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Disney Celebrates America live updates: Eagle-eye view of Great American State Fair

ABC News' Mary Bruce took viewers to the top of the fair's Ferris wheel.

ByEmily Shapiro and Jon Haworth
Last Updated: July 4, 2026, 5:04 PM EDT

ABC is marking America's 250th anniversary with 24 hours of unparalleled programming called "Disney Celebrates America."

The multi-platform broadcast, led by ABC News "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir, features coverage across all 50 states and runs through the night of July 4.

Key Headlines

Follow along with the celebrations:
3 hours and 50 minutes ago

Eagle-eye view of the Great American State Fair

ABC News’ Mary Bruce is taking viewers to the top of the 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.

ABC News' Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce is atop the 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel that is the centerpiece of the Great American Fair.
1:36
Eagle-eye view of the Great American FairABC News' Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce is atop the 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel that is the centerpiece of the Great American Fair.
ABCNews.com

The dangerous heat abruptly closed the fair mid-day Friday, with organizers reopening the event later in the day. On Saturday, the Great American State Fair was initially scheduled to open at 10 a.m., but that was pushed to noon due to the heat wave.

Visitors watch a flyover performance at Great American State Fair during Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall, on July 4, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Finn Gomez/Getty Images
1:08 PM EDT

Joey Chestnut, Miki Sudo win Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Joey Chestnut was crowned the winner of the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest for the 18th time on Saturday, eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at Coney Island.

Joey Chestnut wins the 2026 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on July 4, 2026.
Anna Connors/AP Photo

Miki Sudo won the women’s contest, downing 38.75 hot dogs to win for a record 12th time.

12:55 PM EDT

Military jets fill the sky with red, white and blue

Military jets are filling the sky with red, white and blue over New York City’s Hudson River.

The French Air Force acrobatic squad Patrouille de France perform a flyover during the International Aerial Review, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York.
Gary Hershorn/ABC News

PHOTO: The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York City
U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover near the Statue of Liberty, as a ship of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) participates in the Sail 250 parade of ships in New York Harbor as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day in New York, July 4, 2026.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
12:06 PM EDT

King Charles praises UK-US relationship in America 250 message

Britain’s King Charles is congratulating President Donald Trump and the American people on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, writing in a statement, "This year marks a truly historic milestone and a moment of great celebration for Americans everywhere."

Drones create a formation in the shape of the United States, above the National Constitution Center at Independence National Historical Park, on July 2, 2026, in Philadelphia.
Al Drago/Getty Images

Revelers hold American flags as they watch fireworks explode during the annual Independence Day Celebration on July 2, 2026, in Bell Gardens, Calif.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

The monarch praised the relationship between the two nations as "one of extraordinary evolution, from overcoming conflict to forging one of the closest and most productive alliances the world has seen."

"The connection between our peoples is one that I trust will only grow stronger with time," he wrote. "As you mark this momentous occasion, my wife and I send our warmest good wishes to you and to the people of the United States of America, today and in the years ahead."

-ABC News' Claire Bower

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