Filed under: Attractions, Capital Fourth, Events, Family Friendly, Independence Day, July 4th Fourth of July, parade
A Fourth of July Celebration in the Nation’s Capital
The annual National Independence Day Celebration in Washington, DC kicks off with the July 4th Parade at 11:45, the morning of Saturday, July 4th, 2009, starting at Seventh Street, NW and runs down Constitution Avenue to 17th Street.
The parade feature military units, marching bands, drill teams, drill teams, VIP’s and celebrities, floats, equestrian riders, and giant balloons.
It’s always a patriot treat for the kids.
And the annual National Symphony Orchestra concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building, A Capitol Fourth, starts at 8:00 p.m. Gates for lawn seating opens at 3:00. Performances will include:
- Barry Manilow will join the NSO to sing patriotic selections and some of his hits
- The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin
- The cast of the Broadway musical Jersey Boys
- Multi Grammy Award-nominee Michael Feinstein
- Classical pianist Andrew von Oeyen
- Pop singer Natasha Bedingfield
Both events are free.
Dates & Times – Saturday, July 3 – event start at 11:45 a.m. and conclude around 9:30.
Tickets – Admission is free, no tickets required.
Nearest Metro Subway Station – Capitol South and Federal Center SW – Orange & Blue lines, and Union Station – Red line. The Smithsonian station on the Blue & Orange line will be closed on July 4yth.
Parking – Limited street parking and area paid garage parking is available, but try to take Metro as parking will be very limited.
Images – Flickr – flag in the parade, Marine Corps band – public domain, Lincoln Memorial
______________________________________________________
No Comments
For locals who don’t want to deal with daytime crowds, I’d recommend the Palisades Parade on MacArthur Boulevard as an alternative to the national parade. It’s less of a showpiece, but has more of an old-time feel.
Many years ago when we were living in Maryland, we attended the Capitol Fourth. It was quite moving, and we were very glad that we attended in spite of the crowds. We did take the Metro down and were very glad that we did.