America 250 organizers unveil sweeping plans for the country's historic birthday celebration
Organizers for the America 250 celebration touted a slew of plans to commemorate the country’s historic anniversary on July 4, detailing the programs in the works and hinting that more...
By Fox News · Fox News
Organizers for the America 250 celebration touted a slew of plans to commemorate the country’s historic anniversary on July 4, detailing the programs in the works and hinting that more information would become publicly available in the coming weeks. Rosie Rios, former U.S. Treasurer and chairwoman of America 250, said the festivities themselves would begin on July 3 and extend into July 4. "We are doing the first-ever ball drop in the history of Times Square outside of New Year's Eve. This will happen on July 3," Rios said. But Rios also described how America 250’s planning hoped to go farther than a single event, framing their efforts as a cultural moment that would reframe the traditions around Independence Day. PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER BRINGING INDYCAR RACE TO DC FOR AMERICA250 Among other smaller items, Rios announced organizers would compile "America’s soundtrack," a combination of the country’s most iconic music put together by Emilio Estefan, a 19-time Grammy Awards winner. It would include a time capsule set to be opened in another 250 years. And it would attempt to foster a sense of generosity around July 4 that would extend to future years. "Over the past two years, we’ve already launched incredibly national, values-based programs that will extend long after the fireworks fade on July 4," Rios said. For the July 4 events themselves, Rios said organizers hoped to pull off a kind of decentralized celebration. Organizers stressed the cultural and organic nature of their plans, outlining designs they hoped would be remembered for generations — but also a hope that those plans would meld with existing Independence Day celebrations across the country. America 250 is partnering with local events across the country to create American "block parties," which will act as nodes for the celebration. "On July 4 is the launch of America's Block Party. Think about this, I wouldn't call them viewing parties because I don't think that does it justice. These ar…