WATCH: DC’s Independence Day fireworks celebration

By WTOP Staff
July 4, 2020 | 10:00 PM

D.C. is the focal point of celebrations for America’s 244th birthday Saturday, with a July 4 celebration featuring a speech from President Trump, flyovers and a fireworks show billed as “the biggest ever.”

Despite warnings from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to stay home during the holiday to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the National Mall opened for visitors and U.S. Park Police had 300,000 masks on hand for the event.

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WTOP rides shotgun at 140 mph on DC’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix course

By Jimmy Alexander
August 21, 2026 | 9:49 PM

Less than 24 hours before the first checkered flag waves at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C., drivers got a chance Friday to put the 1.7-mile street course through its paces. WTOP got to ride shotgun in a 670-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette Z06, reaching about 140 mph on the streets surrounding the National Mall. Behind the wheel was Ken Morris, General Motors' senior vice president of product programs, product safety and motor sports. “Oh, inspiring!” Morris said after the run. “D.C. is such a phenomenal place. I'm starstruck by it every time I'm here and to be able to have a track in the middle of it is fantastic.”

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