This Independence Day, tens of thousands of people from across the region gathered at the downtown Columbia lakefront for their annual Fourth of July celebration.

Displays of patriotism were evident at parades and hot dog eating contests, even at a time of deep political divisions among Americans.

In Huntington Beach, some parade-goers staked out their prime spots before dawn today to watch the famed march down Main Street, this year celebrating 121 years. The event is dubbed the biggest Fourth of July parade west of the Mississippi River.

LL Cool J is pulling out of a Fourth of July concert in Philadelphia in solidarity with city workers unionized with District Council 33, who went on strike on Tuesday after the AFSCME union failed to reach a deal with the city.