I am a European who will be travelling in the USA with my children
next July. Where will we find the best parades, fireworks and other
fun things on 4th July, New York or Washington?

Never been to NY on the fourth but I've been to many fourths in DC. I
must say it is nice this year we had the Beach Boys two bands as well
as several other small entertainment areas (no parade) and of course
the fireworks. Although the fireworks are great I would never travel
that far for them... I hardly travel the 25 miles over there, if you
are traveling to enjoy the 4th you'd be greatly disappointed, if you
are doing so for other reasons then enjoy  ;-)

Depending on the age of your children, I would consider choosing a
place that they could feel most comfortable in.  If they are older
teenagers, they could appreciate the "full force" length and crowd of
a big city parade.  If they are younger, they might be happier with a
celebration in small town with just local families and kids.  I as an
adult would find that a more authenticcally patriotic celebration than
the big shows in NYC or Washington.

So  -  where is the best small town 4th of July parade between NYC and DC?

Well, I wouldn't travel a great distance to see
the Washington, D.C. Fireworks, but a couple of
years ago, my wife and I --visiting from California --
stayed in the Capitol Hilton, just a block or so from
the Mall, and the Fireworks display.  You can get 
incredible bargains on airfare plus hotel during
July.  We did.  We walked back to the Hotel after the
fantastic fireworks, went to bed, and awoke a couple of
times to the sound of the home-bound traffic.  We highly 
recommend looking on-line for a hotel that's close to the
mall.  We highly recommend it!  We hope you enjoy your
trip to our country, and to its Capitol!

This was not really on your list of choices but one of the most
impressive displays I have ever seen was in Philadelphia. If that is
not possible DC would be my ultimate choice.

I vote for Philadelphia if you can find a place to stay that has a good view.

Philadelphia would be my second choice. As a native New Englander, I'm
a little biased: My suggestion is Boston.

See the Website, "Boston 4 Celebrations Foundation, Inc.," to learn
about the city's annual Independence Day festivities:
http://www.july4th.org/
This event always features the Boston Pops Orchestra -- along with pop
and/or country music stars -- providing the sountrack to a fantastic
fireworks display.

Also check out this site to learn about the weeklong "Boston
Harborfest," which culminates with the Pops concert and fireworks on
the 4th:
http://www.bostonharborfest.com/

While in Boston, your family may also enjoy the "Freedom Trail Tour":
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

I hope this is of help.

Best Regards,
nancylynn-ga
Google Answers Researcher

Absolutely the best small town parade in the eastern US is in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts; about 3 hours north of NYC and 2 1/2 hours
west of Boston.  It's a LARGE parade in a relatively small town.

-Mike in Albany, NY