People attending the Fourth of July “Salute to America” event on the National Mall will enter hours later than originally planned because of high temperatures.
Read more Kennedy Center sells out tickets to watch July 4th fireworks from rooftop, with top package at $25K
Freedom 250, the executive branch-backed nonprofit dedicated to celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, said on social media Thursday that it and federal partners “have coordinated closely to adjust event timing and expand cooling resources, water stations, and medical support across the grounds.”
Aircraft flyovers above the National Mall are expected to start at 1:15 p.m. Saturday, with the Washington Monument grounds opening to attendees at 5 p.m., according to a graphic Freedom 250 posted. The original entrance time was 1 p.m., according to Maryland’s WDVM-TV.
The fireworks display, which organizers hope will break a world record for the world’s largest, has a listed start time of 10:30 p.m.
The National Weather Service office serving the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas said on social media that air temperatures on Independence Day are expected to run between the upper 90s to low 100s and that, factoring in the humidity, it will feel like 102 to 110 degrees.
Read more From one ship to 250: Sen. Young’s bold bet on rebuilding U.S. shipyards and outpacing China
On Thursday, temperatures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport hit 102 degrees, breaking a 128-year-old record for the area of 101 degrees set in 1898, according to Washington’s WJLA-TV.
People attending the “Salute to America” event will be restricted in what they can bring to the Washington Monument grounds.
Guests will have two options for bags: a see-through bag measuring 12 by 6 by 12 inches or less, around the size of a gallon freezer bag, or a small clutch bag or purse measuring 10 by 6 by 2 inches or less, Freedom 250 said on its website.
Blankets and strollers are welcome, Freedom 250 said, but the following items are prohibited:
Read more Tibetan commits suicide by setting himself on fire after China enacts ethnic unity law
• Aerosols (including bug spray & sunscreen)
• Ammunition
• Animals (except service/guide animals)
• Backpacks
• Balloons
• Balls and frisbees
• Bicycles
• Bullhorns and noisemakers
• Camping or folding chairs
• Coolers
• Drink tumblers
• Drugs
• Drones and unmanned aircraft
• Explosives
• Firearms
• Flammable liquids
• Glass, thermal or metal containers
• Laser pointers
• Lighters
• Mace or pepper spray
• Packages
• Pocket knives
• Range finders
• Recreational motorized mobility devices
• Selfie sticks
• Signs larger than 20 inches by 3 feet by 0.25 inch
• Skateboards and scooters
• Structures and sign supports
• Toy weapons or toy guns of any kind
• Vapes or smokeless tobacco
About the Author
