Skip to content
250th in Philly
Reenactors prepareTrump impactSuburban eventsConcert guide
LiveUpdated

Philly events for nation's 250th ramp up amid heat wave; Congress to mark vote for independence

The Second Continental Congress voted in Philadelphia on July 2, 1776, to adopt a resolution of independence from Great Britain.

(Left to Right) McKenzie Kerry, Kate Dimmett, and Reagan Earlywine, stand with other participants who gathered to create the Living Liberty Bell at Independence Hall.
(Left to Right) McKenzie Kerry, Kate Dimmett, and Reagan Earlywine, stand with other participants who gathered to create the Living Liberty Bell at Independence Hall.Read more
Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
What you should know

  1. Events celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary ramp up in Philadelphia on Thursday, including festivities around Old City and a ceremonial event with members of Congress.

  2. Those events are also bringing significant road closures.

  3. Extreme heat has canceled or shortened some events, and the potential for thunderstorms and lightning threatens others, including Saturday's seven-hour concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

  4. Here's everything you need to know about the July Fourth concert and fireworks, including who's performing, the schedule, and transportation.

Living Liberty Bell takes shape on Liberty Mall

Kicking off Red, White & Blue To-Do at 7 a.m. this morning, 250 people gathered at Liberty Mall to make a "living Liberty Bell."

Participants wore red, white, and blue (naturally) and included Tess Ferm, Miss America’s Teen from South Carolina, and former city representative Sheila Hess.

The human formation even captured the bell's signature crack through an outline of participants wearing blue.

Thursday events include a parade, concert, and drone show

Locals and tourists alike are set to brave 100-degree-plus temperatures to attend the Red, White & Blue To-Do — Philadelphia's third-annual celebration of the day the Second Continental Congress voted here on July 2, 1776, to adopt a resolution of independence from Great Britain — all day Thursday.

Founding Father John Adams believed July 2 would be celebrated for generations to come with "Pomp and Parade," but July 4, when Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, got all of the glory and became the day we mark the founding of our country.

Adams' prognostication in a letter to his wife, Abigail, didn't come to fruition until 2024, when the Philadelphia Historic District Partners — a coalition of more than 30 institutions, museums, and attractions — heeded his call and created a packed day of festivities across Old City in advance of this year's Semiquincentennial.

Congress to mark 250th anniversary of vote for independence

Members of Congress will gather Thursday at Independence Hall for a ceremonial event to mark the 250th anniversary of the day the Second Continental Congress voted for independence.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat whose district includes the historic site, had worked for years to set up a joint session of Congress — an extremely rare occurrence outside Washington, D.C., since 1800 — on the anniversary.

Thursday’s event will not be a formal joint session. But members of both parties will come together in Congress Hall, the room where the legislative branch convened before relocating to Washington.

Lightning injuries are rare, but an expert says the Parkway is an especially risky venue on July 4

In the grand casino of the atmosphere, scheduling outdoor events on July Fourth in the Philly region is almost always going to be a rolling of the bones.

And on the day Philadelphia and the rest of the national are holding a mass 250th birthday party, the odds may be dicier than usual, with thunderstorms and accompanying lightning possible Saturday afternoon and night, forecasters say.

July happens to be the peak month for lightning-bearing thunderstorms in Philadelphia, occurring every five days on average, and who doesn’t want to be outside on the Fourth?

Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday defended the city’s upcoming July Fourth concert, a seven-hour outdoor spectacle featuring performances from Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott and The Roots, amid concerns over the nearly 100-degree forecast and revelations that the event will cost taxpayers millions more than in years past.

The city has dealt with high temperatures before and has battle-tested personnel and protocols prepared for the evening, Parker told reporters at a news conference in front of the stage at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps.

She also addressed the detractors head on.