Long Island Prepares for Dazzling July 4th Fireworks Show

Wantagh, New York — The skies over Long Island will light up with fireworks Friday night as thousands of locals head to Jones Beach for the annual July 4th celebration. State parks across the region are also hosting various festivities to mark the holiday.

By 4 p.m., state officials reported that Long Island’s parks had reached ‘turnaround’ capacity, indicating more vehicles were leaving than arriving. “We started managing traffic around 9 a.m., which is extremely early for us,” said George Gorman, regional director for the state parks department. At Robert Moses State Park, the crowds swelled, reaching 97% capacity by late afternoon.

Orient Beach State Park and Hempstead Lake State Park were filled to capacity, using overflow parking to accommodate large numbers of visitors. Kings Park experienced lighter traffic, with only 74% capacity reached by 4 p.m., as reported by Gorman.

Jones Beach State Park, a popular destination for the fireworks show, reported a capacity of 71% prior to the evening event. Officers from New York State Police Troop L stated that all roads on the island remained clear, and there were no incidents.

Gorman noted that while the weather is ideal, he doubts attendance will break any historical records, stating, “In the 1970s and 80s, we used to not close when we filled to capacity. We can’t do that again as it wasn’t a good experience for visitors.”

The Jovia Financial Credit Union Fireworks Spectacular is set to begin at 9:30 p.m. and will feature a variety of patriotic songs and modern tunes. The event includes a $10 parking fee and will be paired with live music broadcasting on WALK 97.5 FM and KJOY 98.3 FM.

From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., guests can engage with costumed characters like those from Beauty and the Beast and Spiderman. A live band will perform starting at 8 p.m. until the fireworks show, with an additional set following the display.

During the daytime, visitors can enjoy the lively boardwalk scene, including a green screen photo booth that offers patriotic and summer-themed backdrops.