OK...that isn't COMPLETELY true. Yes, Keith Lockhart is celebrating his 20th anniversary with the Boston Pops this season. Yes, he is conducting a concert on Saturday. Yes, there will be a HUGE fireworks display.
You've figured out by now that Lockhart will be on the podium as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra performs it's annual Independence Day concert on Boston’s Charles River Esplanade.
By the time Saturday evening rolls around, you may be worn out from all of the festivities. However, you can enjoy this party in the comfort of your own home. The Boston Pops is offering a free live webstream of Boston's July 4th celebration. They plan to post it online afterwards and make it available, free of charge, for 24 days after that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlbCakDfXfE
One of the fascinating things about this performance is the way it came about. Arthur Fiedler, whom most remember as the long-time conductor of the Boston Pops, was a violist in the Boston Symphony. He felt that, just as great literature and art was available to the general public at a modest charge in libraries and museums, great symphonic music should be, as well. Over a two-year period, he spearheaded the fundraising for and construction of an esplanade along the banks of the Charles River. He would conduct the first concert on July 4th, 1929. It was such a huge success, that the orchestra signed him to a three-year contract. He would be at the helm of that orchestra for the next 50 years.
So go to your picnics, parades, festivals, fireworks, then plan to join the Boston Pops for their annual July 4th concert. What better way to cap off the weekend than with an Independence Day celebration from this Revolutionary city.
Keith Lockhart talks about is two decades with the Boston Pops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXLY0PrfKI