Happy birthday, America!
The United States marks its 250th birthday this week, and New York City is turning the milestone into a multi-day celebration.
From what is expected to be the largest naval parade in history to a high-flying Blue Angels performance, major events are planned throughout the city, with additional festivities unfolding across all five boroughs.
Here are some of the standout ways New Yorkers and visitors can take part in the nation’s landmark anniversary celebration.
Sail 4th 250
A rare, large-scale flotilla will bring together 80 ships and 150 aircraft from military forces around the world for a six-day spectacle.
The week’s signature event, the Grand Parade of Sail, is set to become the biggest procession of vessels ever to enter the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Fleet Week
The traditional celebration where active-duty maritime soldiers visit the Big Apple is being pushed back six weeks to not only coincide with America’s semiquincentennial but to bring the largest-ever International Naval Review to fruition.
Members of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard will dock in New York Harbor on July 3 and stay through July 8.
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On July 4th morning, the Navy will host the International Naval Review — a solemn ritual that presides over 53 US and foreign warships before they continue on their voyage up the Hudson River.
The public will be invited to tour the impressive vessels and can expect military demonstrations such as live search-and-rescue aviation displays and drill team performances.
Blue Angels air show
The Navy’s Blue Angels will take to the skies above the Port of New York and New Jersey on July 4.
The United States Navy’s elite flight demonstration squadron will lead the International Aerial Review, which will feature more than 100 US and allied aircraft.
Typically, the elite team soars their Super Hornets above Jones Beach on Long Island to commemorate Memorial Day but moved back that annual show to honor America’s 250th birthday.
Times Square ball drop
The Times Square ball will drop at midnight EDT July 3 into July 4 in New York City to ring in America’s birthday in a New Year’s Eve-like fashion.
But it also will drop seven other times over the course of the hours — to coincide with midnight in every American time zone. That means the first drop will occur at 10 a.m. EDT on July 3 to mark midnight in Guam, and the last drop will occur at 7 a.m. July 4 for American Samoa.
The same ball will be used, but it will feature a different lighting design each time.
“The 11:59 p.m. EDT Ball Drop in Times Square will serve as the centerpiece — a high-energy, cultural moment designed for a global broadcast, signaling the official arrival of July 4th for the Eastern Time Zone and setting the stage for celebrations nationwide,” organizer America 250 said.
Macy’s fireworks show
The Macy’s July 4th fireworks show is promising to “illuminate New York City’s iconic skyline with a kaleidoscope of color” as it celebrates its own 50th anniversary.
The company’s annual summer celebration will feature 12 high-tech pyro animations, an inverted rainbow from the Brooklyn Bridge cable and a quarter-mile-long silver waterfall that will cascade from the bridge to the East River below, as well as a 1,600-foot-wide USA flag in the sky, Macy’s said.
A total of 85,000 shells will fire 1,000 feet into the air — a sizable increase from the 80,000 that blasted off last year.
The incredible show takes a 75-person crew up to 12 days to prepare, with the fireworks being hand-loaded and hand-wired across 240 different positions across the Brooklyn Bridge.
