#1 Holiday Event (up from #2)
Hosted by John Stamos, the Fourth of July celebration included performances by the Beach Boys, Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi of the Blues Brothers, the Four Tops, and many other entertainers. Broadcast live on PBS, the celebration lit up not only the sky, but also the Internet: the event was the top trending topic locally, and nationwide it was number three on Nielsen Specials Social Media ratings. It garnered 6.2 million social-media impressions. Capital Concerts produced the affair. Next: July 4, 2018
#2 Holiday Event (up from #3)
Closing out last year’s celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama led their final iteration of the event in President’s Park on December 1, 2016. They were surrounded by entertainers including Yolanda Adams, Marc Anthony, Kelly Clarkson, the Lumineers, Chance the Rapper, James Taylor, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood, who performed holiday songs while accompanied by Afro Blue and the Airmen of Note. Olympic champion swimmer Simone Manuel also made an appearance. The tree spreads its cheer year-round in a Twitter account, with clever posts such as “You’ll never hear me complain it’s too early for Christmas candy in the grocery store” earlier this month. Next: November 30
#3 Holiday Event
Pulled together in a last-minute scramble compared to the planning process of previous administrations, the 139th occurrence of this event saw a 20,000 person attendance dip, to a total of 21,000 guests. Unlike last year’s version—where entertainers Beyoncé and Jay-Z joined President Obama for his final outing—this year’s version was celebrity-free, save for Sesame Street’s Elmo and administration members. First Lady Melania Trump focused on historical elements of the hunt with egg dying, an art wall, a cookie-decorating area, a thank-you note section for children to write notes to troops and veterans, a reading nook, and military bands, according to CNN. Entertainment also was provided by boy band Bro4 and the Martin Family Circus. Next: April 2, 2018
