What is Your City Doing to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday?

[This article is part of The Highline Journal’s America at 250: Northwest Stories.]

🎂Saturday, July 4th is America’s 250th Birthday!🎂

That’s just a little less than 2 months away!

This is a big year! As we celebrate the 250th Birthday of our great nation, we asked our cities within the Highline region on how they plan to celebrate and make this year a banger year?

We have heard back from two cities and want to highlight the extra special events they have planned for the Highline area. There always many opportunities to get involved to volunteer or to encourage your city to show greater efforts in their celebration planning. (As we hear of more events, we will update this story.)

🏙️Normandy Park

Every 4th of July, the Normandy Park community celebrates with a Fun-Run, Antique Car and Bicycle Parade that starts at Marvista Elementary parking lot and ends at the Normandy Park Community Club (the Cove). The parade begins around 10:20am and ends with a picnic of free hot dogs and ice cream, bouncy houses, good music and activities that wrap up around 1 pm. The community club, the Friends of Normandy Park, and the city all provide funding and volunteers to make this event a success every time.

But in addition to the regular parade, this year there will also be a fireworks show on July 3.

The city manager’s newsletter recently had this announcement: 
Agreement with the Normandy Park Community Club for America 250 Celebration
"To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the City is partnering with the Normandy Park Community Club (NPCC) to enhance the 4th of July celebration in Normandy Park by adding a July 3rd celebration. The approved agreement establishes the terms of the partnership and sets a maximum City contribution for the event. The plan is to have professional fireworks and entertainment on July 3rd, before the traditional festivities on July 4th. More details will be shared as the event approaches."

🏙️Des Moines
Also new this year, the City of Des Moines is going to host special July 4th events during the day. As communicated during the March 26 city council meeting, from 10 am until 3 pm, there will be a “family friendly, daytime event designed to bring people down to the Marina. (There will be) different activities spread across the Marina and Beach Park”. Planning is in process but will likely include coordination with the regularly scheduled farmers market, the Saturday morning Park Run, and additional activities such as a dunk tank. 

🎫Regular Events
Other community events usually include a parade in Burien, fireworks or a drone show over Des Moines and fireworks or a drone show over Angle Lake. We’ve reached out to those cities asking if there are any extra events planned, but as of this writing, we have not heard back.

We also contacted the Highline School District, asking if they were having any programming this spring in honor of America’s 250th, but we’ve not heard from them either. 

So, save the dates of July 3 and 4 to celebrate America’s 250th! No need to go far away when there will be great events nearby.

We invite readers to be part of this series!
America at 250: Northwest Stories

Have you visited a Pacific Northwest site that deepened your understanding of our nation’s past? Do you have a personal story connected to a local landmark? Do you have recommendations?

As we approach America’s 250th birthday, we hope to tell the story of our country through the voices of our community — one place at a time.

Send your story to idea to us at info@TheHighlineJournal.com