The nation’s biggest holiday will soon be upon us. If you haven’t made 4th of July plans yet, Virginia has plenty of great places to watch fireworks.
As Independence Day nears, most residents and visitors are making plans to celebrate the holiday. Some will attend backyard barbecues and pool parties; however, you don’t need an invite to have a good time on the 4th! There are plenty of scenic places to watch fireworks and celebrate. Below are five of the best places to catch 4th of July fireworks in Virginia.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach’s main 4th of July fireworks celebration, Stars and Stripes Explosion, is one of the largest in the entire nation. The beach is an ideal setting for fireworks, and the City of Virginia Beach is hosting free concerts as part of the celebration. The Stars and Stripes Explosion starts at 7 p.m. at the 17th Street Park with Chester B’s Motown Review providing the musical entertainment prior to the fireworks show. At the 24th Street Stage on the Beach, the Quantico Marine Corps Band will kick things off at 6:30 p.m., while at the 31st Street Park, The Deloreans will perform about the same time. The fireworks will begin within view of each of the three sites at 9:30 p.m. Visit Beach Street’s
website for more info.
Manassas
Each year, the City of Manassas and Historic Manassas, Inc., sponsor what has now become one of the largest 4th of July fireworks shows in Northern Virginia. “Celebrate America” is held in Downtown Manassas around the town’s historic train depot, the Manassas Museum, and Harris Pavilion. The festival is family-friendly, with rides open for the kids by 3 p.m. and novelty and food vendors available starting at 4 p.m. Organizers encourage attendees to bring blankets and lawn chairs and to come early to ensure that visitors will get the best seating on the lawn. The fireworks celebration is free, but there is also a ticketed rooftop party on the top deck of the venue’s parking garage, where additional drinks, food, and games will be available. For more info on both the rooftop party and city fireworks celebration, visit
the Historic Manassas website.
National Mall Fireworks Viewing from the Potomac
Washington, D.C.’s main fireworks celebration can be viewed from certain points along the Potomac River on the Virginia side. If you live in or are visiting Northern Virginia, you don’t have to deal with the crowds and traffic to see the area’s biggest fireworks display. Both the Iwo Jima Memorial and Gravelly Point provide great views of the spectacular fireworks over the National Mall.
Gravelly Point visitors who would rather not drive should use Metro and get off at the Arlington National Cemetery, Crystal City, or Mount Vernon Trail stops, located just two miles from the park. The Iwo Jima Memorial, on the other hand, is best accessible via the Rosslyn Metro station.
The National Mall fireworks can also be seen from Arlington’s Long Bridge Park, where a celebration will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with family-friendly fun, food, and entertainment. This will include lawn games, moon bounces, live music, and face painting, as well as an evening’s musical performance by Jeff from Accounting. Free shuttles will run from the Crystal City and Pentagon City Metro stations. More info can be found on
Arlington Parks’ website.
Did we miss your favorite place to catch a great fireworks show in Virginia? Tell us about it in the comments!
