The Bureau of Reclamation and the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed nearly 30,000 visitors to Grand Coulee Dam for the 2026 Fourth of July celebration as the community marked Independence Day and the nation’s 250th anniversary. The three-day Festival of America drew visitors from across the Northwest, increasing tourism throughout the Lake Roosevelt area and encouraging exploration of local communities, recreation areas, and businesses.
The celebration featured live entertainment, family activities, local vendors, food, the nightly laser light show, and a fireworks display from atop Grand Coulee Dam. The event was made possible through the partnership of Reclamation, the communities of Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee and Electric City, and the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce.
A highlight of the weekend was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the historic Grand Coulee Model Dam, which operated for the first time in decades. The 1/60-scale hydraulic model, built before the addition of the Nathaniel “Nat” Washington Power Plant, was originally used to study water flow through the dam and its effects on the riverbed downstream. Engineers conducted numerous hydraulic studies with the model during Grand Coulee Dam’s early years. Hundreds of visitors stopped by throughout the weekend to watch the model in operation and learn about its role in Reclamation’s engineering history.
The holiday weekend also highlighted the Lake Roosevelt area’s recreation opportunities and Grand Coulee Dam’s continued importance to the region through hydropower generation, irrigation, water management and recreation. The 2026 Festival of America demonstrated how the annual Independence Day celebration continues to support tourism while connecting visitors with the history, engineering, and communities that make the Lake Roosevelt area a destination throughout the Pacific Northwest.
