Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday This Fourth of July With These TV Marathons & Specials

Karen Ruud 2 minutes ago

4th of July photo collage — Everett Collection; Adobe Stock

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, many networks will air special programming to mark the occasion. From fireworks to The Twilight Zone and Rawhide marathons to hot dogs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during the Fourth of July holiday.

Here’s a complete watch guide for the days leading up to the big celebration on July 4 and all things America.

Tuesday, June 30

Presidential 1776 Award

CBS, 8 pm

CBS presents the finals of the first-ever Presidential 1776 Award competition, a nationwide civics challenge created to celebrate America’s top high school students and their knowledge of our nation’s founding principles. The program awards scholarships totaling $250,000, including a top prize of $150,000.

Thursday, July 2

**Rod, White & Blue: A Twilight Zone Celebration**

Heroes & Icons, beginning at 6 am

Rod White & Blue Twilight Zone Marathon art

H&I; Everett Collection

Heroes & Icons’ annual Fourth of July tradition, Rod, White & Blue: A Twilight Zone Celebration, is a four-day fest of classic Twilight Zone episodes from both the original Twilight Zone and The New Twilight Zone. The iconic series was created and hosted by television visionary Rod Serling and originally aired on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The annual Heroes & Icons celebration has become a fan favorite and begins this year on Thursday, July 2, continuing through Monday, July 6 at 6 am ET/PT.

A special highlight of this year’s marathon is the H&I premiere of the Season 4 episode “Miniature,” airing Thursday, July 2 at 8 pm. Featuring an early performance by Robert Duvall, the episode follows a lonely and socially awkward man who becomes captivated by a museum dollhouse, where the miniature world inside begins to feel more inviting than his own. Widely regarded as one of the series’ most poignant and imaginative episodes, “Miniature” showcases The Twilight Zone at its most thought-provoking.

Friday, July 3

Independence Eve Live With Anderson & Andy: Celebrating 250

CNN, 8 pm Live

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen bring their New Year’s Eve tradition to Independence Eve in New York City’s Times Square, counting down live to a midnight ball drop honoring America’s 250th birthday. They will be joined by celebrity guests and inspiring everyday heroes whose stories reflect the spirit, resilience and diversity of the United States. CNN correspondents and reporters stationed across the country will bring viewers into cities and small towns nationwide, spotlighting the people, traditions and celebrations shaping this historic moment in communities from coast to coast.

A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration

PBS, 8 pm Live

This live special kicks off the historic Independence Day weekend’s festivities on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and musical performances by artists in several genres. Country music great Trace Adkins performs the television debut of his patriotic new song, “American Made.” The concert finale includes a spectacular fireworks show over George Washington’s iconic Mount Vernon home.

Saturday, July 4

Happy Independence Day Marathon

TCM, beginning at 6:30 am

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Kick off your Fourth of July with a Hollywood classic as TCM spends the day showcasing the diverse landscape and vibrant stories of the American experience. The lineup includes Judge Hardy and Son (1939), which sees Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) trying to track down the daughter of an immigrant couple to save their home; The Howards of Virginia (1940), a pre-Revolutionary War drama about a farmer (Cary Grant) who marries into a wealthy family but finds his marriage strained by his allegiance to the uprising; The Scarlet Coat (1955), the story of a Continental Army officer who goes undercover to expose Benedict Arnold’s treason; and 1776, a 1972 musical retelling of the Founding Fathers’ struggle to get the Declaration of Independence signed.

The highlight of the lineup is 1942’s Yankee Doodle Dandy, a musical morale booster released just months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor that was Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing picture to that point and won James Cagney an Oscar for Best Actor. The theme concludes with the 1962 musical The Music Man, set against the backdrop of Independence Day.

Rawhide Marathon

FETV, starting at 9 am

Julian Wasser/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

Head ’em up and move ’em out with the return of Rawhide on FETV’s “Roll ’em Out Marathon”. Beginning Saturday morning and continuing Sunday, the marathon features five back-to-back episodes each day. The cattle-driving drama follows trail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming) and his excitable partner Rowdy Yates (Eastwood) as they face down bandits, wolves and other threats. (It wasn’t all big scares; sometimes they just needed to find water for their cattle!) The gritty series featured an impressive ensemble of guest stars too.

2026 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

ESPN2, 12 pm Live

The great gastronomic gorging Fourth of July tradition returns to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, for the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey Chestnut, the 17-time champion, is set to compete, aiming to defend his title and potentially break his world record of 76 hot dogs and buns eaten in 10 minutes.

MLB Baseball

FOX, beginning at 7:30 pm Live

FOX’s Saturday MLB coverage opens with the MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, in which pitchers and other non-starters are chosen for this year’s Midsummer Classic. Celebrate America’s favorite game as the regional primetime game has either the N.Y. Mets at the Atlanta Braves or the St. Louis Cardinals at the Chicago Cubs.

Disney Celebrates America: Nashville’s Star-Spangled Bash

ABC, Freeform, FX & Nat Geo, 8 pm Live

Ryan Seacrest hosts this musical celebration of America’s 250th birthday in the heart of downtown Nashville. Performers include the All-American Rejects, Boyz II Men, Clint Black, Little Big Town, NE-YO, Nick Jonas, Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw. The event also features one of the largest fireworks and drone shows in the United States set to a live score by the Nashville Symphony. Adding to the magic is coverage of the patriotic-themed fireworks displays at Disneyland Resort.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

Movies!, at 8 pm

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, (aka MR. SMITH AU SENAT), from left: <a href=

In this 1939 political classic film, James Stewart stars as an idealistic yet naive young man who is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Once in Washington, however, he discovers many of the shortcomings of the political process as he pursues his earnest goal of creating a national boys’ camp.

The Great American Block Party 250

CBS, 8 pm Live

CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil and Entertainment Tonight‘s Nischelle Turner host this three-hour live celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Broadcast live from the nation’s capital, the special takes viewers across the country for star-studded concerts and performances, culminating in an incredible fireworks show over Washington, D.C. Performers include Zac Brown Band, Jon Batiste, Goo Goo Dolls, and the War and Treaty. The special features highlights from July 4 events in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Charleston, New York, Philadelphia, Mount Rushmore and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, plus the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks

NBC, 8 pm Live

The 50th Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks extravaganza in New York City features performances by Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Salt-N-Pepa, Bebe Rexha, Shaboozey and Blake Shelton. The fireworks are paired with an awe-inspiring laser show emanating from the Brooklyn Bridge.

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