20 Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July Weekend Virtually

Normally, we would be attending picnics and concerts and fireworks on the 4th of July. 

But since 2020 is not a normal year, here’s how to celebrate the birthday of the USA virtually, at home, all weekend, including concerts, fireworks, a reading of the Declaration of Independence by NYC school children, debut of the movie version of Hamilton, and more.

Friday, July 3 Virtual Events

Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and Lin-Manuel Miranda in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton. Photo © Joan Marcus via TheaterMania

Hamilton, the Movie, Begins Streaming

Be in the room where it happens with the cast of Hamilton.

The movie version of the blockbuster Broadway play begins streaming today, Friday, July 3, on Disney Plus.

Get all the information here.

See also

NYC sites where Hamilton lived and worked, and where he is buried

NYC sites where George Washington ate, worshipped and governed

Kota Ezawa’s “National Anthem”

The Whitney Museum of American Art continues its streaming series an animated video by artist Kota Ezawa’s “National Anthem,” an animated video depicting N.F.L. players taking a pregame knee in protest of police brutality against Black Americans.

The two-minute-long work is created entirely with watercolors and is inspired by  the demonstrations spurred by quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016, when he began kneeling during the pregame “Star-Spangled Banner.” Ezawa’s translation, as he describes it, of the N.F.L. protests will stream as part of the Whitney Screens series until July 5.

The video was presented during the Whitney Biennial 2019.

In a piece tracing the impact of the gesture, The New York Times explores visual echoes of Kaepernick’s activism in the wave of protesters who have taken to the streets to call for racial justice after the police killing of George Floyd.

Image credit: Kota Ezawa, “National Anthem” (Buffalo Bills), 2018. Watercolor on paper, 11 x 16 in. (26.4 x 40.64 cm). Image courtesy the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco, via PBS AllArts.

• Available for streaming from 7pm Friday through 10pm Sunday, July 5th.

• Watch on The Whitney Museum of American Art Vimeo channel

Saturday, July 4th Virtual Events

9/11 Memorial Plaza Reopens

The 9/11 Memorial will reopen on Saturday, July 4, to 9/11 family members, the extended 9/11 community, and workers on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The memorial plaza reopens to the general public on Sunday, July 5, when you can visit once again and contemplate on one of the worst days in American history.

The Museum remains closed, as are all museums in New York City.

It’s been nearly four months since the 9/11 Memorial & Museum was closed in response to government guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Like all museums, this one has not earned any admission fees, which is museum’s main source of revenue.  The Fourth of July would be a good time to make a donation. 

Becasue we must #NeverForget

Please donate now to help us reopen the 9/11 Memorial

Independence Day with the New York Historical Society

The  day’s schedule of family-friendly events includes a reenactment of Frederick Douglass’ speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”, an arts and crafts project on the legacy of Jackie Robinson, and  a sing-along of Patriotic tunes

For more educational resources,  check out the Society’s online exhibitions, virtual tours and archival videos as part of its digital holdings.

• 10am to 2pm.
• See the full schedule of July 4th events here.

Independence Day at Historic Richmond Town

Join a virtual celebration at this historic location on Staten Island.

A series of videos and content will be posted throughout the day, honoring the stories of Staten Islanders who lived in the buildings, and traditional activities held in previous celebrations.

There’s also a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Staten Island youth, a virtual pie baking demonstration and tour of the Guyon-Lake Tysen Farmhouse, and host your own pinwheel parade with a craft activity for youth and families.

While the buildings are closed to visitors, the grounds and gardens are open.  Face coverings and social distancing required.

See virtual schedule here

Macy’s Annual Fireworks Spectacular

The annual 30 minute fireworks spectacular has been replaced this year by five five-minute displays, one in each borough, this past week.  They’re being gathered up for broadcast on the Fourth of July, and edited into a finale with entertainment, broadcast nationally on NBC.

According to Macy’s, this year’s fireworks will feature a musical score that’s “a mix of pop and patriotic anthems celebrating New York City’s resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

The Young People’s Chorus of NYC will also virtually perform “America the Beautiful” and “Lean On Me.”

More information here

The Fourth in America

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

No spectators this year.  But the event is being broadcast at Noon on ESPN.

SavingCountryMusic.com image

Willie Nelson’s Annual 4th of July Picnic

It’s really a concert with top country stars, including Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Margo Price, Steve Earle, Kurt Vile and, of course, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, which is fronted by Wille’s 31-year-old son.

The event includes some live-stream performances from stages at Willie Nelson’s ranch on the outskirts of Austin, while  while Nelson himself will be playing from his nearby Pedernales Studios. Meanwhile, other artists are taping their performances from remote locations for the concert-film portion.

The event  also features interviews sharing memories from past picnics. And there are a lot of them: Nelson has been doing this every year since 1972.

Tickets for the digital event are $35 through Friday and $45 the day of the event.  Purchase  at WilliePicnic.com, where the festivities will stream beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The picnic was originally scheduled to bring fans to Nelson’s Luck, Texas, ranch on the outskirts of Austin. But now Texas has become a hot spot for COVID-19.

The combined festivities also celebrate Nelson’s new LP, which was postponed from April. The album features the single “We Are the Cowboys,” a song originally recorded by Billy Joe Shaver. And the “Cowboys” video was shot by Micah Nelson, Willie’s 30-year-old son.

Nelson will keep the collaboration all in the family when he and his 89-year-old sister Bobbie Nelson, a member of his Family band,  release the memoir “Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band” on Sept. 15.

Clearly, nothing — not even a pandemic — can stop Willie Nelson, even at the age of 87.

More Holiday Weekend Virtual Events –

Carnegie Hall Fridays