LOS ANGELES — While there won't be any Fourth of July fireworks at Grand Park this year, the celebration will go on online with Grand Park and the Music Center's Fourth of July Block Party: the Home Edition.
Normally drawing crowds of up to 50,000, Grand Park will be empty this year, save for the small community of protesters camping in front of City Hall.
And although there will be no fireworks show, an impressive and diverse lineup of performers and guests will make the virtual block party one that everyone can enjoy from home.
One of this year's performers is singer Amindi who says this year's celebration will also be different as many people have been reflecting on just what the Fourth of July means to them.
“I don't know, I don't think [the Fourth of July] is as true to itself as it would like to be,” Amindi said. “It doesn't mean that everybody's free because here we are in American 2020 and all of this is going on.”
Amindi said she notices people are rethinking notions of patriotism in light of the recent countrywide protests and is happy that artists can use their platforms to show solidarity during these times.
“There's a lot of performers of color on the line-up,” she said. “And I think that's very fire. I think there is a thread of solidarity that's gonna ring through it.”
Grand Park’s block parties take months to plan, so pivoting to an online event was a huge task, said Julia Diamond, Grand Park director. Diamond said she hopes they have preserved the spirit of the event which has always been about diversity and bringing communities together.
“[The event] is really a snapshot of L.A. and our relationship to each other and to our communities in America right now,” Diamond said.
Amindi, whose family hails from Jamaica originally, said growing up she was used to celebrating Jamaica's independence with her parents, but in the end, these celebrations are all about freedom.
“I understand what it's supposed to mean,” she said of the holiday. “And I've always, like, not seen it as that. If you are a person who is oppressed, you can definitely make it mean whatever you need it to mean, to celebrate any way you want to.”
Grand Park hopes for a big comeback next year, Diamond said. In the meantime, everyone is still welcome to the block party which is just a click away.