10 of America’s Most Spectacular Fourth of July Fireworks
Updated: Nov. 04, 2021Visit one of these cities, big or small, to celebrate Independence Day with a fireworks show you're likely to never forget.
Fair Saint Louis: St. Louis, Missouri
If you’re looking for “America’s biggest birthday party,” then this is the place to be. The festivities start with the Freedom Four Miler run and culminate with a concert and magnificent fireworks show over the Mississippi River. This is the real reason we set off fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Lights on the Lake: Tahoe, California
Find a seat on a beach, boat, or boardwalk to watch 5,000 fireworks soar into the air from a barge in the middle of the lake. “It’s the way the fireworks reflect over the lake that makes it spectacular,” Julie Heckman of the American Pyrotechnics Association tells Forbes. Check out these fascinating things you never knew about fireworks.
Fantastic Fourth: Stone Mountain, Georgia
In the hills outside Atlanta, you get 50 minutes of entertainment. Fireworks follow a dizzying laser show that’s projected in Mountainvision, a digital technology that produces 3-D effects without the glasses.
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular: Boston, Massachusetts
The annual Boston Harborfest climaxes with a 21-minute pyrotechnic bonanza on the Fourth of July that illuminates the sky over the Charles River. Meanwhile, the Boston Pops Orchestra provides a patriotic soundtrack to the show, starting with the famous 1812 Overture. Can’t see it in person? No worries: This event is televised nationally.
National Mall Fourth of July Celebration: Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital celebrates our independence in style with a large Fourth of July fireworks display over the national mall.
Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks: New York City, New York
This show is truly “spectacular.” The nationally broadcast fireworks show is accompanied by big-name musicians, and it’s visible from NYC and Northern New Jersey. See if you can guess what every type of firework display is actually called.
Seafair Summer Fourth: Seattle, Washington
This outdoor fair complete with food, drinks, and music is accompanied by a Fourth of July fireworks spectacle over Lake Union.
Wawa Welcome America!: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
America’s birthplace also celebrates the holiday with its huge fireworks display. Next, catch up on these facts you probably never knew about Independence Day.
