Best Independence Day parties

July 4th, America’s Independence Day, is a mid-summer holiday full of barbecues, family parties, vacations, parades, and especially fireworks.

Many big cities have all-day events that draw huge crowds. Here is a list of our highly subjective, Top 5 Fourth of July Parties:

Classical and popular orchestra music takes center stage for Beantown’s holiday celebration. The world-famous Boston Pops give its famous annual holiday concert among hundreds of thousands of people along the city’s Charles River. The concert’s highlight is the performance of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and, of course, a spectacular fireworks show.

People come from miles round to the U.S. National Mall every year. The wide-open space between the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument provides plenty of space to put a blanket down, relax, and watch a spectacular fireworks show launching over the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Other events include an Independence Day parade and a pre-fireworks concert.

Although Fireworks and history play an important role in Independence Day festivities, we cannot forget the music. Nashville’s colorful and lively music scene takes center stage with a broad spectrum of artists singing all afternoon and night. Of course, a fireworks show over the Cumberland River is always in the cards.

Home to thousands of military personnel, patriotism runs deep in this southern California town with wonderful summer weather. In fact, the Independence Day firework show – called the Big Bay Boom -isn’t launched from just one barge in the harbor, but four. The multiple location show provides viewing from many locations around the city.

The city where the Declaration of Independence was written cannot be excluded. The City of Brotherly Love concludes its two-week long “Welcome America” festivities with a big concert along its famous Ben Franklin Parkway. After the concert, the city’s classic neoclassic art museum, the same one that Rocky jogged up, is the backdrop for a massive fireworks show.

No matter where you celebrate the Fourth of July, check your Weather & Radar for the latest weather forecast.