Live updates: What to know this July Fourth as it happens, from traffic and weather to parades and fireworks

Macy’s NYC fireworks will start early; Riverhead’s are moved up too

The Macy’s 4th of July fireworks will begin at 9:02 p.m. instead of closer to 9:30 because of incoming weather, the New York City Department of Emergency Management said in an alert.

Riverhead Town has moved its fireworks show at South Jamesport Beach up to 9 p.m., from 9:30 p.m., for the same reason.

Radar shows a line of thunderstorms heading towards the area, which is under a severe thunderstorm watch, later in the evening.

‘It’s a beautiful thing’: Crowds gathering on Jones Beach for fireworks show

As the sun begins to set over Long Island, crowds of people have begun to gather on Jones Beach and the boardwalk ahead of the fireworks show scheduled to begin about 9:30.

Chris Dimatteo, 37, of Queens Village, brought his children to the beach for the fireworks display to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities. He opted to bring his family to the beach later in the day when the weather got cooler.

“It’s exciting to see, and you don’t get to see it in person like this, the way it’s gonna be tonight,” Dimatteo said.

Dimatteo said that the Fourth of July is a significant holiday to him as both he and his wife, Joanlee, come from a family of immigrants. Dimatteo’s family immigrated to the United States from Puerto Rico and Italy. His wife’s family immigrated from Colombia.

“We all came over here one time or another, and we’ve all come together as one big unit to create the United States,” Dimatteo said. “I think it’s a beautiful thing.”

‘Amazing’ parade of tall ships up the Hudson

Crowds packed the Hudson River waterfront on Saturday as the Sail4th 250 International Parade of Sail marked the nation’s semiquincentennial with a procession of tall ships, military vessels and aerial flyovers.

Tall ships from more than 20 nations, including Italy’s Amerigo Vespucci, Argentina’s Ara Libertad and Peru’s Bap Union, graced the Hudson River. Some boats in the parade will be on display and open for tours in piers along New York Harbor from Sunday through Tuesday.

By 9 a.m., the scene was already set at The Battery, where scores of people streamed in to claim vantage points under muggy, fast-rising temperatures.

Read the full story here.

Boardwalk, and business, bustling at Jones Beach

The boardwalk at Jones Beach is bustling with activity as beachgoers eagerly walk up to tents, enjoy live music, shop and collect sponsor freebies.

For Legame Permanent Jewelry owner Jacqueline Kagiwada, 32, of Amityville, this year was the first her business has set up shop at Jones Beach for the Fourth of July. Kagiwada said that the opportunity has allowed her to network with more customers as Long Island celebrates.

“It’s amazing … it’s getting packed full of people,” Kagiwada said. “We have the fireworks tonight, music’s going. It’s a great family environment.”

Kagiwada, whose jewelry business is nearly two years old, said that she doesn’t mind working on America’s 250th birthday.

“I get to have my family, great staff with me, great crew, and it’s just great to be able to live in the United States,” Kagiwada said. “And, as a woman, I get to start a business and do what I love.”

Heavy rain possible Sunday and Monday, but it will be a bit cooler too

Showers and thunderstorms are likely for Long Island before 2 a.m. tonight, according to the National Weather Service’s most recent forecast. A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for New York, Kings and Queens counties through 11 p.m., but there is only slight risk of severe thunderstorms outside the watch area and most if not all of the Island should be spared, according to the forecast.

But heavy rain on Sunday afternoon through Monday could result in limited flash flooding in certain areas on Long Island, the weather service said. Parts of Nassau and western Suffolk could see more than 3 inches of rainfall, according to weather service reports. Areas in eastern Suffolk are forecasted to see less, with Westhampton predicted to see less than 2 inches and Montauk 1.5 inches.

But it won’t be as hot as it’s been been the last few days. Sunday’s heat index — what temperatures feel like — on much of Long Island will be in the upper 80s, about 10 degrees less than on Saturday. 

