July Fourth 2014 Celebrations: Fireworks, Parties & More!

Fourth of July is considered one of the best holidays in the U.S. It is, as one would figure, one of the few major holidays families get together and celebrate apart from Christmas and the New Year. The quintessential Fourth of July holiday involves a backyard barbeque party, attending or taking part in a local parade through town, and a fireworks show, the Huffington Post said.

For people who have yet to make plans for the Fourth of July, which hurrah, falls on a Friday, you may want to take advantage of the festivities during the weekend.

Fireworks presentations

"Macy's" and "New York" are always pictured together when one talks about celebrating Fourth of July. According to MyFoxNY.com, Macy's has been gearing for its famed Fourth of July fireworks show with crews preparing three barges to be used for the aerial presentation. For the first time in five years, the fireworks spectacular of the retail chain is coming back to the East River in celebration of the 200th anniversary of "The Star Spangled Banner" and will reportedly be using the Brooklyn Bridge as its backdrop. Business Insider also said that the spectacle this year will involve over 40,000 shells and will be watched by an estimated 3 million people.

New York is not the only city in the U.S. who will not be sparing money, effort and fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July. Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, Atlantic City and even Nashville have all stepped up their game in the fireworks bonanza, with some tapping recording artists and homegrown musical talent to hype up the fireworks displays, Business Insider noted.

Parades/Ceremonies

For people who wish to immerse in a little bit of American history, some states like Rhode Island still celebrate Fourth of July old-school style. According to the Huffington Post, the town of Bristol has never missed celebrating Fourth of July via a grand parade since 1785, and it is most likely that this year, the size of the celebrations would definitely increase. As tradition, the townspeople consider its historic July Fourth parade as the centerpiece of the celebration.

Celebrations at Mount Rushmore pays homage to the military veterans and POWs who did service to the country. The famed mountain range however, will not witness any fiery spectacle at the risk of wildfire, but nonetheless, will serve as an impressive backdrop for people who wish to honor the American cultural heritage, thanks to the series of celebrations at Mount Rushmore National Memorial beginning July 3.

Barbeque parties

Whether one choose to celebrate Fourth of July at home or somewhere else, it would not be complete without a barbeque party. People enjoy several kinds of grilled food like chicken, pulled pork, burgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob to be capped with any cool drink from ice-cold beer and wine to more fancier red, white and blueberry sangria.

Beach Vacations

If you happen to be one of those people who had gotten tired of the usual Fourth of July celebrations, you can give yourself a quiet respite from the rowdy and often noisy parties. SheKnows said Fourth of July is often an extra vacation time for people who wish to go to the beach without joining in the revelries, and there are several beaches in the U.S. that can provide the perfect seaside getaway and still celebrate in the festivities. From Imperial Beach in San Diego, Lake Powell and Lake Tahoe, one could choose which beach destination to go to depending on how you want to celebrate the upcoming holiday.