People play with glowsticks as they watch fireworks after the Omaha Storm Chasers AAA baseball game at Werner Park in Papillion, Nev., on July 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Many Americans weren’t letting worries about their pocketbooks keep them from traveling and enjoying fireworks as they celebrate their nation’s birth with parades, cookouts and fiery splashes of colors against the evening sky.

Travel records were projected to fall, with people already jamming airports and crowding highways ahead of the Fourth of July to get to their destinations.

Fireworks also were expected to reach an all-time high with an untold number of backyard displays in addition to 16,000 professional shows lighting up the horizon from sea to shining sea, a consumer fireworks industry group said.

“This is how we celebrate. It’s the bombs bursting in air. It’s the rockets’ red glare. That’s how people show their pride and patriotism,” Julie Heckman of the American Pyrotechnics Association told The Associated Press.

All signs pointed to big celebrations: The Transportation Security Administration reported that a record-breaking nearly 3 million people traveled through airports in a single day last week, and that figure is expected to be broken this week. And AAA projected that 60.6 million people will travel by car during the holiday period.

Part of the boost in travel was attributed to easing inflation, even though Americans remain concerned about the economy.

Plenty of barbecue, desserts, cold drinks and the Stars and Stripes were on tap. But Americans were also celebrating in other ways unique to their communities.

Off the rocky coast in Down East, Maine, some planned to enjoy lobster boat races. Descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were ringing the Liberty Bell 13 times — once for each of the original colonies — in Philadelphia. The California communities of Bolinas and Stinson Beach, north of San Francisco, were engaging in their annual tug-of-war contest in which losers end up in a lagoon.

And, of course, there’s the annual hot dog eating contest on New York’s Coney Island.

At least one community was in for a muted observance, however: The Northern California city of Oroville’s annual fireworks were canceled as an estimated 26,000 residents remained displaced by the growing Thompson Fire, while hundreds of firefighters toiled under extreme heat to keep flames from reaching more homes.

The July Fourth holiday generally unites Americans in their shared love of country, but the 2024 version comes against a backdrop of deep political polarization and a divisive presidential race.

In Boston, where tens of thousands were expected to enjoy the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, maestro Keith Lockhart said it’s inspiring to see people of different political stripes gather on Charles River Esplanade. But he noted that “one would have to have one’s head pretty deeply stuck in the sand to not notice the deep divisions in our country.”

“It is, indeed, a dangerous time,” he wrote in an email before the show. “If, even for one day, we can set aside our differences and embrace our commonalities, this has to be a positive thing.”

Fourth of July will mark the 278th anniversary of the founding of the United States (US). Since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, this day has been an important federal holiday in the US. In 1776, on this day, American colonies gained independence from British rule. Since then, every year, parades, fireworks, carnivals, fairs, political speeches and numerous ceremonies mark this day. 

Notably, Independence Day this year arrives Thursday and several offices and businesses will be closed to commemorate the holiday.

What Will Be Closed?

• All federal offices will be closed, including from the legislature to the courthouse.
• State offices will also be closed, including courts and the legislature.
• All major banks, including Capital One, Bank of America, PNC, Truist, CitiBank, and JPMorgan Chase, will be closed, as per USA Today.
• Stock markets will be closed. The Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange will also get the day off.
• Post offices will be closed on July 4 and there will be no mail delivery, caller service or Post Office Box service available for the holiday. 
• There will be no UPS pickup or delivery service and some store locations will be closed
• Public libraries, U.S. warehouses and the Department of Motor Vehicles will also be closed.

What Will Be Open?

• Online banking services and ATMs will be available. Capital One Cafes will stay operational for basic banking needs and services.
• FedEx will offer modified service on FedEx Office while FedEx Custom Critical will remain open. UPS Express Critical service will also be available.
• Most grocery stores under Kroger which includes Fred Meyer, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Ralphs and QFC will be open during their regular hours on July 4. Walmart and Target will also maintain regular operating hours, as per CNN.
• Most Whole Foods stores will be open during normal hours, while Trader Joe’s locations will close at 5 pm.
• Major pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens will likely be open, though some locations might have adjusted hours.
• Museums and zoos will mostly be open.