Sparse parking ahead of Jones Beach fireworks

Parking at Jones Beach Field Four appeared sparse Saturday afternoon ahead of the fireworks show.

Despite the packed parking lot, there is still a steady flow of cars entering, searching for any available spaces. Beachgoers can be seen headed to the shores from the parking lot donning sunglasses and holding essentials like folding chairs. As of 3:35 p.m., there was little traffic on the Meadowbrook State Parkway headed to the beach.

Garden State Fireworks’ 25-minute long fireworks display is set to begin at 9:30 p.m., and can best be viewed from the central mall, which fields four and five feed into, Newsday previously reported.

High temps for the Fourth fall just shy of record for LI

Today’s sweltering heat on Long Island fell just short of the record books for the hottest Independence Day, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Wunsch said. Islip climbed to a sweltering 96 degrees, Wunsch said — just one degree shy of the 97 degree record high recorded there in 1966 and 2010.

Independence Day celebrations and fireworks displays tonight could be disrupted by thunderstorms on Long Island, as the region remains gripped by sweltering heat. An extreme heat warning remained in effect for most of the region until 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Wunsch said storms developing over Pennsylvania were expected to track east and then southeast toward the New York City area and Long Island.

“I know a lot of people are out today, but it does look like there’s a pretty good chance that we’re going to see strong to severe thunderstorms at some point this evening,” Wunsch said.

Brooklyn Bridge, FDR Drive closures

Due to the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show, the Brooklyn Bridge and the FDR Drive between Battery Park Underpass and 34th Street are closed in both directions today, according to an alert from the city Office of Emergency Management. The NYPD may close other roads in lower Manhattan and northwest Brooklyn as the need arises, the alert said.

Check here for more information on specific closures.

Last of the tall ships sail away

As the parade of ships came to a close along the Hudson River, Cristian Bustillo said the waterfront event was an awesome experience.

“This was amazing, even seeing all the kind of aircraft I saw,” said Bustillo, who was visiting from Honduras for the first time.

Bustillo said the blazing temperatures were not a problem, reminding him of weather back home. He also said the only thing he thought could have been improved on was more demonstrations by the Blue Angels.

Peru’s tall ship, Bap Union, passes Riverbank State Park during the International Parade of Sail. Credit: Newsday/Reginald Lewis

Some state parks filled to capacity, but beach attendance lower than expected

As of 1 p.m., several state parks are filled to capacity, according to regional state parks director George Gorman.

Orient Beach State Park and Wildwood State Park on the East End are filled to capacity.

Hempstead Lake is filled abut 80% to capacity, while Sunken Meadow State Park is at 90% capacity.

A steady stream of beachgoers are flowing into both Jones Beach and Robert Moses, though no backups or delays were reported, he said. At Jones Beach, Field 6 is filled to capacity but Gorman said there was “plenty of parking” in the rest of the park.

He said systemwide, beach attendance was slightly lower than parks officials anticipated.

“The beaches are a little bit lighter because of the heat wave,” he said. Other July 4 events may also be having an impact on the number of beachgoers, he said.

The high at Islip is 93 degrees, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Greenblatt. That’s four degrees short of the record set in 2010 at 97 degrees, though the hottest part of the day is still to come.

“It’s certainly possible that you get pretty close to the record this afternoon, but that would probably not occur for another few more hours,” Greenblatt said on Saturday.

Forecasters are still keeping an eye on spotty storm chances that could threaten July 4 fireworks displays.

“There’s nothing on the radar at the moment, but expecting thunderstorms to fill into the area this evening, mainly after 6 p.m.,” Greenblatt said.

Who won the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest?

Joey Chestnut won the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest for the 18th time.

Miki Sudo snagged her 12th win in the women’s contest earlier in the day.

Chestnut and Sudo were the 2025 champions as well, according to the Nathan’s website.

If you’re more of a barbecue buff than a dog dawg, here are some LI spots with great takeout.

