US President Donald Trump told musical acts as part of a planned concert series for America’s 250th birthday celebration to “stay at home” – and instead announced what he called a “Rally to end all Rallies” to replace the event after artists pulled out.
A range of events have been planned to celebrate America’s birthday, including the rally, a massive fireworks display and an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight on the White House lawn.
Organisers say the events will celebrate the anniversary, but certain events, including those funded by a body that supports Trump, areleading to questions around whether the celebrations could become politicised.
America250, one of the groups planning celebrations, was established by Congress ten years ago to plan nonpartisan events. Freedom 250, another organisation also planning events, was created by Trump and is a public-private partnership.
Congress has reportedly allocated $150m (£112m) in federal funds for the birthday celebration. Millions more appear to be spent by Freedom 250.
Both America250 and Freedom 250 are expected to host large events as part of the celebration – here is what you need to know.
American state fair
A massive 16-day State Fair is among the biggest attractions of the 250th celebration.
It will run from 25 June to 10 July across the National Mall from the US Capitol to the Washington Monument.
The president will headline the fair’s opening ceremony, Freedom 250 announced.
All 56 US states and territories will be showcased in the exposition, according to Freedom 250, which is organising the event.
Among the features of the celebration was a now cancelled concert series entitled the Great American State Fair concert series, which has made headlines recently after a number of the performers scheduled to take the stage, backed out.
Several artists, including Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC and Bret Michaels, dropped out, citing the event’s affiliation with the White House.
Some said they did not realise the event was affiliated with Freedom 250.
In turn, Trump axed the planned musical acts and instead said in a social media post that he would host “the Greatest Rally, EVER!” He billed it as the “Rally to end all Rallies” and said some artists would still be at the event.
He noted Lee Greenwood, whose song God Bless the USA is used at Trump rallies, would introduce him and tenor Christopher Macchio would also sing at the event.
“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”
In anticipation of UFC fights that could see thousands of people descend on White House grounds, construction crews are hard at work building a fight cage on the South Lawn.
The arena will hold about 5,000 spectators and another 75,000-100,000 fans will be able to watch on screens in an area not far from the White House.
The 14 June fight, which coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday, is another feature of the celebration that is being planned by Freedom 250.
Trump first announced he wanted to bring a UFC fight to the White House last year, though many doubted it would come to fruition.
The White House has said that despite Freedom 250 planning the event, UFC is paying for it.
Dana White, the president of UFC, echoed that sentiment telling the Sports Business Journal in January: “We’re eating the whole thing.”
The event is free and ticketed.
4 July fireworks display
Across America on 4 July fireworks fill the skies. In Washington, every year, there is a massive display that is run by the National Park Service.
This year, the 40-minute show will be run by Freedom 250, the Trump-created public-private partnership that is hosting a number of events.
It reportedly will include more than 860,000 fireworks in a show that will last some 40 minutes. A typical display will include some 10,000 fireworks and last less than 20 minutes.
The only request from Freedom 250 to Pyrotecnico, the company tasked with creating the show, was for it to beat the Philippines’ 2016 record for the largest fireworks display in history, according to USA Today.
Outside Washington
It is not just the nation’s capital that is hosting events to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial, there will be celebrations across the country.
A ball will drop in Times Square on 4 July, similar to the New Years Eve drop.
But unlike on New Year’s Eve, the ball will drop eight times to mark midnight in each of the American time zones, and each time with its own special design, according to America250.
In Philadelphia, a time capsule will be buried and remain sealed until 2276, according to America250.
“When it is opened in 2276, we want future generations to have a clear, authentic window into who we were at 250 – what we valued, what we built, and how we saw ourselves as a nation,” Rosie Rios, Chair of America250, said.
Across the country, in Los Angeles, America250 will host a concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with musical artists and a crowd of up to 50,000.
And block parties are planned in cities such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In an effort to prepare Washington DC, the nation’s capital, for the anniversary, Trump began a number of beautification projects across the city.
Some projects have been viewed as gaudy and unnecessary while others have been applauded by local residents.
Among the targets has been the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Last month, workers began painting the historic pool, which stretches 2,030ft (620m) between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, blue.
Trump has said his project to restore and paint the monument would solve a leaking problem, the paint would last for 40 or 50 years and “there’ll be no leaks, there’ll be no anything”.
But the painting is facing a legal challenge from a non-profit group that is asking for the work to be halted. It argues Trump ignored laws that limit changes to historical landmarks.
Before a court order was issued in the case, Trump said in a Truth Social post on 3 June that a final coat of protection on the pool was to be completed that day, writing that “the water will start flowing, shortly thereafter”.
By BBC News
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