The Brief

Parades, pageants, flag-waving and fireworks. These, plus a good dose of history, will all play a role in the United States Semiquincentennial celebrations leading up to and on July 4, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Various national, statewide and local groups are involved in the planning. A slew of public initiatives and events are already underway.

In the works is a 250th kickoff celebration this July 3 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. At the event, President Trump is expected to announce plans for a Great America State Fair in 2026 and a federally backed Patriot Games highlighting American sports.

Why is this a big deal?

America has celebrated its big birthdays in a variety of ways over the years.

At its 100th, in 1876, President Ulysses Grant launched the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia by powering up a Corliss steam engine. According to Grant's wife, Julia Grant, the American-made contraption "powered virtually all the exhibits."

Also, members of the National Woman Suffrage Association crashed the stage to read out their Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States. (Women wouldn't get the vote for another 44 years.)

In the run-up to the 1976 bicentennial, the country embarked on five years of patriotic celebrations known as the Bicentennial Era. The festivities included a visit from British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, who gifted the country the Bicentennial Bell, and the American Freedom Train, a traveling museum displaying such artifacts as a copy of the Constitution and a chunk of moon rock.

The American Freedom Train in Archbold, Ohio, on June 20, 1975. Locals waited in line up to six hours to see it.

(

‎

/

AP

)

There was a restaging of the Boston Tea Party in 1973. Instead of protesting high English taxes as was the case in 1773, activists called for environmental protection, racial justice and the impeachment of then-President Richard Nixon.

The people behind the 250th celebrations said they are planning something equally if not more ambitious. "We are committed to creating the largest, most inspiring and unifying commemoration in the nation's history," said a statement from the White House.

Who is planning it?

There are two organizers of the event at the national level: the U.S. Congress' America250 Commission, which is supported by a nonprofit foundation, and the White House's Task Force 250.

• The America250 Commission (aka the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission) is the congressional commission formed in 2016. It is meant to be nonpartisan and has about 30 members. It is supported by a nonprofit foundation and chaired by Rosie Rios, a former U.S. treasurer under the Obama administration.
  
• The Salute to America 250 Task Force (called Task Force 250), made up mostly of officials from federal agencies, was established in January after Trump issued an executive order calling for an additional planning group for the celebrations. Trump is the chair, Vice President Vance is the vice chair and it is housed under the Department of Defense. 

What can we expect? 

Programming both celebrates America's history and accomplishments and looks toward the country's future. It includes:

• America's Field Trip: an initiative sending 150 schoolchildren to famous landmarks such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. 

Students participating in America's Field Trip visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

(

America250

)

• The National Garden of American Heroes: a proposed sculpture park that aims to include 250 statues of American figures such as George Washington, Babe Ruth and Martin Luther King Jr. 
  
• The Great American Road Trip: This partnership with the Department of Transportation encourages people to drive across the country and visit famous sites in honor of the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66. 
  
• A time capsule: Containing items from all 50 U.S. states, five territories and the District of Columbia, it is scheduled to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, and is meant to be dug up on the country's 500th anniversary.
  
• Our American Story: an oral history project asking Americans to nominate a living person whose story will be recorded by the Library of Congress.
  
• A traveling tech expo: On the America250 website, "America Innovates" is described as a place where the country's "greatest innovations" will be displayed and where future creators will be asked "what innovations they want to create that will be critical for the next 250 years." 

It should also be noted that plans are in flux. For example, one of America250's tentpole projects, America's Invitation, which launched two years ago and invited members of the public to upload images, written texts and videos expressing "their hopes and dreams for the future of our country" through an online portal, vanished from the America250 website in June. The America250 Commission press team told NPR the initiative is now "taking a backseat" to other programming.
States and municipalities are also organizing their own programming. Examples include:

• Philadelphia's "Phambassadors" program, which aims to recruit more than 10,000 locals to "amplify the pride, passion, and influence of Philadelphians," according to the group that manages the city's visitor centers.
  
• The commissioning of artists in Boston to create new public monuments underscoring "the City's commitment to sharing a more inclusive and expansive story of Boston's past, present, and future," according to a statement from the city of Boston.
  
• Arizona's Liberty Bell replica will tour through all 15 counties in the state, accompanied by historical artifacts and interactive exhibits. "Together, they will weave the tale of Arizona's place in the tapestry of American history," Arizona's America250 website states.

My state wasn't a state back then. Are we still celebrating?

There were only 13 original states — and Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii didn't become states until the 20th century. But all 50 states have planning commissions for the 250th celebrations. Programming is in various stages of development. For example, Hawaii's America250 website mentions a collective public reading of the Declaration of Independence, among other activities. Conversely, California's America250 website is currently geared toward celebrating the state's 175th anniversary later this year.

Who's funding this?

The organizers are seeking $150 million from Congress; plus they have secured sponsorships from Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin and Oracle, among other corporations.

The White House has also redirected thousands of federal grants previously awarded to arts and humanities nonprofits to projects like the National Garden of American Heroes, which has an estimated $34 million price tag.

The White House said additional funding is expected to come from federal departments like the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior.

This story was edited for broadcast and digital by Jennifer Vanasco.
Copyright 2025 NPR

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

(

J.W. Hendricks

/

The LA Local

)

In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.