July 4 at 4:16 p.m.

Sails billow, soldiers salute at tall ships parade in NYC

Traffic is starting to build, but no major issues yet

Traffic is building in several hotspots as holiday celebrations get underway.

A crash on the eastbound Northern State Parkway in North Hempstead is slowing traffic as the left shoulder is blocked, according to the state Department of Transportation’s 511ny website.

The state department of transportation website shows no traffic heading to Jones Beach. A Waze map showed heavy traffic along Robert Moses State Parkway on Fire Island around 11:45 a.m.

There are also slowdowns in the Hamptons, from Southampton to Montauk, according to Waze reports.

Motorists will see closures due to the Port Jefferson Fourth of July parade on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Main Street will be closed from North Country Road to Broadway. Broadway will be closed from Main Street to California Avenue. Barnum Avenue will be closed from Broadway to Main Street.

Motorists are advised to use alternate routes.

People are starting to get tired of the heat

Spectators at multiple events headed for the shade and air conditioning as noon approached.

Moments after the Massapequa parade ended, the route was quickly deserted. The parade was roughly 90 minutes long.

Spectators along the tall ships routes also retreated inside for rest and AC.

As of 11:45 a.m., temperatures in Islip were 92 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Gotcha! Kids help military vehicle drivers cool off in Massapequa

A group of kids did their part to keep everyone cool along the Massapequa parade route, using a hose to spray down marchers.

Even the driver of a military vehicle welcomed the wash down as the temperature rose above 90 degrees.

Massapequa varsity baseball coach Tom Sheedy said every moment with his state championship team is “wonderful.” He said as soon as the team was offered a spot in the parade, the players jumped at the opportunity.

“This is their hometown,” he said. “As you walk down, you’ll see the sidewalks were lined [with spectators]. Obviously, this kicks off a day of festivities for them.”

As a Suffolk County resident, Sheedy said it was his first experience at the Independence Day parade in the community where he coaches.

“It’s very cool, hometown-ish. And that’s a nice way to be. That’s a big part of what America is all about.”

The baseball team won its third state title in program history in June, capturing the Class AAA championship.

Ahoy there! Tall ships sail through the city

The parade is in full swing with the crowd watching patriotic behemoths slowly sail up the Hudson.

Relief from the high heat came as the wind carries mist from the ships spraying water.

No place like home was the sentiment Dahjmer Ashley shared as he watched ships float by. Ashley, a Queens native, said this Fourth of July is special as it’s his first one back in New York City after he moved to Georgia when he was 8.

Now 22, Ashley said he’ll brave the heat for the event and everything it brings.

“Seeing the boats on the water, the view, the buildings and everything, you get to see a whole bunch of different stuff,” Ashley said.

Southampton parade starts with a bang of musket fire

The Southampton Fourth of July parade kicked off with shots fired from muskets by Revolutionary War reenactors. Women and girls in Colonial clothing followed closely behind carrying a patchwork-sewn American flag.

A tradition since 1920, today not only marks 106 years of Southampton civic pride, but America’s 250th birthday, which makes the parade extra special for residents.

Cutter Koster grew up in Southampton, and is now raising a family of his own here. Koster’s family owns a fish market right off the parade route.

“Seeing the amount of patriotism that’s happening in this country recognizing the 250th anniversary, it really makes the crowds more excited,” said Koster, 39. “It makes them bigger, and it makes everybody more fired up to participate.”

Koster came to the parade with friends and his family, including his two young boys, whose favorite part of the parade is the fire trucks.

People of all ages are lined up with their lawn chairs on the sidewalks and neighboring grassy areas along the parade route. Jan Kumar has lived in Southampton for the past 28 years, and came 30 minutes before the start of the parade to find a spot on the grass for her chair.

“There are a bunch of school bands, which I love to see the kids,” said Kumar, 76. “There are a lot of marching bands that are just so uplifting.”

