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Fairfax County residents staying close to home for Independence Day still have plenty of ways to celebrate, despite several fireworks displays taking place early in Lorton, McLean and Reston.
The next celebration begins Wednesday evening in Vienna, followed by a full slate of July 4 events featuring fireworks, parades, ceremonial readings, a 5K and an appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Vienna starts the festivities Wednesday
The Town of Vienna will hold its annual celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Yeonas Park, 1319 Ross Drive SW.
A 15-minute fireworks display is expected to begin around 9:30 p.m., once the sky is dark. More than three hours of live entertainment will precede the show, with 2000s cover band So Fetch headlining and Vienna Youth Players performer Sunday Moran singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Food trucks and the Vienna Little League concession stand will sell food and drinks throughout the evening.
Ross Drive and Patrick Street will begin closing around 4 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to park at Thoreau Middle School or Cedar Park Shopping Center. Accessible parking will be offered on Patrick Street and Patrick Circle.
Blankets and lawn chairs are permitted, but alcohol, pets and sparklers are prohibited.
July 4 fireworks shows
Herndon’s celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Bready Park, 814 Ferndale Avenue. The event will include music, games, crafts and food before fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Road closures begin at 7:30 p.m., and drivers should expect delays before and after the show.
Fairfax City will host an evening program from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Fairfax High School’s stadium, 3501 Lion Run. Bands will perform before and after the fireworks, while the Vienna-Falls Chorus will sing the national anthem. Shuttle service from Woodson High School begins at 5:30 p.m. If weather forces a postponement, fireworks will be held at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5, without the concert or shuttle.
In Great Falls, the Celebrate Great Falls Foundation will present fireworks at Turner Farm, 925 Springvale Road. Gates open at 6 p.m. for a cornhole tournament, inflatables, food trucks and other family activities. Admission is free, although premium viewing areas are available for purchase and donations to the nonprofit are encouraged.
Shipgarten, 7581 Colshire Drive in Tysons, will stage daytime fireworks at 3 and 6 p.m. during an all-day celebration. Activities include moon bounces, crafts and a water-balloon fight. At 8 p.m., the venue will shift to a Red, White and Blue Booze Party featuring DJ Maskell for guests 21 and older.
Readings of America’s founding documents
Pohick Episcopal Church, 9301 Richmond Highway in Lorton, will host a historical reading of the Declaration of Independence at 1 p.m. A reenactor portraying the Rev. Mr. Massey, the church’s rector in 1776, will deliver the reading. Free docent-led tours of the colonial church will follow. George Washington and George Mason were among its vestrymen.
Vienna will mark Liberty Amendments Month with a round-robin reading of documents including the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Emancipation Proclamation. The program starts at 11 a.m. at the Vienna Community Center. Registration is encouraged but not mandatory.
Parade, Mount Vernon events and a morning race
Fairfax City’s Independence Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. with a Flying Circus flyover before proceeding through Old Town Fairfax and ending around noon. Launched in 1967 and organized by the Delta Alpha Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, it is billed as Virginia’s largest Fourth of July parade.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon will begin its American Celebration at 10 a.m. with a naturalization ceremony featuring Schwarzenegger—an actor, bodybuilder and former California governor—as keynote speaker.
The day will also include a wreath-laying at Washington’s tomb, live music, 18th-century magic performances, a recreated Revolutionary War encampment and daytime fireworks over the Potomac River at 1 p.m. The programs are included with admission.
In Reston, the Leidos-sponsored Firecracker 5K for the Troops will start at 8 a.m. at Reston Town Center, benefiting the USO National Capital District. Registration remains open at $40, with reduced prices of $35 for military service members and $30 for participants younger than 14. Awards will go to the top three male and female finishers.