Gov. Larry Rhoden (R-SD) announced Tuesday, alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, that plans for next year’s fireworks display outside Mount Rushmore are proceeding.
Firework displays at the iconic monument were discontinued after 2009 due to fire safety concerns, only returning in 2020. In 2026, the United States will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a landmark for the nation that both Rhoden and Burgum underscored in bringing the display back.
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“South Dakota is the epitome of freedom, so it is only fitting to throw the biggest birthday party ever for the United States of America in our backyard,” Rhoden said in a press release. “President John Adams said that Independence Day ‘ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade … Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.’ These fireworks achieve that mission, and I am grateful for Secretary Burgum and President Trump’s partnership. You won’t want to miss it!”
Burgum echoed Rhoden’s enthusiasm for planning the celebration, stating that next year’s 250th birthday is a priority for President Donald Trump and the Interior Department. The celebration will be a “joint effort” between the governor and the National Park Service, which falls under the Interior Department.
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In February, the governor invited Trump to spend next year’s landmark birthday at Mount Rushmore, saying South Dakota will “throw the biggest birthday party ever for the United States of America.”
Last month, the Transportation Department unveiled its Great American Road Trip initiative for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. The new website highlights 250 different stops nationwide that families can visit, such as Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, the tomb of President Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.