No other holiday encapsulates summer quite like Fourth of July, when people revel in outdoor barbecues and parades (and, in the case of New York City’s Coney Island, gorge on hot dogs at breakneck speed). Complete your festivities with a nightly fireworks show, and you’ve got yourself an Independence Day celebration that would make the Founding Fathers proud.
Giving us even more of a reason to celebrate, July 4 lands on a Thursday this year. So if you’re lucky—or plan ahead—and can get your Friday off, you can let the good times roll over a four-day weekend getaway.
Feeling a red, white, and blue kind of summer trip? Here are the best places to be in the United States on July 4 that double as great weekend trip destinations.
1. New York City, New York
You won’t get much shut-eye with all of those fireworks, so why not see them in the city that never sleeps? The country’s biggest fireworks display is conducted by Macy’s, which launches a fireworks show from barges on either the East or Hudson River in New York City (visit their website for the most up-to-date information for viewing locations). Considering that more than 3 million live spectators come out to see the fireworks, your best bet to avoid the crowds is to find a restaurant or friend’s rooftop to see the event. Alternatively, you can consider smaller shows like the one on Coney Island, where you can walk down a nearly three-mile boardwalk and spend the day on the beach before the fireworks.
Daytime events abound for Independence Day as well, including Nathan’s annual hot dog–eating contest, which is held in Coney Island every July 4. Come to the Brooklyn neighborhood to see star player Joey Chestnut defend his title in the competition: In 2023, he managed to scarf down 62 of those dogs.
2. Bristol, Rhode Island
While the big cities duke it out to determine which place has the splashiest celebration for July 4, this Rhode Island town has gone the longest. The town of about 22,000 people started celebrating the nation’s independence in 1785 with a parade, and it’s become the longest continuing Independence Day celebration in the United States.
It’s a title the town fully embraces, with festivities that make Independence Day a weeks-long event. The festivities start on June 14 with a Flag Day Ceremony—complete with a town crier—and conclude with the town’s famous July 4 parade. In between, celebrate events like a summer concert series and Fourth of July Ball. After Independence Day, take advantage of the prime weather and check out the Ocean State’s many beaches.
3. San Francisco, California
San Francisco’s Pier 39 hosts several citywide celebrations throughout the year: One of them is a fireworks display every Independence Day. (Pro tip: Avoid the traffic in Fisherman’s Wharf by choosing to come and go using public transportation.) For daytime events, look to smaller locales like Sonoma for parades with a hometown feel. Or take the trip across the Oakland Bay Bridge to the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum. Every Independence Day, the retired warship hosts a Fourth of July BBQ on its flight deck.
If you can swing a weekend in San Francisco, there’s plenty of sightseeing to do, starting with a visit to the Golden Gate Park and to the Saturday farmers’ market at the Ferry Building. The city was ranked as one of the World’s Best Cities of 2024 because of the car-free street movement that has been rolling out since the COVID-19 pandemic—so definitely take a bike and bring your best walking shoes.
4. Washington, D.C.
Quite the no-brainer when it comes to places to celebrate Independence Day, but if you’re heading to this city for the first week in July, there are quite a few events to put on your calendar. There’s the annual National Independence Day Parade on Constitution Avenue, where drum corps and bands march alongside floats in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators. You can also head to the National Mall and see top musicians perform at A Capitol Fourth, the U.S. national Independence Day celebration; 2023’s lineup included performances from Chicago and Boyz II Men.
The main fireworks show, hosted by the National Parks Service, draws hundreds of thousands of people to the heart of downtown. Want a less-crowded alternative viewpoint? Bring a blanket and go to Gravelly Point Park, a couple of milesnorth of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. You’ll be able to see the fireworks from across the river, with the added bonus of seeing planes take off from DCA. Afterward, read advice from locals and check out what you can do over four days in Washington, D.C.
5. Nashville, Tennessee
You can count on music being a big part of Nashville’s July 4 celebrations, namely in its Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th event. Last year’s party featured headliner Brad Paisley, along with Ben Rector, The War and Treaty, Langhorne Slim, and Tiera Kennedy. The annual show concludes with fireworks in downtown Nashville. Catch the event from the rooftop of hotels like Bobby Nashville (last year’s tickets included a BBQ cookout), The Pool Club at Virgin Hotels, and W Nashville.
But while July 4 celebrations are great and all, you can’t leave Nashville before digging into its famous hot chicken or checking out a music museum. Take at least 48 hours to explore its distinct neighborhoods and outdoor spaces—including a replica of Athen’s Parthenon—to make the most of your time in Tennessee.
