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.
“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
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