What is America250? Major celebration planned for Fourth of July 2026
Here's what to know about America250.
Are retail stores open on 4th of July? Details on TJ Maxx, Belk, IKEA, more
When is America250?
America will celebrate its semiquincentennial throughout 2026, culminating on Independence Day - July 4, 2026.
However, the kickoff for America250 begins in 2025 at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, July 3 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Trump will deliver remarks about the initiative from the fairgrounds at 7:30 p.m. CT. The event is free and to RSVP, folks should complete the necessary online form on the America250 website.
Fourth of July forecast: See where weather could disrupt fireworks, travel
What events make up America250?
A variety of events throughout the country will make up America250, according to the America250 website. Some have already begun and others are still being planned. Here's a look at what to expect so far:
America Innovates: A traveling tech exposition that will display the country's greatest innovations.
A traveling tech exposition that will display the country's greatest innovations. America Waves: An initiative to create events where Americans can come together and wave American flags.
An initiative to create events where Americans can come together and wave American flags. Time Capsule: A collaboration among all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, to collect items for a time capsule to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026.
A collaboration among all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, to collect items for a time capsule to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026. America's Field Trip: A contest for students grades 3-12 to submit writing or artwork in response to the prompt, "What does America mean to you?" (available for the 2025-2026 school year in the fall).
A contest for students grades 3-12 to submit writing or artwork in response to the prompt, "What does America mean to you?" (available for the 2025-2026 school year in the fall). Our American Story: An oral and visual history effort to collect stories from everyday Americans, funded by Walmart (submit nominees to be interviewed on the America250 website).
An oral and visual history effort to collect stories from everyday Americans, funded by Walmart (submit nominees to be interviewed on the America250 website). July 4, 2026 Activations: A national celebration in Washington, D.C.
How is America250 being celebrating in your state?
According to the America250 website, every state, U.S. territory and D.C. has a "commission" to "to plan, coordinate, and support commemorative activities." America250 will add links to each state's plan when the websites are available. As of July 2, links were available for all states except for Florida, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma.
How old is the United States?
The U.S. Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence 249 years ago, on July 4, 1776.
Who is behind America250?
In January, Trump signed an executive order that created Task Force 250.
As outlined by the order, Task Force 250 is responsible for planning and executing "an extraordinary celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence" on July 4, 2026. The task force, over the nonprofit America 250, will also oversee the creation of the National Garden of American Heroes, a sculpture garden first proposed by the president in 2020 that is scheduled to open in July 2026.
The America250 website lists more than a dozen corporate sponsors, including Amazon, Coca Cola and Walmart.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
First immigration detainees arrive at Florida center in the Everglades
The first group of immigrants has arrived at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades that officials have dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a spokesperson for Republican state Attorney General James Uthmeier told The Associated Press. ' People are there,' Press Secretary Jae Williams said, though he didn't immediately provide further details on the number of detainees or when they arrived. 'Next stop: back to where they came from,' Uthmeier said on the X social media platform Wednesday. He's been credited as the architect behind the Everglades proposal. Requests for additional information from the office of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is building the site, had not been returned early Thursday afternoon. The facility, at an airport used for training, will have an initial capacity of about 3,000 detainees, DeSantis said. The center was built in eight days and features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel. Immigrants who are arrested by Florida law enforcement officers under the federal government's 287(g) program will be taken to the facility, according to a Trump administration official. The program is led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and allows police officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation. The facility is expected to be expanded in 500 bed increments until it has an estimated 5,000 beds by early July. Environmental groups and Native American tribes have protested against the center, contending it is a threat to the fragile Everglades system, would be cruel to detainees because of heat and mosquitoes, and is on land the tribes consider sacred. It's also located at a place prone to frequent heavy rains, which caused some flooding in the tents Tuesday during a visit by President Donald Trump to mark its opening. State officials say the complex can withstand a Category 2 hurricane, which packs winds of between 96 and 110 mph (154 and 177 kph), and that contractors worked overnight to shore up areas where flooding occurred. DeSantis and other state officials say locating the facility in the rugged and remote Florida Everglades is meant as a deterrent — and naming it after the notorious federal prison of Alcatraz, an island fortress known for its brutal conditions, is meant to send a message. It's another sign of how the Trump administration and its allies are relying on scare tactics to try to persuade people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. State and federal officials have touted the plans on social media and conservative airwaves, sharing a meme of a compound ringed with barbed wire and 'guarded' by alligators wearing hats labeled 'ICE' for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility's name. _____
Reuters
8 minutes ago
- Reuters
Explainer: Why are farm goods holding up the India-U.S. trade deal?
