The US turns 250 on Saturday with fireworks over the East River. According to the New York Daily News, Macy’s 50th Annual Fourth of July Fireworks show starts at 9:25 p.m. with 85,000 shells exploding in more than 30 colors over the East River. For Brooklyn residents, waterfront spots along Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights should have direct sightlines to the display without needing a ticket.
A lottery offered free access to prime viewing spots at Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Seaport. Lottery entrants were supposed to hear back by Thursday whether they won; winners can bring up to three guests, per the Daily News.
If you did not enter the lottery, the city is providing non-ticketed viewing areas along FDR Drive in Manhattan. Hotels and hospitality venues are also offering rooftop and deck views, but they cost money and require reservations.
Private cruises are another option, but Classic Harbor Lines’ boats are already sold out. Packages had been priced between $576 and $776, according to the Daily News.
Coney Island is running a separate show the same night, starting around 9:45 p.m. over the Atlantic Ocean. Garden State Fireworks, Inc. is producing the display, which is free and visible from the Boardwalk and the beach. Coney Island is also kicking off a Friday-night pyrotechnics series this weekend, the first of nine weekly shows running every Friday through August 28, per the Daily News.
Jersey City is hosting a full-day event at Exchange Place starting at noon, with beer gardens and bounce castles before fireworks over Lower Manhattan close out the night, according to the Daily News.
Anyone who will be out of town this weekend can catch Long Beach’s display on July 10, starting around 10 p.m. Organizers say the fireworks will be visible from anywhere along the boardwalk and beachfront.
