On the Fourth of July, the National Mall is usually the most popular spot for families, friends, tourists and colleagues to gather to see the fireworks, but it’s far from the only option in the D.C. area. Throughout the city and surrounding suburbs, communities and neighborhoods mark the holiday with their own fireworks, live music, family events and festivals. So if you’re looking to avoid downtown crowds, stay closer to home or try something new, these events offer plenty of ways to celebrate.
Fourth of July fireworks, parades and celebrations in Maryland and Virginia
Bowie
Although the Chesapeake Baysox will be on the road, the team is still hosting its annual fireworks celebration at Prince George’s Stadium. The Star Spangled Spectacular includes music, family-friendly activities and classic ballpark fare. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with activities for children, including base running and an inflatable obstacle course. Music from Blues in a Blender, Honey Sol and Bullpen Brass leads up to the fireworks show at nightfall over the stadium. Ticket packages, including access to the Diamond View Restaurant behind home plate, are available, though all ticket prices increase at the gate. 5:30 p.m. Prince George’s Stadium, 4101 Crain Hwy., Bowie. baysox.com. $10-$20.
Columbia
Howard County’s Fourth of July celebration takes place on the shores of Columbia’s Lake Kittamaqundi, with music from Chasing Straights and Dom Flemons & the Traveling Wildfires, food trucks and fireworks beginning at dusk. Parking is free. 5 to 10 p.m. Columbia Lakefront, 10275 Wincopin Cir., Columbia. howardcountymd.gov/july-4th-fireworks. Free.
City of Fairfax
If you think you see the Red Baron soaring over Northern Virginia on Independence Day, don’t be alarmed: It’s only biplanes from the Flying Circus Airshow signaling the start of Fairfax’s Independence Day Parade through the heart of Old Town Fairfax. Marching bands, giant balloons, floats, historical cars and fire engines, and groups of Scouts, veterans and clowns are among the participants. In the evening, there’s a lawn party at Fairfax High School with music and vendors selling ice cream and treats. Fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Parade: 10 a.m. to noon. Evening show and fireworks: 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. fairfaxva.gov. Free.
Germantown
Residents of northern Montgomery County can celebrate the holiday closer to home on the fields of South Germantown Recreational Park. The Germantown Glory celebration includes a performance from Virginia Beach’s TFC Band, whose Motown and soul tribute spans six decades of hits. The evening ends with fireworks at about 9:15 p.m. 7 to 9:30 p.m. South Germantown Recreational Park, 18041 Central Park Cir., Boyds. montgomeryparks.org. Free.
Greenbelt
Buddy Attick Park and its lake are the centerpiece of Greenbelt’s festivities, which include art activities, with make-and-take art projects for all ages; a reading of the Declaration of Independence; and performances by Pocket Change and the Greenbelt Honk! Situation community band before fireworks begin at about 9:15 p.m. 3 to 10 p.m. Buddy Attick Lake Park, 555 Crescent Rd., Greenbelt. greenbeltmd.gov. Free.
Laurel
Laurel’s Independence Day events include a parade beginning at 3 p.m. at Fourth Street and Marshall Avenue. The parade proceeds to Laurel Lake Field at Granville Gude Park, where there are family games, field events, food vendors and music. A 45-minute fireworks display begins at 9:15 p.m. 3 to 10 p.m. Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry St., Laurel. laurel4th.org. Free.
Leesburg
A colonial fife and drum corps leads the annual parade along King Street through Leesburg’s historic district. Antique cars, decorated motorcycles and tractors, veterans in uniform, dancers and marching groups follow. Festivities resume at Ida Lee Park at 6 p.m., with music from Go Go Gadjet, plus food trucks selling funnel cakes, barbecue, tacos and other treats before fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Parade: 10 a.m. Concert and fireworks: 6 to 10 p.m. Parade start and evening celebration at Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Dr. NW, Leesburg. leesburgva.gov. Free.
Mount Vernon
Immigrants from many nations become American citizens during a naturalization ceremony at Mount Vernon, an annual event that has become as much a part of the Fourth of July at Mount Vernon as the daytime fireworks over the Potomac River. Those colorful pyrotechnics, designed to be seen in daylight, are launched at 1 p.m. In honor of George Washington, visitors can explore a Revolutionary War encampment, hear fife and drum music, watch a traditional puppet show and meet historical reenactors. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon. mountvernon.org. $16-$30; free for children 5 and younger and Mount Vernon members. (Note: The evening programs at Mount Vernon on Friday and Saturday are sold out.)
Rockville
Throwback ’90s cover band Run for Cover performs two sets at Rockville’s Fourth of July party at King Farm before a 20-minute fireworks show. Vendors sell tacos and shaved ice, among other food and drinks. 7 to 10 p.m. Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park, 1800 Piccard Dr., Rockville. rockvillemd.gov. Free.
