July 3rd (Capitol Fourth) Dress Rehearsal Concert Free in DC 2011

Just about every year for the past 10+ years my family has enjoyed going to the dress rehearsal of the Capitol Fourth on the West Lawn at the US Capitol building. It’s the concert that airs on PBS stations across the nation each July 4th and includes many great musical acts and DC’s awesome fireworks. Concert starts around 8 PM, but be sure to show up earlier (a few hours if you can) to get a decent seat. Even if you’re not in “prime” seating area there are multiple jumbo-trons so you can get a closer look at the performance. If you are interested in attending the dress rehearsal, just show up this Sunday, July 3rd, 2011 to enjoy the free entertainment!

This year is the 31st anniversary of the concert and actor Jimmy Smits will be hosting for the 4th year in a row. The concert portion for 2011 includes: Grammy and Emmy Award-winning actor and musician Steve Martin performing with the Steep Canyon Rangers; multi-platinum recording superstar Josh Groban; Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominated star of stage and screen who has just released his debut self titled album Matthew Morrison (Glee); American Idol winner Jordin Sparks; rock ‘n’ roll legend Little Richard performing with the cast of the Broadway smash hit Million Dollar Quartet; three time Tony-nominated Broadway star Kelli O’Hara; and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

The fun part about attending the dress rehearsal on July 3rd:

• It’s not as crowded as it is on the actual 4th of July (although there’s still a good number of people)
• You can bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit in and enjoy the concert
• You get to hear the “bloopers” live…those actors and singers are entertaining!
• You can arrive early and bring a picnic-style dinner
• The DC Park service provides free bottled waters
• It’s a family friendly concert
• It’s FREE entertainment

The only “negatives” on attending the dress rehearsal instead of the live event on the 4th, in my opinion:

• There are no fireworks at the end… because they’re saving them up for the actual event, of course.
• In more recent years some of the main musical acts have *sadly* not shown up for the dress rehearsal. Instead they play a recording of them and have actors pretending to be them on stage. This happened a few years ago with the Beach Boys. It was a disappointment

Some of my favorite memories from the Capitol Fourth dress rehearsals include:

• Time spent with my parents and good family friends in a casual and fun setting.
• My son’s face lighting up when Sesame Street characters appeared in the 2009 concert.
• The funny bloopers either due to sound equipment or tongue-tied actors… often times the actors and musicians joke around on stage and making the whole crowd burst into laughter.
• Enjoying the National Symphony Orchestra’s traditional finale of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” – featuring the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets and complete with live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery (yes, they do it on the dress rehearsal!).
• Enjoying a great musical line-up year-after-year and enjoying lounging on the lawn with family and friends.

You have to go through security, which can have long lines, but typically moves quickly. My family and I like to pack a picnic dinner and bring beach towels and lawn chairs to set up on the West Lawn at the US Capitol building.
Here is the link for the Google Map of the West Lawn, U.S. Capitol. The closest Metro stations are Union Station and Capitol South. You can also drive and park on a nearby street (with parking meters).

Do you attend the July 3rd dress rehearsal or any other special concerts or events in the DC area on July 4th? Leave a comment and let me know what’s your favorite way to spend the holiday (ie. avoid the crowds or join in?). Hope you have a happy Independence Day everyone!