The Gateway City is getting national praise for its Independence Day festivities. St. Louis ranked fourth in USA Today’s 2026 list of the best Fourth of July celebrations in the U.S.
The ranking arrives during America’s semiquincentennial year, marking 250 years since the nation’s founding.
“Celebrate Saint Louis is a two-day party featuring parades, concerts, community activities, drone shows, and a grand finale fireworks display that happens on both nights! Fireworks launch from barges in the Mississippi River and illuminate the sky over the iconic Gateway Arch,” USA Today wrote. “There are concerts each day, local food vendors, a Salute to the Troops, and then a drone show on July 4 prior to the closing fireworks display. The celebration, formerly known as Fair Saint Louis, is now in its fifth decade.”…