2026 July 4 Fireworks Guide For Reading

READING, MA — Fourth of July activities in Reading could have extra sparkle in 2026, the 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial, of the Declaration of Independence.

The holiday falls on a Saturday in the middle of a three-day weekend, July 3-5. To help you fit it all in on your 4th of July calendar, Patch has put together a guide to fireworks and other celebrations in Reading and the surrounding areas.

• Reading Fireworks at Reading Memorial High School on June 20. More information is available by clicking here.
• Celebrate Burlington will have a classic car show, concert and fireworks Aug. 8. More information is available by clicking here.
• Wakefield Independence Day Parade begins at 5 p.m. at Lakeside Office Park. More information is available by clicking here.
• Fun on the Fourth Wilmington will be June 24 to 28 with live music, a laser show, fireworks and more. More information is available by clicking here.
• Tewksbury Fireworks will be July 3 at the baseball field behind 286 Livingston St. More information is available by clicking here.
• North Andover Fireworks will be July 2 at Hayes Stadium. More information is available by clicking here.
• The Annual Jerry Silverman Fireworks show will be July 3 at Andover High School. More information is available by clicking here.

Celebrations around the country recall not only the events leading up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but also look forward and aim to make the 4th of July weekend a massive, multigenerational cultural moment focused on community connections and charitable giving.

America’s Block Party, an unprecedented coast-to-coast initiative, is one of the signature events of America 250, the congressionally chartered nonprofit overseeing the semiquincentennial celebration.

A Times Square Ball Drop, a rolling series of ball drops, timed to occur at midnight on July 3 in every U.S. time zone from Guam to American Samoa, is part of the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” creating a nearly 24-hour celebration of the 250th anniversary. It’s part of the broader “Giving 4th” initiative that aims to make and establish Independence Day the biggest annual day of giving.

A time capsule will be buried in Philadelphia to be opened in 2276 on July 4. It contains a carefully curated collection of letters and artifacts reflecting the leadership, institutions, and communities that shape the country today. It will include contributions from all three branches of the U.S. federal government and submissions from each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories.

Separately, the White House’s Freedom 250’s biggest spectacles are the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, running June 25 to July 10; the July 4 Salute to America Fireworks, also on the National Mall; “Sail 4th 250,” billed as the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world in New York Harbor; and Rushmore 250, an iconic 4th of July fireworks on July 3 alongside military concerts and live presidential reenactors.

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