Regarding America’s Semiquincentennial, Kumar has mixed feelings.

“I’m happy to celebrate the goodness in our country, but I’m very distressed about the administration and the direction it’s been taking of us culturally and politically,” Kumar said. “So I have mixed feelings this year.”

The Southampton Fourth of July parade is rooted in more than 100 years of history, patriotism and community engagement. The cheering and chanting crowd showed no shortage of patriotism. Some in uniform honored those who have served and are now serving, while a band of bagpipes played “America the Beautiful.”

Remembering the Bicentennial while witnessing the Semiquincentennial

David Italiaander, a Merrick native who now lives in New Jersey, said he attended the country’s 200th Independence Day celebration when he was 26. He watched the parade from a friend’s apartment on the 26th floor of a building right near the water.

“They were on the 26th floor. We had a little party and had an incredible view of everything,” he said. “We were living in the city, so it was just another party — a pretty good party.

He told Newsday he had to make the trek to Manhattan to see the show again this time around.

“The last time it was almost this big … and it was a fantastic show,” he said. “This one should be better. So, even though it’s like 100 [degrees] or whatever it is, I had to come out and see it.”

Italiaander had originally planned to watch the 250th anniversary parade from bleachers on Governors Island. He and his wife had tickets, but that event was called off because of storm damage.

He opted to watch from The Battery instead, but his wife did not join him because she was worried about the heat.

“She thinks I should be too, and I probably should, but … I want to see the flyover,” Italiaander said as he wiped sweat off his head. “By 10, 10:30, I think I should be indoors again — hopefully without heat exhaustion.”

Massapequa preps for annual parade — with Mayor ‘Washington’

Preparations are underway for the start of the Village of Massapequa annual Independence Day parade. Several vehicles from the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage are lined up at the start.

The parade begins on Lakeshore Drive at Walker Street and runs south to Front Street.

Crowds are starting to form along the route on a sweltering morning before the festivities kick off at 10 a.m.

World War II veteran and lifetime member of the Massapequa Fire Department Charles Ruppert, Jr. was serve as honorary grand marshal.

George Washington, or Village Mayor Daniel Pearl, was ready for the start of the parade. He and several other officials are wearing costumes as part of the 250th celebration.

The mayor said the Fourth of July parade was the largest the village hosts and this year a larger contingent of participants was expected, including all the recent varsity state championship teams from Massapequa.

“There is no more patriotic community than the Massapequas,” he said.

It’s already 87 degrees right now

Another scorcher is in store for Independence Day with a high near 97 forecast for Long Island.

It was 80 degrees in Islip at 7:40 a.m. and nearing 90 just before 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

But as Long Islanders head to beaches, parades, barbecues and other celebrations, forecasters said the heat index would make it feel like 105.

An extreme heat warning is in effect for most of Long Island. Parts of the South Shore, including Westhampton and Montauk, are under a heat advisory, according to the weather service.

Saturday is expected to be the “last day of extreme heat,” the weather service said.

Get the full forecast here.

July 4 at 1:28 p.m.

Awaiting the tall ships in The Battery

Scores of people filtered through The Battery trying to get an early look at the Tall Ships before the parade kicked-off.

It was roughly 85 degrees, sunny and muggy at The Battery shortly before 9 a.m. Dozens of police officers were posted throughout the area and an NYPD helicopter made multiple passes overhead.

Albuquerque native Oscar Montes grabbed a spot to watch the parade roughly an hour ahead of time.

Montes and his wife, Natalia, were there to celebrate Independence Day and his birthday, they said.

“Today it’s all about America — and me,” said Montes, who turned 52 on Saturday. “We’re here for the military parade and the tall ships. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tall ship other than on TV. Now we get to see the actual tall ships.”

As of about 8:45 a.m., the couple said the only ships they had seen were a pair of docked tourists ferries that were blocking large portions of the shoreline at The Battery.

Natalia told Newsday, “We’re a little bummed that the [ferries] are in front of us.”

