by Tim Froberg
Uncle Sam is about to celebrate a special birthday.
Independence Day in America has always been one of our nation’s most revered holidays, but this Fourth of July will be especially big.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We observed America’s bicentennial in 1976, and 2026 marks our semiquincentennial birthday. The impending celebration has been billed as America250, with several national events planned for the Fourth.
The past year has seen significant political activity and debate. But the freedom, privileges, and peace of mind that democracy offers are well worth celebrating. So slip on your finest red, white, and blue party shirt, Fox Cities, and enjoy America’s 250th birthday.
Most Americans celebrate the Fourth with fireworks, barbecues, parades and community events. According to a 2025 survey by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the Fourth of July is America’s second-favorite holiday, behind only Christmas and even more popular than Thanksgiving.
The Fourth is always a fun day to celebrate for a multitude of reasons, starting with the significance of the date, which marked the birth of our nation. We also have the day off from work during the warmest part of a Wisconsin summer and don’t have to purchase gifts for anyone. That frees us up to chill with casual summer traditions like barbecues and cookouts (61.3% of Americans polled enjoyed them on the Fourth) and watching the sky light up with fireworks displays (45.3% of us watch them).
The Fourth of July is also considered to be a celebration of summer across the U.S. and a reminder that this glorious season of sunshine should be enjoyed to the max because it zips by like a Jacob Misiorowski fastball.
One question I’ve never figured out as a Wisconsinite is why do the Fourth of July and Labor Day seem to occur within a 72-hour span? They don’t, of course, but it sure feels that way. One day you’re oohing and aahing at a spectacular fireworks show, and the next you’re waving goodbye to the kids as they step on the school bus.
Here’s a look at Independence Day in America and birthday No. 250. I’ll provide a few fun facts and let you know where to go on the Fourth of July.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FOURTH
- The whole Uncle Sam symbolism thing dates back to the War of 1812. Legend has it that a New York meatpacker named Samuel Wilson supplied barrels of beef to the U.S. Army and stamped them with the initials “U.S.” (for United States). Wilson was well-known in the community and affectionately known as “Uncle Sam.” Soldiers joked that the initials on the barrels stood for Uncle Sam and the nickname stuck, eventually reaching local newspapers.
- Cartoonist Thomas Nast gave Uncle Sam his iconic look — with a white beard and wild hair dressed in red, white, and blue — in political cartoons during the late 1800s. Uncle Sam was the subject of a full-fledged recruiting poster during World War I with the words “I Want You,” which basically turned him into the national symbol for America.
- Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey — not the bald eagle — to be the official national bird of the U.S. Historians claim that Franklin believed the bald eagle was a bird of bad moral character because he saw it as a scavenger that stole food from smaller birds. Franklin argued the wild turkey was a more respectable creature but didn’t win the battle of the birds.
- Franklin, incidentally, was the oldest person (at age 70) to sign the Declaration of Independence. Edward Rutledge (at 26) was the youngest of the 56 signers.
- “Yankee Doodle” seems like a harmless, amusing, cheerful tune, but it’s basically an unflattering, anti-American song. Yankee Doodle is a pre-Revolutionary War song written by British surgeon Richard Schuckburg and sung by British troops to mock American soldiers. Oh well, at least England eventually gave back to the United States with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Who.
- Only one person, John Hancock, actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The rest of the delegates signed over the course of the next month. Hancock deliberately signed his name in large, bold letters, which led to the creation of the popular phrase “Put your John Hancock on it.” Some say Hancock did it to stand out from the other delegates. Others suggest his distinct signature was done so the King of England could read it clearly without the use of his glasses.
- Believe it or not, Thomas Jefferson, who drafted much of the Declaration of Independence, wrote the famous words on a laptop. That’s right, a laptop. However, this type of laptop was not a computer. It was a wooden writing desk of that time period that could fit on a person’s lap.
- According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, Americans spend more than $1 billion annually on fireworks. Only 10% of fireworks displays are set off professionally, which probably explains more than 12,000 fireworks-related emergency room visits each year.
Don’t miss these local fireworks shows and celebrations.
