appearances by Judy Collins, Michael Feinstein, Ryan Speedo Green, Kelli O'Hara and Adrienne Warren, narration by Richard Thomas, a welcome from filmmaker Ken Burns, plus the Leah Glenn Dance Theatre, the Virginia Chorale and a poetry reading by the Honorable John Charles Thomas. The main stage sits on Market Square behind the Courthouse, with screens set up on Palace Green for overflow viewing.
The night ends with a drone show at approximately 9:25 p.m., followed by fireworks around 9:35 p.m., set to patriotic favorites recorded by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band and lasting about 15 minutes. The best viewing spot is Palace Green, with the Governor's Palace as the backdrop; the display can also be seen from Market Square on Courthouse Green and at the Magazine. Note that Colonial Williamsburg does not schedule a rain date.
If you're watching from home: Tune in to your local PBS station, PBS.org or the PBS app, with the broadcast also embedded on the VA250 website and archived on the PBS YouTube channel afterward.
If you're going in person: July 4 is the peak visitor day of the year here, so plan ahead. Williamsburg sits about 2.5 to 3 hours south of Alexandria via I-95 and I-64. The Visitor Center lot on North Henry Street fills early — often before 9 a.m. on the Fourth — so arrive early or use overflow parking. The Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) is running Liberty Fare Week from June 29 through July 5, with free rides on all fixed routes; its Route 15 Colonial line connects the Visitor Center to the Historic Area, though buses pause service from roughly 8:30 to 10:15 p.m. around the fireworks. Reserve restaurant tables and lodging as far in advance as possible — walkable rooms book out months ahead for this date.
City Cruises
Fireworks on the Potomac
Saturday, July 4: Salute to America and the Airshow Over Washington
Back in the District, the Fourth itself centers on Salute to America: Celebration & Fireworks, the Freedom 250 event staged on the Washington Monument grounds and the National Mall. Organizers are planning the day as the capstone of the 250th, complete with a daytime program of musical performances and military flyovers beginning at 1 p.m., the first aerobatic demonstrations flown over the city, and an evening live broadcast at 7 p.m. featuring the Joint Armed Forces Orchestra and national speakers.
Overhead, a Fourth of July airshow is billed as one of the largest ever flown over Washington, with flyovers stretching across the afternoon and into the evening. The night culminates in a record-setting fireworks display: organizers say roughly 850,000 shells will launch from 10 sites — including platforms at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, eight barges on the Potomac River and West Potomac Park — in an attempt to break the world record for the largest fireworks show. The display is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:30 p.m. and run about 40 minutes, nearly twice as long as last year's show.
If you're watching from home: A free livestream of the evening program is planned at freedom250.org. For viewers who prefer a broader special, CBS is airing The Great American Block Party 250 from 8 to 11 p.m. ET, and other networks — from NBC's Macy's 4th of July Fireworks to ABC and Disney's all-day America 250 coverage — round out the night's options.
If you're going in person: The event is free, and while registration is encouraged for planning, it isn't required. A valid government-issued photo ID is required for all attendees, and everyone passes through security screening; the main entrance is at 14th Street between Constitution and Independence avenues, with magnetometers opening at 1 p.m. July 4 is designated a National Special Security Event led by the Secret Service, so expect extensive road and bridge closures, including the Theodore Roosevelt and Arlington Memorial bridges. Metro and rideshare are strongly recommended — the nearest stations are Federal Triangle, L'Enfant Plaza, Smithsonian and Federal Center SW. One note for travelers: airspace around Reagan National (DCA) is restricted, with no flights scheduled after noon on July 4.
Programs, performers and times are subject to change and may be weather-dependent. Confirm details with each event's official website before heading out.
