Fireworks over the National Mall on July 4, 2011. Photo by Eric Connolly.
Fireworks over the National Mall on July 4, 2011. Photo by Eric Connolly.
The free annual concert is in its 39th year
In honor of the United States' 243rd birthday, the annual "A Capitol Fourth" celebration was hosted on the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, July 4.
The event, now in its 39th year, is a free annual concert that brings singers, celebrities, and other distinguished guests together on the West Front Lawn. It's co-sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Symphony Orchestra. The concert was open to the public and broadcast live across the nation by PBS.
Grammy Award winner Carole King, multi-platinum recording artist Vanessa Williams, and nearly two dozen other entertainers performed. The evening culminated with a firework display over the National Mall.