If you’re heading to the National Mall to celebrate the Fourth of July, there will be some new events and changes to the annual fireworks display.
A “Salute to America” at the Lincoln Memorial, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will take place for the first time and will feature remarks from President Donald Trump, which means the fireworks launch location has been changed from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to West Potomac Park.
“That has allowed us to open up some very prime real estate in the Constitution Gardens,” said National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst.
Visitors shouldn’t be worries about obstructed views of the display as a result, he added.
“Traditionally, we didn’t see much in the way of spectators in West Potomac Park,” Litterst said.
In addition to the changes, the display has also been extended this year.
“We’ve got two companies that will provide fireworks for us,” Litterst said. That will extend the display by 15 minutes.
The fireworks display will run from 9:07 p.m. to 9:42 p.m.
“With the additional fireworks, we’re launching all the way from West Potomac Park moving Northwest and wrapping around the Lincoln Memorial, so we’ll light up the sky from a bunch of different directions,” he said. “There shouldn’t be any challenge watching the fireworks.”
Staying away from buildings and trees when picking the perfect spot to catch the display will also help people’s chances of capturing the perfect view.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the run time of the fireworks display.