Takoma Park
Takoma Park no longer hosts fireworks on July Fourth — the fire marshal says they can’t be launched safely — but makes up for it with a festive parade and evening street party. The parade is as unexpected as you might expect from Takoma Park: There are the traditional brass and pipe bands, Cub Scouts, marching civic organizations and politicians in convertibles, but also a dog training drill team, the DC Comic Villains and “No Thrones and No Kings.” The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Carroll and Ethan Allen avenues and winds through the town toward the community center. Then, starting at 6 p.m., a street festival on Maple Avenue features the Takoma Park Community Band, D.C.’s Oh He Dead funk band, food, beer and wine. Parade: 10 a.m. to noon. Festival: 6 to 9 p.m. takomapark4th.org. Free. (Note: Like last year, the parade will stay entirely in Maryland rather than crossing into D.C.)
Other fireworks and celebrations
Maybe you have other plans on July Fourth but still want to enjoy fireworks. Or maybe you’re a pyrophile who wants to see as many explosions in the sky as possible. Or maybe you’re not a fan of fireworks at all. You’re still in luck. Some of the region’s Fourth of July festivities, fireworks or not, begin this weekend and extend past Independence Day.
Gaithersburg SummerFest
Gaithersburg’s annual party draws large crowds to Bohrer Park — so much so that the city hosts a post-fireworks SummerGlo After Party with music, stilt walkers and hula hoopers to try to alleviate traffic jams. Gates open at 6 p.m., with music, family activities, food vendors and local craft breweries. (The skate park and miniature golf course are open as usual, but the water park is open to city residents and members only.) Fireworks begin at about 9:20 p.m. June 27 from 6 to 11 p.m. Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. gaithersburgmd.gov. Free.
Lake Fairfax Park 250th Independence Day Celebration
There’s a lot to do at Lake Fairfax Park: the Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole’s acre of slides and lazy river, which opens at 10 a.m.; paddleboats and fishing on the lake; wide-open fields and picnic areas; and miles of wooded hiking trails. Good thing, because the park gates open at noon, and the environmentally friendly drone light show doesn’t start until 9:15 p.m., the first of its kind for Fairfax and a substitute for fireworks. The day includes music, family games and food trucks, and for the best view of the show, the park authority recommends arriving early and making a day of it; visitors should arrive before 8 p.m. for best access. June 27 from noon to 10 p.m. Lake Fairfax Park, 1400 Lake Fairfax Dr., Reston. fairfaxcounty.gov. $20 per car in advance; $25 at the gate.
McLean Independence Day Fireworks Celebration
The McLean Community Center sponsors this fireworks show at Langley High School, featuring food, drink, dessert trucks and a DJ before the fireworks. In honor of the country’s and Virginia’s 250th birthday, the center also offers a “mobile museum experience.” Parking at the high school is limited, so free shuttles run from several other locations to the school. June 27 from 5 to 10 p.m. Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean. mcleancenter.org. Free.
Vienna Independence Day Celebration and fireworks
The Vienna Independence Day Celebration returns to Yeonas Park for an evening that begins with a kid-centric concert with taiko Japanese drums before the Vienna Community Band and the Latin pop group Ocho de Bastos take the stage. The Vienna Little League runs a concession stand, and food trucks sell dinner and dessert. A 15-minute fireworks show begins at 9:30 p.m. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. July 2 from 6 to 10 p.m. Yeonas Park, 1319 Ross Dr. SW, Vienna. viennava.gov. Free.
Falls Church 250 celebration
Falls Church’s Civic Jam takes the form of a community party at the historic Cherry Hill Farm in the city of Falls Church. There will be food, a beer garden, a mechanical bull, ax throwing and a bounce house before the main event: the Civic Cup, featuring relay and sack races and a watermelon roll. July 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave., Falls Church. fallschurchva.gov. Free.
Montgomery County’s 250th: Shine Together
Kensington’s Albert Einstein High School hosts this event to kick off Montgomery County’s 250th summer, featuring music from the Nighthawks and food vendors before fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. There is parking at the school, or park at Westfield Wheaton mall and, beginning at 6:30 p.m., catch a free shuttle to the school. July 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Rd., Kensington. montgomerycountymd.gov. Free.
Greenbelt’s Independence Day Chill-Ebration
In addition to hosting its annual fireworks show, Greenbelt throws a fireworks-free celebration for those looking for a quieter way to spend the holiday. It follows a similar schedule, with art activities, a film screening, a drum circle, the band Greenbelt Honk! Situation and a DJ. It’s a chill alternative, perfect for families with young kids, nervous dogs and those with sensitivities. July 3 from 3 to 8 p.m. Roosevelt Center, 121 Centerway, Greenbelt. greenbeltmd.gov. Free.
Great Falls
The Fourth of July Hometown Celebration in Great Falls is the epitome of a small-town holiday party. The day begins at 8 a.m. with a 5K fun run and walk around the community. That’s followed at 8:30 by the Little Patriots Parade on the village green — think small children in costumes being pulled in decorated strollers, vying to win such titles as “Miss Betsy Ross,” “Young George Washington” or “Best Curly Hair.” The main parade gets underway at 10, with vintage fire trucks, antique cars, riders on horseback, dogs and floats decorated by local businesses and organizations. This year, there’s a special 250th anniversary car show, featuring some of the cars from the parade. A music festival on the village green begins at 12:30 p.m. with two live bands, games, inflatables and a hot dog eating contest. July 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Great Falls Village Centre, 754-C Walker Rd., Great Falls. celebrategreatfalls.org. Free.
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