4th of July Fun
Where Fort Worth shines among America's best places for 4th of July
Fourth of July is upon us, and Fort Worth is a good place to be, according to a new study that names it one of the top 50 places in the nation to celebrate the holiday.
Personal finance website WalletHub recently released a list of the best and worst places to celebrate July Fourth this year, ranking Fort Worth No. 4 in Texas and No. 33 nationally. The site graded each city on its celebrations, affordability, attractions and activities, safety and accessibility, and — always crucial — weather.
Fort Worth, where there are plenty of events and fireworks extravaganzas to choose from, ranks 20th in celebrations, 34th in affordability, and 39th in weather. Regarding attractions and activities, we're 63rd, and for safety and accessibility we're a poor 85th out of 100.
Nearby Dallas outshines the rest of the Lone Star State — and most of the U.S. — ranking No. 6 overall. WalletHub isn't the only one taking notice of Big D this summer. Travel site Priceline deems it the country's No. 2 hot spot for millennials to spend the Fourth of July, as well as the second most affordable destination, based on holiday hotel bookings. Houston takes the No. 1 spot on both lists.
No other North Texas city comes close to Dallas on the WalletHub list. Plano places at No. 46, Irving follows at No. 52, Arlington ranks at No. 77, and Garland rounds it out at No. 80.
In Texas' other major metros, Austin is second statewide (No. 26), followed by Houston (No. 27) and San Antonio (No. 45).
According to the National Retail Federation, 86 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Independence Day this year, with 61 percent expecting to do so with a cookout, barbecue, or picnic gathering, and households will spend $6.7 billion on just food observing the holiday.
A lot of that money will be spent in New York City, which tops the WalletHub list, ranking first in attractions and activities and second in both celebrations and safety and accessibility.
