Doing a family cookout today with our two sons (and DIL and GF). Both couples have plans on the 4th. DS and DDIL with friends and DS and his GF with her family. DH and I usually stay home or go to a movie if we don't have a cookout to go to and grill our own steaks. We have only gone to fireworks maybe 10 times over the years. Crowds usually aren't worth it and here in the DC area, it almost always T-storms on the 4th which usually at most delays them, but sometimes cancels them. Some of the local smaller fireworks are usually not on the 4th. One town near us does them on the 4th but it's just so chaotic. We just watch A Capitol Fourth on our public television channel. Having been downtown a few times in the 70's and 80's, it just isn't worth the trouble since 9/11. When we were growing up, you could drive into DC and park easily, but now, it's virtually impossible and taking metro is a royal pain with the crowds.