Each July Fourth, hundreds of thousands of people grab their blankets, chairs and coolers and face the heat, crowds and security checkpoints to find the perfect spot on the National Mall.
It’s almost like being in Ocean City, Maryland, heading out to the beach early in the morning and claiming your spot with beach chairs and blankets. But, instead of being able to cool off in the ocean, people sit in the heat waiting for 9:09 p.m., the time the fireworks display is scheduled to get underway each year.
Many folks in the D.C. region make the trip early on in their D.C. residency. Some lifelong Washingtonians never quite made the Independence Day pilgrimage to the Mall. For others, it’s an annual family tradition.
For some out-of-towners, it’s something that’s been on their bucket lists for a very long time.
WTOP spoke to Kenneth Alexander, who traveled from Greensboro, North Carolina, to cross the D.C. Fourth of July fireworks show off his bucket list. Alexander brought along his wife, daughter, son-in-law and four of his friends.
Noah Castilla is also a dad. Originally from Peru, Castilla told WTOP their family tradition continued this year thanks to his daughter. The six-year-old, Castilla said, chose the fireworks over a trip to the beach.