Meanwhile, at Pier 40, a crowd of people set up shop and patiently waited for the fleet of boats to start arriving.

Boats could be seen in the distance, inching their way over as people started to hurry over to the water front.

A military helicopter flying a large American flag passed overhead, flanked by two other military helicopters and one from the NYPD.

The flyover was greeted with brief applause and cheers from those on the ground.

Jeff Cai, an NYU student, waited for the event to kickstart in Pier 40 as this Fourth of July marks his sixth year in America.

Traveling from China for higher education, Cai said he heard about the event online and wanted to check out the holiday festivities.

“Especially here in New York, I’ve seen so many things,” Cai said. “Especially those special events … famous places and different cultures.”

11 things to know today

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Fireworks create air pollution spikes

The air quality is expected to improve Saturday, but the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has advised Long Islanders that fireworks “can result in localized, temporary spikes in air pollution,” especially during the ongoing heat wave.

Due to high ozone levels on Friday, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation deemed the air unsafe for seniors, children, pregnant women and those with respiratory conditions. Saturday’s levels will be considered acceptable, but still pose a moderate risk to sensitive groups.\

DEC commissioner Amanda Lefton recommended that anyone celebrating outdoors monitor the state’s air quality advisories for Saturday and Sunday. That information can be found through AirNow.gov or the State’s Air Quality Hotline at (800) 535-1345.

Nation turns 250 as Long Island kicks off Fourth festivities

On the eve of the nation’s 250th anniversary, communities across Long Island and New York City Friday kicked off a weekend of celebrations.

From a hometown parade in Bethpage, to a maritime procession along the East River and an airshow rehearsal over Jones Beach, semiquincentennial festivities unfolded under sweltering summer heat. On the East End, Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn, who died in Vietnam in January 1969, was reinterred at Calverton National Cemetery during a poignant ceremony.

Bigger events are set for Saturday, including a massive tall ship parade along the Hudson River, fireworks shows and parades and fairs across Long Island. The FourLeaf Airshow at Jones Beach is set for Sunday and Monday.

Read the rest of this story here 

Fourth may bring record heat, NWS says

Long Islanders manning backyard grills Saturday afternoon might feel as roasted as their hamburgers and hot dogs, as the high temperature could tie with — or even surpass — Long Island’s hottest Independence Day on record, forecasters told Newsday late Friday.

The high is forecast to soar to 97 in Islip on Saturday, but just like every other day since the weather service issued an extreme heat warning on Wednesday, it will feel much worse — around 105 — due to the humidity, National Weather service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey told Newsday.

The hottest Independence Days on record — when temps hit 97 degrees in Islip — were measured in 1966 and 2010. The weather service’s climatological records for Islip date back to 1963.

“Right now we’re forecasting that record to tie, so there is a chance that that record could break,” Ramsey said. “We’re forecasting 97 or 98 degrees.”

July 3 at 9:58 p.m.

Tall ships strut their stuff along the East River

On Friday, Class B tall ships from around the world sailed down the East River from Hell Gate Bridge to Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn.

The parade sets the stage for Saturday, when more than 30 tall ships from around the world will sail up the Hudson River from the Verrazzano Bridge to the George Washington Bridge.

Here are a few of the ships that strutted their stuff Friday, to the delight of passengers and shoreside visitors.

Riverhead soldier killed in Vietnam reinterred at Calverton

In a poignant ceremony, a crowd of more than 200 came to honor Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn, a Riverhead native who was killed in action in 1969 in Vietnam.

Friday, Langhorn was reinterred at Calverton National Ceremony. He had been buried at Riverhead National Cemetery since his death.

Langhorn was a radio operator on a mission to recover the bodies of two pilots whose helicopter was shot down by enemy fire. He threw himself on top of a grenade to absorb the blast and protect the other soldiers around him.

Read the story here

Waving from the shoreline at tall ships

Waving passengers standing aboard a schooner floated by.

