It’s looking more and more likely that people celebrating the Fourth of July in D.C. will be presented with competing events on either side of the National Mall that evening.
Organizers for “A Capitol Fourth,” the long-standing concert hosted on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building, tweeted last week that it was “unaffiliated with any other July Fourth celebrations.” including “A Salute to America,” an evening of live entertainment, fireworks, and a speech by President Donald Trump at the Lincoln Memorial. He announced it on Twitter in February, and more details have emerged since.
What’s the difference between the two events?
Both events will feature live entertainment. A Capitol Fourth, which has been a staple in D.C.’s Fourth of July celebrations since its first concert in 1981, hasn’t yet released its line-up for this year’s show. The list of artists who have performed in the past boasts some impressive talent, including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, and many more.
There are no details yet about who’ll take the stage at A Salute to America, though it looks like the headliner is locked in: Trump announced on Twitter that the celebration will include “an address by your favorite President, me!”
So is it possible that there will be two concerts happening at the same time at opposite ends of the National Mall?
These two events are both slated to happen on the evening of July 4. A Capitol Fourth will be broadcast live by PBS at 8 p.m. local time, but there are no timing details yet for A Salute to America.
The National Park Service has a role in both events. In a statement, NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst indicated that the two wouldn’t coincide. “While the details of [the A Salute to America] program have not yet been announced by the White House, we do not anticipate conflicts or overlap with any of the day’s other scheduled events, including the National Independence Day Parade, A Capitol Fourth, or the fireworks show.”
I don’t care about the concerts. What’s happening with the fireworks?
The National Park Service announced earlier this month that this year’s fireworks display will move from its usual location at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool to West Potomac Park. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told The Washington Post that the switch would create more space for visitors to watch the fireworks.
Security is going to be wild, isn’t it?
Probably. Last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed concerns about the president’s edits to the city’s Independence Day festivities. She noted that the new location of the fireworks in West Potomac Park and added security for the president’s movements to and from the Lincoln Memorial would put “a strain” on the local police force. It could also complicate the movements of crowds coming in to the heart of the city for the celebrations.
This isn’t the first time that the mayor and the president have sparred over security costs for big events. Last August, the two butted heads on Twitter over Trump’s plan to host a military parade in D.C., which came with a price tag upwards of $90 million. There’s no word yet on what the tab could look like for Trump’s Independence Day plans, but one D.C. official told The Washington Post that the District will expect the federal government to pay the added costs.
What about protests?
Demonstrations against the president’s policy agenda certainly aren’t new to D.C., and his Independence Day plans are already sparking backlash.
The choice of the Lincoln Memorial, a site long associated with major moments in the history of civil rights, is especially controversial, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton told WAMU.
Norton told DCist last week that she expects protests in response to A Salute to America. “He’s inviting picketing on the Fourth of July,” she said. “I can’t believe this will be anything but controversial.”
Margaret Barthel