The 4th of July fireworks and concert in Boston is recognized around the country as one of the biggest and best celebrations of America's independence. Here's what to know about the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular event Friday on the Charles River Esplanade.

If you're heading to Boston on Friday to see the Independence Day fireworks and concert (or if you'd like to watch the festivities from home), here's everything you need to know.

In Greater Boston, the Fourth of July includes a number of annual traditions: music at the Hatch Shell, the presentation of the Declaration of Independence, and the reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?