Events are taking place across the US to celebrate one of the biggest milestones in American history, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence.

Congress has reportedly allocated $150m (£112m) in federal funds for the birthday celebration, and millions more is being spent by a group that was started by US President Donald Trump.

The programming has included a giant state fair honouring all the regions of the US, a flyover of fighter jets, and the opening of a presidential library. Festivities will culminate in a “Salute to America” fireworks display on 4 July, Independence Day.

Some of the celebrations have not been without controversy, as they have raised questions about whether Trump has politicised the occasion.

America250, one of the groups planning celebrations, was established by Congress a decade ago to plan non-partisan events. Meanwhile the organisation running its own events that was created by Trump – called Freedom 250 – is a public-private partnership.

Trump has spoken at several of the America 250 events and will also deliver remarks in the midst of a severe heatwave at the National Mall on 4 July.

As part of independence week, Trump has attended the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.

Trump gave a speech a the museum, calling Roosevelt “a man who I have long admired”, and went on a tour of the space.

On 3 July, the eve of Independence Day, Trump will travel to South Dakota for the first fireworks display in six years at Mount Rushmore National Memorial – a sculpture in the Black Hills that depicts four historical US presidents.

Trump is set to deliver remarks there before he heads to the biggest day of celebrations on 4 July.

A massive 16-day State Fair, from 25 June to 10 July, is taking place across the National Mall from the US Capitol to the Washington Monument.

All 56 US states and territories are showcased in the exposition, according to Freedom 250, which is organising the event.

Several musicians were expected to perform at a concert series, but a number of them – including Martina McBride, The Commodores and Young MC – backed out beforehand.

In turn, Trump axed the planned musical acts and instead said in a social media post that he would host “the Greatest Rally, EVER!”

“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Country singer Alexis Wilkins, the longtime girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, performed the US National Anthem at the event.

Trump celebrated his 80th birthday alongside America’s 250th with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the White House lawn – the first ever professional sporting event held at the presidential residence.

He and thousands of other mixed martial arts fans watched on as US fighter Justin Gaethje beat Spanish-Georgian opponent Ilia Topuria to win the lightweight championship in the main event.

Other administration officials attended, along with UFC chief Dana White, Trump’s longstanding friend. At one point in the evening, the crowd sang happy birthday to the president.

The White House said that the event was planned by Freedom 250, but UFC were paying for it. White said the same, telling the Sports Business Journal in January: “We’re eating the whole thing.”

The event was free and ticketed. A federal judge threw out a lawsuit that had sought to shut down the event.

Across America on 4 July, it is a tradition for fireworks to fill the skies. In Washington, every year, there is a massive display run by the National Park Service.

This year, the 40-minute show will be run by Freedom 250.

It will reportedly include more than 860,000 fireworks in a show that will last some 40 minutes. A typical display would include 10,000 fireworks and lasts less than 20 minutes.

The only request from Freedom 250 to Pyrotecnico, the company tasked with creating the show, was for the show to beat the Philippines’ 2016 record for the largest fireworks display in history, according to USA Today.

It is not just the nation’s capital that is hosting events to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial, there will be celebrations across the country.

A ball will drop in Times Square on 4 July, similar to the New Year’s Eve drop.

But unlike on New Year’s Eve, the ball will drop eight times to mark midnight in each of the American time zones, and each time with its own special design, according to America250.

In Philadelphia, a time capsule will be buried and remain sealed until 2276, according to America250.

“When it is opened in 2276, we want future generations to have a clear, authentic window into who we were at 250 – what we valued, what we built, and how we saw ourselves as a nation,” Rosie Rios, Chair of America250, said.

Across the country, in Los Angeles, America250 will host a concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with musical artists and a crowd of up to 50,000.

And block parties are planned in cities such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In an effort to prepare Washington DC, the nation’s capital, for the anniversary, Trump began a number of beautification projects across the city.

Some projects have been viewed as gaudy or unnecessary, while others have been applauded by local residents.

Among the sites has been the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

In April, workers began repainting in a blue shade the pool, which stretches 2,030ft (620m) between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Trump has said his project to restore and paint the monument would solve a leaking problem, the paint would last for 40 or 50 years and “there’ll be no leaks, there’ll be no anything”.

But after its completion, the blue paint began to peel, catching the eyes and criticism of onlookers as it floated to the surface. Blooming algae also started to form, prompting officials to drain the pool again. Trump blamed the developments on vandals.

The painting had faced legal challenges from a non-profit group asking for the work to be halted. The group argued Trump ignored laws that limit changes to historical landmarks.

Before a court order was issued in the case, Trump said in a Truth Social post on 3 June that a final coat of protection on the pool was to be completed that day, writing that “the water will start flowing, shortly thereafter”.