And Markel Valmana, age 25 and a civil engineer who lives on Lower East Side, waved back.

Valmana, in a tank top, had biked downtown Saturday afternoon and saw the preliminary sailboat show passing between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Growing up, Valmana sailed with his dad and later in college, “and now I’m wishing I had a boat, and eventually, I’ll buy a boat.”

But for now, there are the festivities Friday in the East River and Saturday in the Hudson marking America’s 250’s birthday — with sailboat parades.

Boat after boat passed, including a two-masted gaff schooner with reddish tanbark sails.

“I saw some of the boats that were coming, online. Some of them were super cool,” he said.

Nearby, a traditional wooden cargo sailing vessel, with a narrow, long wooden hull and tall wooden masts, was docked near the South Street Seaport.

“It’s rare that you get to see this one right here,” pointing to a boat docked nearby with a Netherlands flag — the country that founded the company town that would become New York. (

Watching tall ships on Hudson

The Hudson River will host the main parade of ships on Saturday, but 32-year-old Caesar Garcia of the Upper East Side and his fiancée will be traveling, and so they went instead to see the preliminary event, held Friday afternoon on the East River.

Garcia, a software engineer, was near the tip of Manhattan and had seen four of five ships pass, He was hoping to see some of the ships he’d seen online in previews of the show.

“The ships are old and from different countries, so we’re interested and want to see how they look in person,” he said, standing with other spectators.

About 122,000 people were at Jones Beach

About 122,000 people went to Jones Beach on Friday, parks officials said.

Previous previews on the Friday before Memorial Day have ranged between 75,000 to 100,000 visitors.

Some parking lots were full on Friday, but only around half the capacity for the total park.

The Blue Angels roared overhead about 3 p.m. as they concluded the rehearsal of the FourLeaf Airshow, wowing beach goers as they flew at low altitude as top speeds over the water.

As swimmers splashed in the surf and beachgoers lounged in the hot sun, the U.S. Navy A-18E/F Super Hornet jets flew in formation and titled sideways and upside down over the water.

What we know about the suspected shark bite

Jones Beach and state park paramedics treated one person for a suspected shark bite Friday afternoon, a parks official told Newsday.

Lifeguards and paramedics treated the individual at about noon Friday near Jones Beach Field 6, the official said.

State park officials briefly suspended swimming near Field 6 and the Eastern Bathhouse. Swimmers were advised to remain closer to shore at about waist deep.

Read the developing story here.

July 3 at 6:58 p.m.

Is traffic lightening up? Check this live map.

As of 3 p.m., live traffic maps showed lighter traffic to main beaches, but there were still some holdups across the Island.

Waiting for tall ships in NYC: ‘It’s gonna be fun to see’

Scattered along Manhattan’s East River waterfront are spectators waiting for a tall ship parade, which is making its way south from the Hell Gate bridge towards the tip of the island and onward.

Rick Farmer, 59, of Kips Bay, rode the bus and then walked to a shaded spot in the Two Bridges neighborhood. He’s only seen these sort of ships on TV and heard about the event on social media.

“It’s fascinating to see, especially with the bridges in the background — the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge — with kind of old school, I guess, with some of the really tall ships that are 100 or more years old,” said Farmer, who works in commercial real estate finance. “It’s gonna be fun to see.”

He’ll also be going to the main event Saturday, to view from Governors Island: a parade of more and bigger ships.

Beaches? Packed. Traffic? Heavy. Temps? Still rising.

As temperatures continued to climb on Friday, beachgoers at Jones Beach looked upward to see part of the rehearsal for the weekend’s FourLeaf July Fourth fireworks and air show. Organizers delivered 1,776 red, white and blue cupcakes on the boardwalk to mark the Semiquincentennial.

“So we have a great crowd coming in here. So far, not overwhelming. We have a steady crowd,” said George Gorman, state parks regional director for Long Island.

