July 4 Festivities commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence from Great Britain has started. President Donald Trump will travel to South Dakota to deliver a speech and watch fireworks at Mount Rushmore. And in a novel twist, there will be a ball drop in New York City's Times Square at midnight to usher in the July Fourth holiday with much the same revelry that is typically reserved for New Year’s Eve. The activity culminates in the main event Saturday, when fireworks will erupt in communities across the U.S., along with backyard cookouts and block parties. Trump will deliver another speech at the National Mall in Washington before what is being billed as a historically massive fireworks show.
In Washington, organizers of the Capitol Fourth concert banned the public from attending a Thursday rehearsal because of the heat. The concert Friday, a staple of Washington's Independence Day traditions, is on, but the gates will open to the public later than usual, at 7 p.m. EDT, an hour before the show.
