Week Six: Happy Fourth!

I spent all day on the Fourth of July in the Butterfly Pavilion, and let me just say, what an experience! I rode the escalator up from the Metro to find the streets full of people, every one of whom was covered head to toe in red, white, and blue. By 9 AM the areas around the museum leading to the mall were packed. The national anthem was being sung on the steps of the National Archives.

It was extremely hot, with temperatures hovering in the nineties and up into the hundreds. So, naturally, as soon as the museum opened, all of those people on and around the mall who had arrived at 9 AM to wait for the 9 PM fireworks came in to take advantage of the café and air conditioning. It was a busy, busy day in the Butterfly Pavilion. So many children covered in flags and face paint! Early in the day the children were bouncing around like crazy; I almost lost my voice telling them to stop petting the butterflies. By afternoon, the crowd was more subdued. These were folks who had been outside all morning; some of the excitement had given way to exhaustion. At 6 PM I left the pavilion and changed my clothes.

By 6:30, I was walking into the American History Museum to meet my grandparents. That museum had been closed to the public for the day in order to prepare for the evening’s festivities. Two areas had been set up for the Smithsonian’s three hundred Fourth of July guests. On the second floor, the Apollo Theater and First Ladies’ Gowns exhibits were left open. In the hallway between them was a catered meal of time-honored American summer fare that included hot dogs (in hot dog stands,) popcorn, soft pretzels, and a multitude of desserts. On the roof, (Yep, the roof!) there was more food—from hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob and baked beans to cotton candy. There were games, face painting, and balloon animals for the kids, and battery powered, blinking red, white and blue star necklaces for everyone. The Smithsonian’s guests had an incredible view of the mall, with some of the best seats in town for Washington DC’s spectacular fireworks. It was a very special Fourth.