MUMBAI, July 3 (Reuters) - U.S. and India trade negotiators were pushing on Wednesday to finalise a tariff-reducing deal ahead of President Donald Trump's July 9 negotiating deadline, but disagreements over U.S. dairy and agriculture remained unresolved. Agriculture and its allied areas contribute just 16% to India's $3.9 trillion economy, but sustain nearly half of the country's 1.4 billion population. As farmers remain the most powerful voting bloc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government was forced into a rare retreat four years ago when it tried to push through controversial farm laws. The prospect of cheaper imports from the United States threatens to drive down local prices, handing the opposition a fresh opportunity to attack the government. New Delhi has traditionally kept agriculture out of Free Trade Agreements with other nations. Granting market access to the U.S. could force India to extend similar concessions to other trading partners. The average Indian farm comprises just 1.08 hectares, compared to 187 hectares in the United States. In dairy, the average herd size in India is two to three animals per farmer, compared to hundreds in the United States. This difference makes it difficult for small Indian farmers to compete with their U.S. counterparts. Farming in India remains largely unmechanized because small, fragmented land holdings leave little room for large machinery. In many regions, farmers rely on techniques passed down through generations, a sharp contrast to U.S. farms, where cutting-edge equipment and AI-driven technologies have raised productivity. The United States is pressing India to open its markets to a wide range of American products, including dairy, poultry, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, ethanol, citrus fruits, almonds, pecans, apples, grapes, canned peaches, chocolates, cookies, and frozen French fries. While India is willing to grant greater access to U.S. dry fruits and apples, it is holding back on allowing imports of corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy products. India does not allow genetically modified (GM) food crops, while most U.S. corn and soybean production is GM-based. Dairy remains a sensitive issue in India, where cultural and dietary preferences strongly influence food choices. Indian consumers are particularly concerned that cattle in the U.S. are often fed with animal by-products, a practice that conflicts with Indian food habits. A key aim of India's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) program is to cut dependence on energy imports by blending domestically-produced ethanol with gasoline. Significant investments by domestic companies mean that India is now close to achieving its ambitious target of blending 20% ethanol. Importing ethanol would undermine those companies. The EBP also helps manage surpluses of rice, sugarcane, and corn by diverting them to ethanol production. Allowing imports of U.S. ethanol would be a serious setback for India's emerging distillery sector.
NBC News
8 minutes ago
- NBC News
Los Angeles cancels some July Fourth events amid deportation fears
LOS ANGELES — Some Southern California communities are canceling or rescheduling July Fourth events as immigration arrests spread fear across the region. But organizations that oppose President Donald Trump's immigration policies plan to proceed with protests in downtown Los Angeles, where large demonstrations last month sometimes turned violent, prompting Trump to call in the state National Guard and U.S. Marines over the governor's objections. The city said it would postpone its annual Fourth of July block party 'in light of recent events affecting a portion of Downtown Los Angeles and the ongoing circumstances impacting the region.' The event is held each year in Gloria Molina Grand Park near City Hall and several federal buildings, including one now being used as a detention center that has been a focal point for demonstrations against raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. During a 'No Kings' march on June 14, protesters fled from tear gas, pepper spray and less-lethal munitions fired by law enforcement officers, and large crowds were pushed away from federal buildings and into Grand Park, where demonstrators scrambled up a small hill to safety. More than 1,618 people in Los Angeles have been arrested by the federal government since it began clamping down on residents without citizenship last month, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The detentions have spread fear across Southern California, where some 1.4 million people are estimated to live without full legal authorization, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. Several L.A.-based organizations said they will launch another round of protests Thursday near Grand Park, and a coalition of multifaith organizations, labor unions, activists and artists will hold a 'freedom' car cruise and rally outside City Hall. Later, activists with the group Centro CSO will hold a march outside the federal courthouse, calling for charges to be dropped against Alejandro Orellana, who was arrested in connection with distributing face shields to 'suspected rioters." He faces charges of conspiracy to commit civil disorder and aiding and abetting civil disorders. He was released on bond last month and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the local chapter of 50501, which organized the 'No Kings' rally, will hold an all-day demonstration outside City Hall to demand an 'end to the occupation' of Los Angeles by ICE, the National Guard and the Marines. 'This isn't a celebration,' the group said in a statement. 'It's a stand.' Smaller communities throughout Los Angeles County with large immigrant populations are also rethinking Fourth of July celebrations. In East Los Angeles, a historically Latino area, the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights and El Sereno have postponed July Fourth festivities after several high-profile immigration arrests. Federal agents last month rammed and trapped a car carrying four U.S. citizens, including a man, woman and two children, in Boyle Heights. The Department of Homeland Security said its target was Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho, who was arrested in connection with punching an immigration officer. A lawyer representing Cerno-Camacho's family said he is planning to file a lawsuit against the federal government. This week, Boyle Heights activists shut down a bridge that links downtown Los Angeles to the small enclave and marched with mariachis to the site of another recent arrest. Demands for the National Guard to return to normal duties were answered in part this week when 150 members were reassigned to wildfire season preparation. Some 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines remain at federal buildings in Los Angeles while a lawsuit filed by the state against the Trump administration is pending in court. A three-judge appeals court panel has said that the White House likely lawfully exercised its authority when Trump federalized the National Guard without Gov. Gavin Newsom's consent. The ruling halted a lower court's decision, which found the Trump administration had illegally activated the troops. Newsom said last month that he will pursue legal action to regain control of the guard. Lawmakers and legal organizations are waging their own court battles ahead of the holiday weekend. On Wednesday, immigrant rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block an 'ongoing pattern and practice of flouting the Constitution and federal law' during immigration raids in Los Angeles. 'Since June 6th, marauding, masked goons have descended upon Los Angeles, terrorizing our brown communities and tearing up the Constitution in the process,' said Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. 'No matter their status or the color of their skin," he added, "everyone is guaranteed Constitutional rights to protect them from illegal stops. We will hold DHS accountable.' The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the claims are false. This week, county supervisors approved a motion to pursue legal action against the Trump administration. The vote came after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies, which prevent local police agencies from voluntarily cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. The U.S. government claims sanctuary city ordinances discriminate against federal law enforcement agencies by treating them differently from other policing authorities.
