🎆 Celebrate the nation’s birthday | Things to do

You’ve been hearing about America’s semiquincentennial all year, and now the celebration is finally here.

Flags will fly, marching bands will play, and fireworks will light up the sky this Independence Day weekend.

Whether you’re looking for patriotic pageantry, concerts, or family fun, it’s shaping up to be a Fourth of July weekend unlike any other.

Also in this week’s edition:

— Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Philadelphia and the surrounding region are packed with celebrations, concerts, and fireworks displays.

Arts intern Morgan Ritter rounded up the best places to watch fireworks across Philadelphia, the suburbs, South Jersey, and the Shore, while I have everything you need to know before heading to the city’s free July 4 concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

This year’s One Philly: Unity Concert for America features Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, Will Smith, Meek Mill, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Seal, and more before the city’s official fireworks spectacular.

Read our complete guides to Fourth of July fireworks and the Parkway concert.

🍿 Grab your popcorn: Free movie days at Philadelphia Film Society continues through Saturday. The lineup includes showings of Mean Girls and Independence Day — oh, so fitting.

💸 Cha-ching!: Before the New York Stock Exchange was established, Philadelphia was the financial capital of the nation. This week, you can explore that history with the reopening of the First Bank of the United States. It’s open to the public for the first time in 50 years.

🖼️ A revolutionary time: Stop by the Museum of the American Revolution for guided gallery tours, reenactment performances, printmaking demos, and other fun activities through Sunday.

🎸 The sounds of freedom: Imagine Benjamin Franklin fronting a rock revolution. That’s the premise of The Sound of America, an electrifying musical that features 23 original songs, a walking tour, and a special remote cameo by Sir Roger Daltrey.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Philly LOVES Stories at Fashion District, Open Streets: Midtown Village, BLACKTRONIKA: Now and Then at Silk City.

Check out our full list of calendar picks here.

The city has already been buzzing with activity this summer, and it’s about to get even busier for America’s 250th birthday.

From soccer to ballet, art to history, features reporter Dugan Arnett rounded up the can’t-miss events happening across Philadelphia and the region through Independence Day. His guide includes the Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square, the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Fan Festival, the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade, Pops on Independence, and dozens more celebrations.

Read his full America 250 guide here.

📽️ Latino film on display: A celebration of Latino filmmakers and creatives continues through Sunday, as part of the annual Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. The event, now in its 15th year, includes a lineup of feature films, documentaries, shorts, online series, and more visual projects.

🎭 Dear, theater lovers: Sunday is your last chance to catch the six-time Tony Award winner, Dear Evan Hansen, at Arden Theater. Grab tickets while they last, or miss out on this emotional story about an anxious high schooler forced to confront a harrowing lie.

🍸 New restaurant opening at the Bellevue: Thomas Edison designed the original lighting inside the Bellevue, so it’s only fitting that the hotel’s newest culinary offering honors the inventor. The newly opened supper club-inspired restaurant, Mr. Edison, is worth exploring.

🥊 Philly’s true heavyweight champion: While fictional boxer Rocky Balboa has three statues in his honor, Philadelphia’s true undisputed heavyweight champion is finally getting his just due. A 12-foot bronze statue of boxing legend Joe Frazier was unveiled at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Here’s a list of the best concerts happening this week.

🎸 Thursday: Just before the July 4 weekend festivities kick into full gear, Old City will host the Red, White & Blue Music Series that includes 28 local bands and groups spread across 11 museums.

🎷 Friday: Saxophonist Ikechi Onyenaka will lead the Friday Night Jazz Series at Spruce Street Harbor Park.

🎤 Saturday: The One Philly: United Concert for America will be a star-studded affair, featuring performances from Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, Will Smith, Meek Mill and other notable stars.

🎸 Sunday: Paul Simon is bringing his “A Quiet Celebration” tour to the TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann to close out the celebratory weekend.

What year did the first Independence Day celebration take place in Philadelphia?

a) July 4, 1776?

b) July 4, 1777?

c) July 4, 1780?

d) July 4, 1781?

Here’s the answer to last week’s question: When did the Lit Brothers building first open? Answer: 1871

I’m starting something new for the newsletter, and I want your participation.

Many of you have questions about each week’s listings, and others about Philly’s arts, culture, and entertainment scene.

I have you covered. Have a question? Email me for a chance to have it answered in an upcoming newsletter.

Alright, folks! That’s all for this week’s edition of Things to Do. And if you couldn’t tell, it’s a celebratory moment — not only for the city, but for the nation. Enjoy this historical moment to the fullest.

— Earl Hopkins