Fireworks will return to National Mall this Fourth of July

Major changes coming to reopening DC area

Major changes are coming to the DC area as the coronavirus pandemic winds down.

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Fourth of July fireworks will return to the National Mall this year as pandemic restrictions continue to ease across the District.

The National Park Service announced Tuesday that they will once again host their annual Independence Day fireworks show.

The 17-minute display will be held on Sunday, July 4, starting at 9:09 p.m. and will be launched from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

"Watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the National Mall against the backdrop of the monuments and memorials is one of the grandest traditions of our nation’s capital," said Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks. "This year’s display not only celebrates the 245th anniversary of American independence, but also marks an important step forward as the city emerges from the pandemic."

Officials say they will continue to enforce CDC guidelines, so people who are not fully vaccinated still have to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces and masks are required for everyone on all forms of public transportation.

All of the monuments and memorials along the National Mall are open to welcome visitors on Independence Day, with the exception of the Washington Monument.

Fireworks can be seen from other locations in the District and Northern Virginia, including President’s Park and sites along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. These locations include:

U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial
Netherlands Carillon
Columbia Island/Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove
Gravelly Point
Washington Sailing Marina at Daingerfield Island

Additional details for attending the July 4 fireworks display, including access points, prohibited items and road closures, will be released later this month. Click here for more information.