March 9 (UPI) — The National Parks Service announced that Mount Rushmore National Memorial will host a fireworks display on July 3 as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration.
The celebration will be the second time in 17 years that a fireworks display has been included with the Independence Day celebration at Mouth Rushmore, and the first time since 2020.
NPS had canceled fireworks from 2009 through 2019 because of fears of wildfires in the area, and returned to denying fireworks permits in 2021.
In 2020, President Donald Trump brought back a fireworks show, though it drew criticism because of the then-growing COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of mask requirements to prevent spread of the virus.
“We are excited to reinstate a spectacular fireworks show as the highlight of Mouth Rushmore’s Independence Day commemoration,” Jenifer Chatfield, NPS’ deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, said in a press release.
“We invite the public to enjoy the show and reflect on our nation’s remarkable journey and the great patriotic leaders who established, preserved and expanded our country’s destiny,” she said.
Fireworks over the monument — which features busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln carved into the side of the mountain — have been controversial because the displays are considered an insult to the Black Hills region, which local Sioux tribes consider sacred land.
Historically, the displays also have been risky for both the monument and the forest around it.
NPS in 2020 found in a safety study that more than 20 wildfires had started after previous fireworks displays and explosions have left burn marks on the sculpted heads of the presidents.
For this year’s event, the park will close on July 2 and then reopen on July 3 for ticketed participants, who will be required to enter a lottery that runs from April 8 to 12, with applicants notified on April 14 with the lottery results, NPS said on a Recreation.gov registration website.
There is non-refundable $1 lottery application fee and tickets are open only to U.S. residents, who will be required to show a valid, government-issued photo ID to enter the event.
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