As the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, Philadelphia has the longest history in the nation of celebrating America’s birthday. Many veterans attended the city’s Celebration of Freedom Ceremony on July 4 to honor the tradition and history of our great nation. After being suspended in 2020 due to COVID-19, the annual Wawa Welcome America festival returned to Philadelphia to commemorate the Fourth of July, which spanned for 16 days. It aimed to showcase what independence and freedom mean with programming from museums and events in the city: hoagie giveaways from Wawa, concerts, waterfront performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra, fireworks finale over the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and more—all for free. The Celebration of Freedom Ceremony was held on July 4 outside of Independence Hall to honor our nation’s independence, with remarks given by First Lady Jill Biden, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, and other guest speakers. …