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The National Park Service promised the largest fireworks display in the entire country, and they delivered. News4’s Darcy Spencer reports on the welcome celebration after last year’s quiet holiday.
The excitement on the National Mall was palpable Sunday as people gathered to celebrate Independence Day with friends and family.
From the Washington Monument to the U.S. Capitol building, local residents and visitors competed for shady spots and got together under umbrellas and on blankets to watch what the National Park Service promised would be the largest fireworks display in the entire country.
People were ready to get out and about and experience a more normal holiday after the pandemic shut celebrations down last year.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for DNC
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: A group of young boys sits down to enjoy ice cream from the “America is Back” Ice Cream truck at the National Mall on July 04, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for DNC)
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Visitors gather on the Ellipse near the White House during a Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. After a subdued Independence Day in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions, the National Park Service announced the fireworks show would return with capacity restrictions lifted in the nation’s capital and parades returning to the area. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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News4’s Darcy Spencer shared this image on July 4, 2021 via her Twitter account, saying, “Fourth of July in the nation’s Capitol feels more like previous years. We’ve got crowds!”
NBC Washington
News4’s Darcy Spencer shared this image on July 4, 2021 via her Twitter account, saying, “Fourth of July in the nation’s Capitol feels more like previous years. We’ve got crowds!”
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Visitors walk through the Ellipse near the White House during a Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. After a subdued Independence Day in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions, the National Park Service announced the fireworks show would return with capacity restrictions lifted in the nation’s capital and parades returning to the area. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Alex Wong/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: People dance outside the White House on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will host about 1,000 guests, including COVID response essential workers and military families, to celebrate the nation’s 245th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Families of service members attend a Fourth of July event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The White House invited hundreds of essential workers, military families and administration staff members to view the Independence Day fireworks on the South Lawn as Biden touts a government vaccination drive that has helped get at least one dose to 67% of adults in the U.S. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a Fourth of July event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The White House invited hundreds of essential workers, military families and administration staff members to view the Independence Day fireworks on the South Lawn as Biden touts a government vaccination drive that has helped get at least one dose to 67% of adults in the U.S. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Alex Wong/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: Guests listen to U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks during a Fourth of July BBQ event to celebrate Independence Day at the South Lawn of the White House July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted about 1,000 guests, including COVID response essential workers and military families, to celebrate the nation’s 245th birthday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
First Lady Jill Biden greets attendees during a Fourth of July event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The White House invited hundreds of essential workers, military families and administration staff members to view the Independence Day fireworks on the South Lawn as Biden touts a government vaccination drive that has helped get at least one dose to 67% of adults in the U.S.Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: Visitors flood to the National Mall to watch the fireworks display during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Capitol Building remains closed this year after the January 6th insurrection by pro-Trump supporters. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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“Beautiful night on the Mall! This is the first July 4th in a long time that I can remember that hasn’t been sweltering hot,” News4’s Aimee Cho said in a tweet on July 4, 2021.
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and extended family members watch a fireworks display from the second-floor balcony of the Executive Residence of the White House during a Fourth of July event on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The White House invited hundreds of essential workers, military families and administration staff members to view the Independence Day fireworks on the South Lawn as Biden touts a government vaccination drive that has helped get at least one dose to 67% of adults in the U.S.Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden take a photo with family members on the balcony of the Executive Residence of the White House during a Fourth of July event on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The White House invited hundreds of essential workers, military families and administration staff members to view the Independence Day fireworks on the South Lawn as Biden touts a government vaccination drive that has helped get at least one dose to 67% of adults in the U.S.Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: People fill the National Mall to watch the fireworks display during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. While pandemic restrictions have been lifted for much of the country, the Delta variant of Covid-19 is hospitalizing thousands of Americans have so far not gotten a vaccine. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: People fill the National Mall to watch the fireworks display during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. While pandemic restrictions have been lifted for much of the country, the Delta variant of Covid-19 is hospitalizing thousands of Americans have so far not gotten a vaccine. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: People fill the National Mall to watch the fireworks display during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. While pandemic restrictions have been lifted for much of the country, the Delta variant of Covid-19 is hospitalizing thousands of Americans have so far not gotten a vaccine. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 04: A boy swings a sparkler through the air following the fireworks display on the National Mall during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. While pandemic restrictions have been lifted for much of the country, the Delta variant of Covid-19 is hospitalizing thousands of Americans have so far not gotten a vaccine. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
“As normal as it’s gonna get, but you know, I think everybody is starting to feel a little bit more comfortable,” one man said. “I think America -- we’re getting back.”
Members of one family from Texas would be seeing the annual fireworks display for the very first time.
“It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing for everyone,” a woman said.
This year, NBC Washington brought you the 17-minute show live from the rooftop of 1331 Maryland Avenue SW.
The celebration started at 9:09 p.m. and the fireworks were launched from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
His speech celebrated freedom from the worst of the pandemic but also warned that the fight against the virus wasn't over, the Associated Press reports.
An Annual Ceremony Takes on New Meaning After the Jan. 6 Insurrection
At Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill, an annual Fourth of July ceremony honoring those who shaped and fought for the fledgling United States took on a modern significance Sunday.
Organizers paid tribute to the heroic efforts of D.C. and U.S. Capitol police officers for their work during the Jan. 6 insurrection. A commendation was presented posthumously to Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the riot, and to Officer Eugene Goodman, who lured the mob away from members of Congress.
Members of different organizations come to the cemetery every Independence Day, gathering at the grave of Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Organizers paid tribute to the heroic efforts of D.C. and Capitol police officers for their work during the Jan. 6 insurrection. News4's Derrick Ward takes viewers to Congressional Cemetery for the story.
They recite an oath: “We, descendants of the heroes of the American Revolution, who by their sacrifices established the United States of American, reaffirm our faith in the principles of liberty and our constitutional republic.”
Those principles were tested six months ago within walking distance of the hallowed ground after a mob stormed the Capitol building. It adds another dimension to this year’s observance of the holiday.
“This would be an opportunity for every American to really look at, you know, the condition of the country and where we would like it to be,” D.C. Police Officer Mike Fanone, who was brutally beaten during the breach on Jan. 6, said. “There’s 849 other MPD officers that deserve to be standing here just as much as I do.”
Commendations for other D.C. and U.S. Capitol police officers were also presented, honoring them as latter-day counterparts of those who, in their era, defended the then-new U.S.
“I’ve been waiting many, many weeks to stand next to this officer, and I want you to know, I will shake your hand,” William O. Ritchie Jr., of the D.C. Sons of the American Revolution, said to Fanone.
Centuries ago, Elbridge Gerry, who’s name lives on through the term “gerrymander,” wouldn’t sign the Constitution because he didn’t think it did enough to protect individual and state rights.
Sunday’s ceremony featured both a history lesson and encouraging look toward the future, a chance to embrace “compassion and empathy rather than anger,” as Fanone said.
