OUT WITH A BANG Philly's America 250 celebrations closed with a concert and fireworks display
J FUSCO
Philadelphia played a major role in the American Revolution. We explore how the City of Brotherly Love planned to mark the US semiquincentennial America 250: Live from Philadelphia
Words by Katie Kasperson
B esides Boston, Philadelphia was arguably the second- most significant city in establishing the United States as an independent nation. It’s where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It was also the country’s capital before Washington, DC. While Boston might be
cancelled due to extreme heat. But the events continued at the National Constitution Center, where Pope Leo XIV (who attended Philadelphia’s Villanova University) joined in virtually from the Vatican to receive the 38th annual Liberty Medal. On 4 July – an annual US holiday – Philly wrapped its America 250 revelries with a concert and fireworks finale, streamed live from Benjamin Franklin Parkway (which connects City Hall with the Art Museum). Headlined by Christina Aguilera, plus Philly’s own Will Smith and Jill Scott, the concert started late, again wrestling with high temperatures and heavy storms. (Anyone who attended the FIFA World Cup round of 16 match down at Lincoln Financial Field, which was also that day, could tell you how hot it was). The fireworks followed, wrapping at around 3am Eastern – and marking the grandest display in the city’s July 4th history.
Philadelphia and Spanish-language Telemundo62 TV stations broadcast the 16-day festival, including the Liberty Medal ceremony and July 4th Philly Concert and Fireworks. All of the major broadcasts were available for free, in English, on the NBC10 Philadelphia app, NBC10. com and the local NBC Philadelphia News streaming channel. Other local news teams joined the fun, including FOX 29 and CBS Philadelphia, providing on-site reporting, interviews and
dubbed the birthplace of the American Revolution, Philly is the birthplace of Wawa, the beloved
traffic tracking – although NBC10 retained rights to the main events. On 3 July, the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial
convenience store that’s found only in select East Coast states. It’s fitting that Philly’s America 250 celebration was titled ‘Wawa Welcome America’. From 19 June to 4 July, the NBC10
Parade – set to be the largest professionally produced 250th anniversary parade in the country – was ultimately
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