Everyone wants to celebrate the nation's birthday by viewing fireworks on the Fourth of July, and listed below are some of the best places to view fireworks in the United States. For those who want to see fireworks in other cities, there is also information here for that, as well as the legality of fireworks in your neighborhood.
The Huffington Post recently wrote about where the best places are to see fireworks, and if you are near any of the cities listed below, a trip is highly recommended.
- Addison, Texas: You may not have heard of this small town (population 19,000), but they perform a show called Kaboom Town which actually takes place on July 3rd. It is a 30-minute, $200,000 budget show that draws in more than half a million people, and it can be seen for miles around.
- Boston, Massachusetts: In 1974, the Boston Pops started a tradition of doing a concert before a grand fireworks celebration, and the best place to view it is on either side of the Charles River.
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: This is one of the most popular beach destinations in the United States, and there will be many displays from July 2-4.
- New York, New York: Macy's is hosting a huge show this year, and NBC will be hosting it live if you can't make it. If you are in the neighborhood of the public viewing area on elevated portions of FDR drive, this is probably the best place, but you might be able to see them from any place where the East River is visible.
- Orlando, Florida: Considering that Disney World puts on a fireworks show every night, then surely they can go all out on the Fourth of July. Any park such as The Magic Kingdom or Epcot will do, and some beaches nearby will bring a good view as well.
If you are nowhere near those cities, just do type in "where to watch fireworks on July 4th" with your city and state after it on any search engine. You will easily find places to go and things to see in the Top Ten finds.
The other option is to go out and buy some consumer fireworks and have a show of your own at your own home. The problem is that might not be an option depending on where you live, as the laws governing consumer fireworks vary widely from state to state, even from county to county.
For example, if you live in Delaware, Massachusetts, or New Jersey, all sales and use of consumer fireworks, including sparklers and other such novelties, are completely illegal. If you live in Illinois and Iowa, sparklers and other small novelties are what you can get. Other states that have limitations include Minnesota and Florida, which permit fireworks that do not explode or fly through the air. States like Hawaii and Nevada allow each county to establish its own fireworks legislation.
For information on whether or not certain fireworks are illegal or legal in your area, go to the American Pyrotechnics Association website and you will find all kinds of information about it.
