The People's Fourth
Details
This July 4, gather at the Obama Presidential Center for a day of music and community as we celebrate 250 years of American progress and get inspired for what's next.
See full schedule of activities (Opens in a new tab)
Spotlight Stories
Spotlight Stories offer 15-minute tour experiences focused on specific campus landmarks.
Fruit and Vegetable Garden
10:30 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 3 p.m.
Learn about design, sustainability, and the power of rooting community in nature. Meet your guide at the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden.
Julie Mehretu and Alison Saar
11:30 a.m. | 2 p.m. | 4 p.m.
Join an immersive look at two new art installations: Julie Mehretu's Uprising of the Sun and Alison Saar's Torch Song . Meet your guide at the Women’s Garden.
Martin Puryear: Bending the Arc
10 a.m. | 11 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 1 p.m.
Learn about this monumental sculpture calls upon a famous quote popularized by Martin Luther King Jr. as an example of how individual people working together can inspire great change.
Performances on the Plaza
DJ Hot Rod
2 - 3:15 p.m.
DJ Hot Rod maintains a vibrant atmosphere on the Plaza.
Mucca Pazza
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Witness marching band traditions and street theater spectacle with rock and roll sensibilities.
Melody Angel
5 - 6 p.m.
Melody Angel brings deep-rooted Chicago blues traditions and raw, soulful storytelling to our plaza.
DJ Hot Rod
6 - 7 p.m.
DJ Hot Rod maintains a vibrant atmosphere on the Plaza.
Sports & Play
Let’s Play
2 - 6 p.m. | Home Court
Catch DJ Will the Thrill on the Main Court for interactive sports and art activations with House of Chelsea B and 40+ Double Dutch.
Anytime Activities
The Screening Room
2 - 7 p.m. | Elie Wiesel Auditorium
Preview films featured in the Obama Presidential Center Museum and learn about the mission to inspire, empower and connect people to change their world.
Face Painting
2 - 7 p.m. | John Lewis Plaza
Enjoy face painting by Kids Wow Show
Bubble Art
2 - 7 p.m. | Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Chicago Bubble Show
Food & Beverage
Food and beverage will be available for sale at Tafari’s Kitchen and the Cafe as well as in the Plaza and Fruit & Vegetable Garden.
Please note programs and activities are subject to change.
Performers
DJ Hot Rod
Rodney Washington, known as DJ Hot Rod, is a Chicago-based DJ and radio personality known for breaking artists like Juice WRLD, Chance the Rapper, Dreezy, and Tink. A longtime voice on WGCI and Power 92.3, he’s deeply rooted in Chicago’s hip-hop scene and community work.
Mucca Pazza
Mucca Pazza is a Chicago-based ensemble formed in 2004, blending marching band tradition, street theater, and rock-and-roll energy. Known as a marching band that thinks it’s a rock band, the group brings an unmistakable sound and high-energy spectacle to every performance.
Melody Angel
Melody Angel is a South Side Chicago vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter known for blending R&B, rock, folk, and funk with a foundation in Chicago blues. Dubbed “the future of the blues” by the Chicago Reader, she carries on the legacy of her relative, blues icon Otis Rush.
