After more than 15 years, the iconic Fourth of July fireworks show on the National Mall is moving away from the Washington Monument.
The National Park Service confirms that in 2019, Independence Day fireworks will be set off about a mile away in West Potomac Park.
The new site, close to the Potomac River and visible from parts of Virginia, should allow a larger crowd to see an upgraded spectacle, NPS spokesman Mike Litterst said.
"This year's Independence Day fireworks show will be bigger and longer than previous years," Litterst said.
In past years, NPS closed walkways near the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool for about 10 days in preparation for Washington's Independence Day. Moving the fireworks launch site allows that scenic area to stay open — And hints at other changes for this year's celebration.
It appears that President Donald Trump is preparing to make good on a February promise of a July 4, 2019, "address by your favorite president, me!"
The Washington Post reports that President Donald Trump is taking an active role in planning the Fourth of July celebration in the nation's capital and is pushing forward with plans to deliver an address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
The new event is to be called "A Salute to America" and may include a second stage of entertainment, in addition to the traditional concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol, the Post says. D.C. already has multiple parades on July Fourth, including on Constitution Avenue.
An unnamed local official in D.C. reportedly told the Post that they have concerns about the logistics of moving an event after decades of working out the kinks.
It's unclear how much any of these changes will cost, the Post says.
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The Fourth of July party represents the president's latest effort to throw a patriotic bash in the nation's capital, months after he cancelled plans for a military parade through Washington, D.C., complete with tanks and fighter jet fly-overs. Local and Pentagon officials said that parade would cost upwards of $92 million.