All are Festival Foods Fireworks displays which should start around 9:45 p.m.
Appleton: Appleton will continue its long-standing tradition of celebrating Independence Day a night early with its annual fireworks display set for July 3 at Memorial Park.
Appleton has returned to more of a festival-type atmosphere after stepping away from it a few years ago. Local vendors and Fox Valley food trucks will be on site, and Stone Arch beverages will be available.
Although no formal bands are scheduled as in the past, live DJ music by Yo-DJ will add a fun entertainment element to the party. The city of Appleton Parks and Recreation Department and American Legion Post 38 are organizing the event. Per city ordinance, no dogs will be allowed in the park.
Neenah-Menasha: The annual two-day Community Fest will be held as usual on July 3-4 with various events in each city.
Menasha’s Jefferson Park and Neenah’s Riverside Park will be the sites for most of the events, which include daytime activities, parades, live music, and fireworks.
A cookout at Curtis Reed Square in Menasha with live music from That 90s Band kicks off the party on July 3 at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Pajama Jams Dance Party at Neenah’s Shattuck Park at 7:30 p.m., and the popular Parade of Lights at 9 p.m.
The Little Red, White and Blue Parade will launch July 4 events, starting at 11:30 a.m. at Riverside Park.
Food vendors will be available and live music will be featured in both cities on July 4, along with a variety of events like a children’s petting zoo, magic shows, face painting, and waterski shows. Fireworks will be launched on the Fourth at Jefferson and Riverside parks. The Venetian Boat Parade will be held on the water in Neenah in the Riverside Park area prior to the fireworks.
Musical acts include a Tribute to Elvis (July 4, 5-6 p.m., Jefferson Park), the Fox Cities Swing Band (July 4, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Jefferson Park), Time Machine (July 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m, Jefferson Park), singer-songwriter David Paul Martin (July 4, 3:15-4:30 p.m, Riverside Park), Michael Murphy and Friends (July 4, 5-6:50 p.m., Riverside Park), and the Neenah Community Band (July 4, 7:45-9 p.m., Riverside Park).
Go to the website nmcommunityfest.org for a full schedule.
Green Bay: The annual “Fire Over the Fox” festival is the area’s largest celebration and draws a huge crowd. All of the events are held July 4 in the downtown waterfront area at the City Deck, the Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge, Leicht Park, and the Neville Public Museum grounds.
Food vendors, live music at multiple locations, and a 4 p.m. water-ski show are part of the bash, culminated by the fireworks over the Fox River. Expect heavy traffic in the downtown Green Bay area following the fireworks.
Families can also head to the budget-friendly Bay Beach for Independence Day or catch a ballgame at Capital Credit Union Park between the Green Bay Rockers and the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders at 11 a.m.
Kimberly: The Kimberly Firefighters for Fireworks event is set for July 3 at Sunset Park. The festivities start at 3 p.m., featuring food trucks, craft vendors and live music by Milly and the Mayhem from 4:30-6 p.m. and Avenue 55 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Oshkosh: Oshkosh’s annual Independence Day Celebration will remain at Menominee Park on July 4.
The city’s annual Fourth of July Parade kicks off the festivities at 9 a.m., while a large food truck rally will operate along Siewert Trail and the Menominee Park walking trail from 3-10 p.m. The fireworks show culminates in the evening.
New London: New London’s annual fireworks show and celebration takes place July 4 at Hatten Park. Concessions and family activities will be held prior to the fireworks.
Hilbert: The Fireman’s Parade — one of the state’s largest Independence Day parades — highlights a full day of family fun. All events are set for July 4. The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Main Street, followed by a family picnic and festival at Civic Park, live entertainment and the fireworks show.
Waupaca: Waupaca has an entire day of Independence Day events on July 4, starting with the annual Fourth of July Parade at 10 a.m. on North Main Street. The Knights of Columbus annual chicken barbecue and lunch follows at 11 a.m. at South Park. Additional events include the Chain Skiers Water Ski Show at 5:30 p.m., the City Band concert at 7 p.m. and the fireworks show over Shadow Lake.
This article was originally published in the July 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
