WASHINGTON, D.C. – A fistfight on the White House lawn quickly ensues, followed by a high-speed race on the National Mall. What’s happening in Washington DC?
The nation’s capital has been transformed to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
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Events are being planned across the country to commemorate two and a half centuries since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
This nationwide gathering is called the “half-quincentenary” (meaning half of 500 people), and not just because Congress likes long words. The United States has a history of holding parties every 50 years.
But US President Donald Trump has promised a particularly noteworthy event this year, even as proceedings are marred by a storm of controversy.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the history of the United States’ 500th anniversary?
The first 50th anniversary celebration in 1826 was a rather quiet affair compared to later celebrations.
Some of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence were still alive at the time, so the mayor of Washington, D.C., invited them to attend a celebration in the nation’s capital.
Former Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both opposed it, citing poor health. They died within hours of each other on their 500th anniversary.
Fifty years later, in 1876, the United States celebrated its 100th anniversary with its first World’s Fair, showcasing art, culture, and technology from around the world.
The Exposition was held in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the original document was temporarily displayed in the city.
Another World’s Fair was held in Philadelphia in 1926 to commemorate the nation’s 150th anniversary, but it was not as successful. Variety magazine called it “America’s greatest failure.”
Meanwhile, the bicentenary in 1976 set the modern template for year-long cross-country celebrations.
A train-loaded museum of documents and historical artifacts toured the lower 48 states over the course of 21 months. Meanwhile, volunteers traveled across the country in covered wagons.
Although the celebration was generally well received, the sale of souvenirs ranging from umbrella hats to coffee mugs led to it being derogatorily referred to as the “centenary”.
What’s happening this year?
While the nation’s capital may be the focal point of this year’s celebrations, numerous events will be held across the country. They include:
The mixed martial arts event UFC Freedom 250 will be held on the White House lawn on June 14th, the Great American State Fair will be held with booths representing all 50 states, and the event will be held on the National Mall from June 25th to July 10th. The Leedham 250 Grand Prix will be held, with Indy cars scheduled to race around the National Capital Monument at the World Cup Fan Zone in Washington, D.C., from August 22nd to 23rd, and a fireworks display will be held at Mount Rushmore in the south from June 11th to July 16th. Dakota to hold concerts and exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and other cities on July 3rd
A mobile museum known as the Freedom Truck will also tour the country.
Another initiative is America’s Block Party, an initiative that encourages communities to participate in philanthropy and host their own party every 500 years.
But so far, there appears to be no government plan to tackle the holiday’s most vexing and pervasive problem: how to make the traditional July 4 potato salad bland.
What’s the controversy surrounding UFC matches?
One of the most-watched events on the calendar in 500 years is UFC Freedom 250, which takes place on the White House lawn on Sunday.
The timing of the event is one detail that raises eyebrows. Sunday is a holiday known as Flag Day, but it also marks President Trump’s 80th birthday.
The event is also being hosted by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White, one of President Trump’s most prominent political donors.
White said Sunday’s event was designed to “tell the story of America.” There will be two bouts, a lightweight bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, and an interim heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Cyril Gane, as well as several smaller “undercard” bouts.
Despite the title “Freedom 250,” the UFC event is not organized by the White House task force of the same name.
A Freedom 250 spokesperson clarified that the presidential group is “not responsible for the management, logistics, or funding of UFC White House events.”
This point is at the center of an ongoing debate over whether the fight represents a conflict of interest for Trump, who owns stock in the UFC’s parent company.
On Friday, a federal judge rejected an emergency motion to halt the fighting on the basis that President Trump was using government property to advance his private business interests.
White told sports broadcaster ESPN that his organization is paying for the event.
What is the difference between the Freedom 250 and America 250?
Two government-supported nonprofit organizations, Freedom 250 and America 250, are organizing the anniversary festivities.
The former is part of a White House task force, and the latter is a bipartisan organization created by the US Congress in 2016.
America 250 was founded in 2016 to “plan and coordinate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence” and is led by private citizens.
Freedom 250, on the other hand, is a public-private partnership within the National Park Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National Park Service, a federal agency.
This is ostensibly the external role of White House Task Force 250, which President Trump established in 2025 to “plan, organize, and execute” the 500th anniversary. Mr. Trump is also the chairman of the task force.
What is each side organizing?
The two groups’ event planning philosophies don’t overlap much.
The Freedom 250 focuses primarily on large-scale events such as IndyCar racing, the World Cup Fan Zone, and the Sail 4th 250, which brings hordes of tall ships and warships to U.S. cities along the Atlantic coast.
America 250 organizations are placing an increased emphasis on community engagement through initiatives such as America’s Block Party and the Giving 4th program, which aims to increase charitable giving during the Fourth of July holiday.
So the Freedom 250 and America250 aren’t stepping on each other’s toes?
That’s not really the case, with Rosie Rios, president of America 250, praising Freedom 250 as a way to advance the president’s efforts to “give Americans more ways to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary,” a good pretense on the surface.
But this is Washington, D.C., so elbows can be thrown.
The creation of the White House Task Force 250 was widely seen as a ploy by President Trump to seize control of the celebrations outside of Congressional oversight.
The launch of Freedom 250 comes just two months after Ari Abergel, Trump’s nominee to lead America 250, was fired for “serious and repeated violations of authority.” Abergel denied going beyond the call of duty.
Who is funding the two groups?
Neither America 250, created by Congress, nor the White House’s Freedom 250, are required to disclose their individual donors.
But critics point out that the Freedom 250 has fewer guardrails than the America 250.
America 250’s parent committee must submit an annual report to Congress detailing its funding and expenditures.
Freedom 250, on the other hand, lists several “sponsors” and “partners” online but is not subject to independent monitoring. There have been repeated complaints about a lack of transparency.
In February, The New York Times reported that Freedom 250 was offering to attend a reception hosted by President Trump in exchange for a large donation.
However, USA Today also noted that America 250 was offering packages that included invitations to events attended by government officials.
Both groups are given taxpayer money. Congress allocated $150 million to the Interior Department for the celebration, but did not say how the money would be distributed among the groups.
The Interior Department (through the National Park Foundation) allocated $100 million to Freedom 250 and $50 million to America 250, raising concerns that President Trump was steering public funds away from organizations mandated by Congress.
Critics have also questioned whether the Freedom 250 event is aimed at celebrating U.S. independence or promoting President Trump and his priorities.
For example, nearly $10 million was spent supporting the Freedom Track, but the Freedom Track exhibit has been criticized for whitewashing American history.
Was there any backlash against the Freedom 250?
The perception that Freedom 250 is a Trump organization rather than a bipartisan organization is creating obstacles for one of its marquee events, the Great American State Fair.
Artists started dropping out almost as soon as the music lineup was announced in May. Several performers said they felt misled by organizers’ claims that the event was nonpartisan.
Several state governments also declined to participate, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
An Oregon State spokesperson said in part that the fair is “becoming more partisan than originally announced.”
But Freedom 250 insisted the fair, which involves all 50 states on the National Mall, will continue.
Meanwhile, President Trump has canceled the concert and will instead hold a “Rally to End All Rallies” where he plans to speak. The lineup will also include country musician Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio, and several military bands.
