The United States is celebrating its Independence Day on Wednesday.
Americans will mark the 242nd anniversary of the split from Britain with the customary day full of picnics, parades and fireworks displays across the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, are hosting a picnic for military families at the White House.
The July 4th holiday includes a traditional reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of the National Archives in Washington. Inside the building, the original document is prominently displayed along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for the public to see.
Shortly after the reading, a parade attended by thousands of people begins in front of the building on Constitution Avenue and stretches 10 blocks to the west, ending just after passing between the White House and a monument to the first U.S. president, George Washington.
Washington D.C. will also feature a concert at the U.S. Capitol with performances from The Beach Boys, Chita Rivera, Andy Grammer, The Temptations, CeCe Winans and the National Symphony Orchestra, among others.
The celebration wraps up with a huge fireworks show after sunset.
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