Louisville announces America 250 celebrations for 4th of July

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced plans Monday for the city's America 250 celebrations on the Fourth of July.

The day full of free events kicks off bright and early at 6:30 a.m. with "Dawn's Early Light" at Locust Grove, where there will be a silent reflection around a fire, a multicultural ceremony with dance and music, and a free breakfast until 10 a.m.

From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., "Oh say! Can you see?" takes over the front steps of Metro Hall downtown for a series of performances. Those include Paul Revere's Ride, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and musical performances by members of the touring cast of "Hamilton."

From 1-4 p.m., attendees can attend the Frazier Museum for free to tour the new "I Too Am a Kentuckian" exhibition opening. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 2 p.m. The exhibit celebrates 250 years of Kentucky's spirit, taking guests on a journey through the state's "ongoing pursuit of America's founding ideals."

The day ends with the city's annual Waterfront Park Fourth of July celebration from 5-10 p.m. City leaders say this year's event will be "an expanded, vibrant experience." There will be family-friendly activities, festival foods, Brown-Forman bars, live music and storytelling curated by Kentucky Performing Arts. The celebration concludes with Louisville's America 250 fireworks show over the Ohio River.

"These are amazing opportunities to come together, reflect on what we've endured as a nation, and celebrate this monumental moment in our nation's history," Greenberg said in a news release.

For a full schedule of events or to learn more, click here.

The Louisville America 250 committee was created to "plan, encourage, develop and implement a full year of events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence."