The 8 best Fourth of July celebrations in the USA

Featuring spectacular fireworks and atmospheric, city-wide parties, there’s no shortage of celebrations in all shapes and sizes across the USA on this historic day. Whather you’re travelling to meet friends and family or taking a short break, discover how all the festivities unfold across the country with eight of the best places to celebrate Independence Day across the USA, according to global travellers.*

New York City

There are plenty of reasons to head to New York City for Independence Day but the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Display is the real draw. Each year, the sky above East River in Midtown Manhattan lights up with a kaleidoscopic pyrotechnics show and 2018 promises to be the biggest one yet, with over 75,000 cutting-edge firework effects and a patriotic performance from Kelly Clarkson. The display can be seen from various spots around the city, with FDR Drive, Brooklyn Bridge Park, a river cruise (these don’t come cheap) and the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfronts being the prime positions. You’ll also find plenty of rooftop bars that host their own parties, or head to Central Park to partake in the great North American tradition of the barbecue (it’s illegal to fire up a grill in the park throughout the rest of the year but there’s a special exception on the 4th). For the best fireworks views, check into 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, on the edge of the park and a few hundred metres from the East River.

Washington DC

The North American capital is a historic place to visit during the Fourth of July, offering plenty of pomp and ceremony. The day is filled with military drills and ceremonies, live music, locals mingling around the Washington Monument with picnics, and food trucks lining the Mall. There’s also a fireworks finale, filling the sky over the US Capitol West Lawn after a free concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. Prep your picnic in your own kitchen, staying in a studio at BridgeStreet at Woodward Building, just a 5-minute walk from the Washington Monument.

Las Vegas

Sin City will keep you more than entertained on the Fourth of July. There are pool parties, concerts, family-friendly barbecues, parades and fireworks displays at each of the major casino hotels. Caesars Palace tends to lead the charge, with pyrotechnics for 2018 to be set off from the top of its Julius Tower, reflecting off the hotel’s front fountains in a rainbow of colours. Cool down from the midday heat with an icy cocktail under a cabana at Caesars Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, then stroll down the Strip when the sun sets to soak up the city’s party spirit. Treat yourself to a stay at Caesars Palace itself.

New Orleans

With balmy summer evenings and both a musical and culinary culture to be reckoned with, New Orleans is a wonderful place to celebrate the Fourth of July. The big attraction is the ‘Dueling Barges’ display at the Go Fourth on the River event, an annual tradition in which plumes of red, white and blue firework fountains are set off from steamboats on the Mississippi. Hang out on the banks of the river to enjoy festive family barbecues featuring sublime sticky BBQ chicken and jambalaya (a Cajun-inspired one-pot dish of smoked, spicy sausage, sweet peppers and crawfish). Or, watch the parades lining the streets of the French Quarter, where you’ll find free concerts and festivals celebrating African-American heritage, often with headliners from stars like Diana Ross, Mary J Blige and Chaka Khan. Stay amid the excitement at the French Market Inn, a hotel built in the 1800s.

San Francisco

The San Fran skyline seems made for fireworks, with the Golden Gate Bridge, misty bay and rolling hills forming a surreal backdrop for the red, white and blue display set off from a barge in front of Pier 39. There are also fireworks choreographed to a classical concert by the San Francisco Symphony at the outdoor Shoreline Amphitheatre. But Independence Day celebrations here aren’t just confined to the evening; revellers should check out the huge Alameda Mayor’s Parade (one of the largest in the nation, featuring dancers, marching bands and equestrians), the Fourth of July party at Pier 39, or the fete at the Berkeley Marina. With views of the bay, Hotel Zephyr is just around the corner from Pier 39.

Boston

As the setting for the opening siege of the War of Independence in 1775, Boston is a poignant place to celebrate the Fourth of July. The city centre sees processions, speeches, live music and a fireworks display over the Charles River – aka the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular – which culminates in cannon fire. If you don’t have access to a rooftop or a cruise boat, you can also watch the show from the Harvard Bridge, or either side of the river; Memorial Drive on the Cambridge side offers food trucks and family-friendly games. Lap up the contemporary decor and outdoor pool at The Verb Hotel, just a short walk from Harvard Bridge.

San Diego

Known as the Big Bay Boom, San Diego’s Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza is the largest display on the West Coast. Launched simultaneously from four different barges in the bay, this spectacular show can be seen from all over downtown, or one of the city’s golden beaches. And being a famously patriotic city (home to thousands of veterans and several military bases), locals embrace the celebrations with barbecue buffets, star-spangled seafood dinners, competitions, parades and concerts. Stay at the highly rated 1906 Lodge, just 9 minutes’ walk from the beach.

Philadelphia

As the city in which the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, Philadelphia is another historically significant and special place to spend the Fourth of July. The week-long celebrations here involve parades, free concerts, and an epic fireworks display over the regal, colonnaded Philadelphia Museum of Art. Spend the day lapping up the entertainment at Party on the Parkway (on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway), including live music, games, food trucks, craft beer gardens and even a zip line. Stay close to the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Cornerstone B&B, a Victorian home restored as a guest house with stained glass windows and a gorgeous red and green porch.

* These eight cities were the most-booked by Booking.com customers travelling to the USA for the 4th July.