Bipartisan Group America250 Plans L.A. Concerts, Competing With Trump

A nonprofit organization, America250, formed by Congress ten years ago, plans to host a concert in Los Angeles featuring Smashing Pumpkins and other artists on July 4. This initiative provides an alternative to President Trump’s Freedom 250 events celebrating America’s semiquincentennial.

In Los Angeles, Smashing Pumpkins and outlaw country star Chris Stapleton will perform at the Memorial Coliseum. The announcement was made by America250, a group responsible for the official celebrations of the nation’s 250th anniversary since before Trump’s creation of his own group in December. The Los Angeles event is titled America’s Block Party, featuring Queen Latifah as host and aligning with America250’s charitable initiative, “Giving 4th.” Tickets are set at $17.76, and more performers will be announced.

Rosie Rios, chair of America250 and a former Treasury official in the Obama administration, commented, “As we celebrate our 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity to bring Americans together around the values that continue to unite us.”

America250 has also organized additional “block party” events across the country in cities including Charleston, S.C., Fort Campbell, Ky., New York, and Milwaukee.