Parking lots remained about half full with large crowds on Jones Beach and the boardwalk.

Overhead, performers flew over the beach doing stunts and skywriting, including drawing a heart.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights and the U.K. Red Devils parachute regiment also jumped onto the beach carrying a 5,000 square-foot American flag.

17 NYS landmarks off Long Island to be illuminated for 250th

Across New York State, 17 landmarks will be illuminated Saturday evening in red, white and blue to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

None of the landmarks are on Long Island.

“America’s fight for independence was shaped by the critical role that New York played in our nation’s founding,” Hochul said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome the tens of thousands of people who will be visiting our state to celebrate this momentous occasion with us, and we look forward to writing the next chapter of our history together.”

The landmarks are:

• 1 World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds — Main Gate & Expo Center
• Niagara Falls
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal — Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• Lake Placid Olympic Center
• MTA LIRR — East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

Mamdani: ‘America is exceptional because here nothing is fixed into place’

Seated at George Washington’s desk at City Hall, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday delivered a speech in which he marked the nation’s 250th anniversary and defended immigrants’ significant role in founding America.

In a 13-minute address, Mamdani decried wealthy and powerful forces who’ve insisted the nation’s earliest new immigrants “were anything but exceptional.”

Mamdani, surrounded by 10 immigrants who recently became naturalized citizens, sharply criticized “oligarchs who buy elections” and a “health insurance industry that exploits the sick.” He condemned masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for “terrorizing our streets, eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in unmarked vans.”

The speech made no mention of President Donald Trump, whose administration has implemented mass deportations as part of a crackdown on those living in the country without legal authorization.

The mayor’s speech appeared to draw parallels between the challenging paths immigrants faced after landing on the shores of America 250 years ago to those arriving today.

“For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best,” the mayor said. “It sent Puritans and Sikhs and Quakers and Muslims and Jewish people who were banished for praying the wrong way, worshiping the wrong Gods, angering the wrong people. It sent peasants and serfs from slums and shtetls who were treated as less because they hardly owned clothes, let alone land.”

But Mamdani, who was born in Kampala, Uganda, argued America’s exceptionalism comes not from its wealth, power or military strength.

“America is exceptional because here nothing is fixed into place,” he said. “The frontier may be closed, we may have walked on the moon, but the work of fulfilling the values first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, that work endures, and it belongs to us all.”

Trump is scheduled to speak from Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on Friday at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

250 years ago, Washington ordered the Declaration to be read aloud for the first time in NYC

In 1776, on the grounds of what is now the New York City Hall complex, Gen. George Washington sat on horseback as his orders were carried out to read the Declaration of Independence aloud in lower Manhattan for the first time.

Later that night, 40 riled-up Colonial soldiers and sailors went to nearby Bowling Green to mutilate a statue of King George III and melt down its gold-gilded lead into munitions to attack the British.

On Friday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a man born in a former British colony, Uganda — sat on the second floor of City Hall at Washington’s desk to deliver an address marking 250 years of America. Looking west out the windows of the room where Mamdani read his speech, you can see where Washington oversaw the Declaration’s reading.

FourLeaf airshow preview roaring in overhead

As crowds packed the boardwalk, a preview of FourLeaf’s airshow was starting in the sky above Jones Beach.

An errant Blue Angel jet zoomed over the beach on Friday morning, seemingly at random. As beachgoers towed wagons and umbrellas, a jumbo C-130 flew above.

Helicopters also conducted a practice search and rescue operation, which will be part of the weekend airshow.

The air show is set to run on Sunday and Monday, though it could face delays or cancellation if rain or cloud cover develops.

From the air show to the fireworks, see what to expect this weekend at Jones Beach here.

‘America’s Block Party’ begins with Times Square ball drop

Live stream coverage of America’s Block Party, a celebration of the country’s 250th birthday, has begun with the first of eight ball drops in Times Square — one for each time zone in the U.S. and its commonwealths and properties across the globe.

