Community Corner
Independence Day Expected to Draw Major Crowds to National Mall
Thousands of people turn out every year to watch the fireworks show in Washington.
If you are tempted to head downtown Monday to watch the country's most spectacular fireworks light up the National Mall, plan to take the metro. Parking will be all-but-impossible in downtown D.C. on July 4 when hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country will descend on the capital to celebrate the most patriotic day of the year.
Metrorail service will run from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday. Ridership levels will peak between 6 p.m. and midnight. According to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Blue and Orange lines will not stop at the Smithsonian Station during the day. That station will re-open after the fireworks show is over.
Residents traveling from Fairfax County are advised to use other Blue and Orange line station stops to access the National Mall, including the Metro Station, Federal Triangle and L'Enfant Plaza stops. Blue and Orange line trains will also stop at the Capitol South Station and the Federal Center Station.
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On its website, WMATA said bikes will not permitted on the metro system and no peak fares will be in effect on Monday. Parking at metro stations will also be free on the holiday. Starting at 3 p.m., "every other Orange Line train traveling in the direction of New Carrollton will terminate at Stadium-Armory and return to Vienna-Fairfax/GMU," the website says.
To avoid the afternoon commuting crowd, plan to come early and peruse the Smithsonian's annual Folklife Festival. This year's festival features outdoor exhibits on Colombia, the Peace Corps and Rhythm and Blues. The museums will be open, too.
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"A Capitol Fourth" concert, featuring stars like Steve Martin, Josh Groban and Matthew Morrison, will start on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol at 8 p.m. No tickets are required and it is free to attend. General admission gates open at 3 p.m. The concert will be capped off by the national fireworks show.
The program is expected to be complete by 9:30 p.m. The concert and fireworks will be broadcast on PBS stations.
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