Fireworks Near Me: McLean July 4th 2024 Events

MCLEAN, VA — Independence Day is fast approaching so it's time to find out where you can celebrate in and around Fairfax. Area events include fireworks, festivals and other Fourth of July fun.

To help you fit it all in on your 4th of July calendar, Patch has put together a guide to what’s going on in McLean and the surrounding areas.

Many people will be heading to Washington, D.C. for the big 4th of July Celebration on the National Mall. The National Park Service has posted a schedule of events, maps and other information online to make sure you're in the best spot to watch the fireworks display when it starts at 9:09 p.m.

If you head to D.C. earlier in the day, you can catch the National Independence Day Parade, which kicks of at 11:25 a.m. at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W.

A Capitol Fourth, then annual concert broadcast by PBS, will start at 8 p.m. and provide a great place to watch the fireworks burst above the National Mall. This is a popular event, so get there early. Gates open at the U.S. Capitol grounds at 3 p.m.

July 4 Festivities For 2024

What: McLean Independence Day Fireworks Celebration
Where: Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike in McLean
When: June 29, 6:30-10 p.m
McLean Community Center hosts its annual 4th of July event early this year, offering music, giveaways, food trucks and fireworks.

What: 4th of July Hometown Celebration
Where: Great Falls Village Centre
When: July 4, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Morning festivities kick off with the Little Patriots Parade, followed by the Main Parade around the Village Centre. Afterwards, enjoy family fun at the Village Green.

What: Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks
Where: Yeonas Park, 1319 Ross Drive S.W. in Vienna
When: July 2, 6-10 p.m.
Enjoy food, drink and music capped off by a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.

What: Fireworks, Foods and Family Fun
Where: Lake Fairfax Park, 1400 Lake Fairfax in Reston.
When: June 29, 12 p.m.; Fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Lake Enjoy the Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole, food trucks, live performances and fireworks

What: 4th of July in Herndon
Where: Bready Park, 811 Ferndale Ave. in Herndon
When: July 4, 6:30 p.m.; Fireworks 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy music, bingo and other family activities

What: Independence Day Parade
Where: Downtown Fairfax Rain or Shine
When: July 4, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Fairfax City's Independence Day celebration kicks of with its annual parade through Old Town. Shuttle buses run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m, to and from George Mason University, Fairfax High School or Fairfax United Methodist Church. Roads will be closed 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

What: A Hometown Celebration
Where: Veterans Amphitheater, 10455 Armstrong St.
When: July 4, 5 p.m.
Enjoy games for all ages, food trucks from Fairfax City businesses — and a concert by the award-winning City of Fairfax Band.

What: Evening Show & Fireworks
Where: Fairfax High School Stadium, 3501 Lion Run in Fairfax
When: July 4, 6:30-10 p.m.
Enjoy the music and presentations from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., when the fireworks display begins. Shuttle buses will run from 5 p.m to 11:30 p.m. at Woodson High School.

Today, Americans celebrate the birth of a new nation with fireworks, parades, concerts, and family gatherings and barbecues. Celebrations, though, predate by centuries the designation of Independence Day as a federal holiday, which didn’t happen until 1941.

During the pivotal summer of 1776, the pre-Revolutionary celebrations honoring King George III’s birthday were replaced with mock funerals as a symbolic break from the crown.

It was an exciting time in Philadelphia — the Continental Congress voted to break from the crown and, two days later on July 4, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the original 13 colonies —New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia — to adopt the Declaration of Independence.

The first annual commemoration of the nation’s independence was in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, while the Revolutionary War was ongoing. Fireworks have been part of Fourth of July festivities since the first celebration in Philadelphia.