At 10 a.m., the Times Square ball dropped as the clock struck midnight on July 4 in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, both American territories. However the stream, which showed residents of Guam counting down from midnight, never actually displayed the ball or its world famous drop.

The ball will drop seven more times in Manhattan through 7 a.m. on Saturday — midnight on Independence Day for American Samoa.

The America 250 show began streaming live from One Times Square with a pre-show at 9:45 a.m. although the site appeared to be glitchy, with the volume shutting off intermittently and videos of Americans discussing their journey and lifestyle stalling at random.

Throughout the day, the stream will feature performances leading up to the Ball Drop at midnight in New York to usher in the United States’ semiquincentennial. However, the red, white and blue ball drop is not visible to the public from the street, as it typically would be on New Year’s Eve.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles will host a benefit show streaming live beginning at 9:30 p.m. EST from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that will feature performances by Chris Stapleton, The Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan and Anthony Ramos, and hosted by Queen Latifah.

Jones Beach starting to fill up

The sand and boardwalk are starting to fill up at Jones Beach.

Traffic heading there on the parkways was light at about 9 a.m. but backed up on Ocean Parkway near the Jones Beach tower and traffic circle.

Parking was still available at most parking fields.

The beach started filling up at 7:30 a.m. with radio stations playing music ahead of the FourLeaf Air Show. Stunt planes and performers including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, planned to rehearse until 3 p.m.

‘Stay in the shade’: Bethpage parade kicks off in sweltering heat

“Stay in the shade, you’re in a good spot,” said the driver of one of the vintage cars in the parade to a group set up on the sidewalk for Bethpage’s parade marking the 250th.

While Friday was a day of celebration, it was also one of extreme heat.

Parade organizers handed out water bottles and onlookers gathered in shady areas to beat the heat on a day where temperatures are expected to break into the triple digits. Some children in the parade threw water balloons at residents watching from the sidewalk to help them keep cool.

Earlier, Greg Patsos, commissioner of the Bethpage Fire Department and an organizer of Friday’s America 250 parade, said hundreds of marchers are expected to make their way from Bethpage High School down flag-lined streets for the celebration.

Classic car clubs, vehicles from the Museum of American Armor and multiple fire departments will take part in the procession, which will eventually wend down Broadway, where a street fair is set to be held.

“It’s 250 years of the country,” Patsos said at the staging area of the parade on Cherry Avenue. “We’re very proud, we’re very patriotic in this town.”

Dave Schneider, superintendent of the Bethpage School District and an organizer of the event, said the parade committee urged people to wear sunscreen, hydrate and stay out of the sun for prolonged periods.

Ilze Pelkaus, of Bethpage, said she was taking precautions and making sure she hydrated during the parade.

“I’m an old lady, but I’m hanging in,” she said.

Pelkaus was worried about how hot it would get but said she was glad the parade started early.

“It’s like 90 degrees, and the humidity, you gotta be careful for heat stroke,” Pelkaus said.

Lenard Mulqueen, the parade’s grand marshal and a lifelong Bethpage resident, said he is representing the behind-the-scenes members of the community who don’t often get recognition.

The parade will serve an important moment of reflection, he said.

“We live in the greatest, most charitable country on the world,” said Mulqueen, 83. “You gotta be proud of that.”

Maritza Lopez and her daughter, 6-year-old Cassandra, both of Bethpage, were braving the hot Friday morning with water bottles stuffed in a cooler bag.

Cassandra, a member of Girls Scout Troop 3137, is one of the marchers in Saturday’s parade.

“It’s a special day for America,” said Maritza Lopez. “We get to celebrate more than usual.”

Driving a modified ATV that looks like a miniature tank, George Morrish, a volunteer with the Museum of American Armor, said he sees the American anniversary as an opportunity to build a sense of unity.

“I think it’s important that we get back to the way things used to be, at least as far as, we have have our differences, but coming together,” Morrish said.