Community Corner

Speak Out: National Fireworks vs. Local Displays

Do you brave the crowds each year to visit the national fireworks display in Washington, DC?

Montgomery County is well situated for a national celebration like the Fourth of July. Living just a stone’s throw away from Washington, DC, residents of this county have ample opportunity to take advantage of what is arguably the most spectacular display of American patriotism each year—the national fireworks display.

The spectacle is so grand that even the organization that hosts it, the National Parks Service, suggests taking additional safety precautions:

“Consider wearing hearing protection. These fireworks are BIG and LOUD,” the Park Service warns. “Consider wearing eye protection to protect yourself from falling debris."

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“Consider not bringing pets.”

We particularly favor that last piece of advice. Poor Fluffy does not need to be terrified by crowds and large explosions.

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But, as a longtime resident of the area, would you also consider not going? Are the DC tourist crowds, the long wait, the heat—are they worth the fireworks displays? Or do you prefer to stay in the comfort of your neighborhood to enjoy the displays local municipalities have to offer?


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