The country’s best July 4th celebrations

Music City’s big show is one of the biggest in the country. The bash is a two-day event with free live music, family fun and more. It all begins July 3 with performances by Sheryl Crow, Maddie & Tae and more. The fireworks show, which will take place on Broadway on the 4th at 9:30 p.m. CDT, will be choreographed live with the Nashville Symphony. Catch the best views by the waterfront, or pop into the nearby Omni Hotel and head to the roof. The whole schedule of events, including free concerts and a family fun zone, is at visitmusiccity.com.

The iconic Macy’s 4^th of July fireworks display is the largest in the nation. This year marks its 40th anniversary. Expect more than 50,000 shells (1,600 shells per minute) during the half-hour production, which is fired from five barges along the city’s East River — best viewed from Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. If you can’t brave the crowds, the New York Edition is guaranteeing a room with a view of the fireworks to guests who book over July 4. The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest draws an alternative crowd to Coney Island during the day; events at Fort Wadsworth Celebration are family-focused; and partiers may want to check out Jacob Riis Park’s “Get Summered” celebration in the Rockaways.

This city’s civic pride is first-rate, and few residents miss the jaw-dropping fireworks display at Navy Pier that starts at 9:30 p.m. (Plan to go early to stake out a spot.) Of course, some of the best views can be had on the water — and boat tours are available through no fewer than seven cruise operators. Before that, however, there’s the Grant Park Music Festival. The popular summer concert series puts on its “Independence Day Salute,” featuring the sounds of Gershwin, Copland and more — concluding with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and John Phillip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion). Seating on the outdoor lawn is free, but guests can also opt to reserve seats in front of the stage with a Single Night Pass (from $20).

Celebrating independence in San Francisco is all about staking claim to a prime slice of waterfront picnic real estate. In the city, Marina Green is the best grassy perch to watch the epic fireworks show light up the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Two sets of simultaneously fired fireworks sync up for a mind-bending, mirror-image display that begins at 9:30 p.m. Several San Francisco-based cruises — Hornblower, Blue & Gold Fleet and Red and White Fleet — embark on voyages across the bay. Meanwhile, the annual Marin County Fair boasts a classic all-American summer carnival, replete with flashy rides, ring toss, petting zoo and funnel cake, or you can skip the holiday traffic for a 3.5-hour journey on the Napa Wine Train.

There’s plenty of pomp and circumstance in this historic locale at this time of year. The city’s toasts our independence with a concert on the Esplanade on the riverbank. The famed Boston Pops perform Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” against howitzer cannons and church bells, while fireworks erupt over the Charles River. Harborfest, a complementary celebration that attracts 2.5 million people, tips its hat to history, with opening ceremonies at Faneuil Hall that include the U.S. Navy Band, tours of the Freedom Trail and USS Constitution vessel, and the chance to sail on Boston’s historic fleet of tall ships. There’s even a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party in the harbor.

Celebrations abound across the islands, but one of our favorites is the July Fourth Turtle Independence Day event at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, on Hawaii Island. Since 1989, juvenile honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles) from Oahu’s Sea Life Park that have been raised in the Honu Ponds and are released at the water’s edge. This event is family-friendly and a great way to learn about and celebrate the honu.

Sin City loves its pyrotechnics, and it wouldn’t be Vegas if there weren’t several ways to profit from them. The Stratosphere, which anchors the north end and is the tallest observation tower in the U.S., has the best views. Also consider the fireworks put on by Caesar’s Palace from the top of the world’s highest Ferris wheel, the High Roller. Big spenders can take a whole cabin on it, with a bar and room for 25 people for $2,800, or a cabin without the bar for 30 people for $1,500.

There are at least 10 official fireworks displays scheduled for the greater Los Angeles area — not counting suburbs and outlying towns — including a block party at Grand Park downtown and a Chicago concert at the famed Hollywood Bowl.

Philadelphia is America’s birthplace, and you won’t forget it on Independence Day weekend. The town where it all started goes big for the Fourth of July, with concerts, fireworks, parades, street festivals, outdoor movie screenings and, of course, history lessons. A free concert by the Philly Pops on the grounds of Independence Mall kicks off the action, and activities are ongoing all weekend long, but the coup de grace is the Fourth of July Jam and Grand Fireworks Finale. It’s one of the largest free outdoor July Fourth concerts in the country, with performances by hometown heroes Leslie Odom Jr. from Broadway’s “Hamilton.” The soaring fireworks display takes place over Philly’s iconic Art Museum.