Broken Promises and Pitch-Black Paths: What Went Wrong at the Anacostia Park Fireworks

By Tom Donohue

ANC Commissioner, SMD 8A01

Let’s talk about the fireworks last night. There were two distinct sets of fireworks in Washington, D.C., and both were paid for entirely by the American people. Yet, the stark division between how they were handled across the river versus right here in our community tells a frustrating story of political hijacking and total logistical neglect.

My understanding of the situation is that the National Park Service (NPS)—which normally performs the big, traditional show on the National Mall—was essentially booted from the Mall space so that Freedom 250 could hijack not only the funding but the very ground the NPS normally uses to launch. Because of that downtown takeover, we ended up with our "own" dedicated Anacostia Park fireworks, which were fired off from the road in front of the Park Police station all the way down to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.

As an ANC Commissioner whose Single Member District runs right alongside a good amount of Anacostia Park, I was on the ground to monitor this event for our neighbors. What was sold as a historic win for the community turned out to be a masterclass in poor planning, broken promises, and fundamental safety failures.

1. The Empty Park and Broken Promises on Hydration

Despite the massive scale of the citywide semiquincentennial celebrations, Anacostia Park was virtually empty last night, as you can see in pic below There was almost no one there—except for a large crowd of paid event workers standing around doing absolutely nothing.

The event was incredibly poorly advertised to Ward 8 families. While I made a personal effort to spread the word and inform folks ahead of time (which you can watch in my community interview video), official outreach was nonexistent. Because of this, the few folks who did show up didn’t even start arriving until around 10:07 PM.

But the lack of a crowd wasn't the biggest issue. The lack of basic human necessities was.

Before the event, official emails from Freedom 250 explicitly promised that hydration would be taken care of. As shown below, they stated: "Complimentary water and water refill stations will be available inside the event site." They told people to bring reusable bottles.

Yet, unlike across the river, there was no free water, no water stations, or anything provided for the public within the entire footprint from Nicholson Street over to Marion Barry Avenue. Even the park's permanent infrastructure failed our community; the existing outdoor water dispenser wasn't working at all, as pictured in below.

Access to water during a summer outdoor event isn’t a luxury—it is a basic human rights matter. I explicitly raised this issue during my pre-event interview, and seeing the total failure to provide it on-site was deeply frustrating.

At 6:30 PM, seeing that the footprint from Nicholson Street to Good Hope Road was completely dry, I reported the issue directly to the highest officials I knew with National Capital Parks - East, messaging Acting Deputy Superintendent Michael Donato:

"Hello Michael I’m very concerned there is no water available from Nicholson to Good Hope Road for the public."

His response? A brief: "Copy, I’ll pass that along." No immediate solution followed.

2. A Two-Hour Delay and a Pitch-Black Safety Hazard

The logistical breakdown only worsened as the night dragged on. While the hijacked downtown show went off, the few neighbors who arrived at 10:07 PM were left waiting in limbo. The Anacostia Park fireworks did not actually fire off until midnight—nearly a two-hour delay that left families waiting in the damp night air.

To make matters worse, the park was kept in total, complete darkness. At 10:07 PM, right as those few attendees were arriving, I messaged the Deputy Superintendent again:

"They aren’t turning lights on over at the park? That’s not safe."

The NPS literally forced families with small children, strollers, and elderly relatives to navigate the naturally hilly, rocky, and uneven terrain of the park in pitch-black conditions. It was still lightly raining, making the ground slick and highly hazardous.

When I pressed the Park Rangers on-site about why they refused to turn the lights on, they claimed they couldn't due to the threat of lightning. The irony was glaring: I hadn't seen lightning in quite some time by that point. Furthermore, if public safety regarding lightning was truly their strict operational boundary, it made no sense that NPS Rangers actively allowed folks to walk across the soaking wet grass with metal-frame umbrellas wide open.

Holding Our Agencies Accountable

Our community deserves the exact same dignity, operational execution, and safety standards that are afforded to visitors on the National Mall. If federal funds—taxpayer dollars paid for by the American people—are being used to host an event east of the river, they must commit to doing it right. You cannot promise water and deliver empty plumbing. You cannot invite families into a park, delay the show until midnight, and leave them to stumble through the dark on wet, rocky terrain.

I am following up formally with the leadership at National Capital Parks - East to demand answers on these logistical failures and the stark disparity in how our neighborhood was treated.

Were you at the park last night? I want to hear about your experience. Please reach out to me directly so we can ensure our community's voice is heard loud and clear.