Holiday marked by pomp, dazzle and hot dog contests

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Americans celebrated their country’s 241st birthday with big-time fireworks, small-town parades and the quirky spectacle of competitive hot dog eating.

Tuesday’s festivities stretched from a baseball home run derby in London to a picnic at the White House to a Utah ski town where residents initially weren’t even sure they’d be home for Independence Day after recent wildfires.

For all the pomp and celebration, July Fourth marks a day of shared traditions in a nation that has grappled with divides this past year. And in an era of concerns about security, the Independence Day celebrations were mixed with precautions.

Some highlights:

LIGHTING THE SKIES

In New York, throngs watched the annual Macy’s fireworks show, which involved 60,000 shells launched from up to five barges on the East River and performances by Jennifer Lopez, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and others. It was televised on NBC.

Organizers of Chicago’s Independence Day celebration were expecting such large crowds that the city’s Navy Pier opened at 10 a.m., nearly 12 hours before fireworks began. Hundreds of thousands of people also were expected to see Boston’s fireworks show and a Boston Pops concert.

A FIRST FOR THE PRESIDENT

For President Donald Trump’s first Independence Day in office, he and first lady Melania Trump were hosting a picnic for military families at the White House, followed by a fireworks viewing for military families and staffers. The capital city’s fireworks festivities, aired on PBS, were to include performances by The Beach Boys, The Four Tops, country musicians Kellie Pickler and Trace Adkins, and two characters who fought for independence in a galaxy far, far away – “Star Wars” droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. This year marks the movie’s 40th anniversary.

But before the picnic, Trump kicked off his holiday at his golf club in Virginia. The president arrived at the club in Sterling just before 10 a.m. and spent nearly four hours there before returning to the White House. Aides did not answer questions about whether he was golfing.

CALIFORNIA CELEBRATES WITH CLASSIC CARS

Decked out in red, white and blue, Californians waved flags and sang patriotic songs at Independence Day parades across the state.

Hundreds lined the streets under bright sunshine Tuesday for seaside Santa Monica’s annual celebration, which featured bands and classic cars.

California’s love affair with the automobile was also front-and-center at South Pasadena’s parade, which had the theme “Freedom on the Road. Celebrating Route 66.”

The parades were among dozens up and down the state. When the sun set, the parties continued with fireworks displays. Among the largest in the Los Angeles area was the annual fanfare at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

SENATORS CELEBRATE FOURTH WITH TROOPS ABROAD

Rhode Island U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said it was emotional and inspiring to spend July Fourth with troops in Afghanistan.

Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, led a group of senators to Pakistan and Afghanistan for the holiday weekend. They visited a military base in South Waziristan and met with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad before traveling to Kabul, Afghanistan.

Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Bagram airfield Tuesday it was emotional because service members in Afghanistan are constantly in harm’s way and constantly making the nation proud.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue were on the trip. They met with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani.

WELCOMING NEW AMERICANS

More than 15,000 new citizens were to be sworn in during more than 65 Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country. They were taking place in locales ranging from courthouses to parks to aircraft-carriers-turned-museums.

GULP! HOW MANY HOT DOGS CAN A PERSON EAT?

Record-setting hot dog eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut held onto his title at the hot dog eating contest at Nathan’s Famous in New York on Tuesday, breaking the record he set last year. The San Jose, Calif., man chowed down 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes, besting last year’s mark of 70.

Meanwhile, Miki Sudo notched a fourth-straight win in the women’s division on the Coney Island boardwalk. The Las Vegas woman ate 41 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.