The Macy’s fireworks from the Downtown Heliport were pretty spectacular — the barges were right there in front of us and the show lasted a good 30 minutes. The best part? The docked ferries sounding their horns in approval after each round. And I heard through some folks that next year — 2026, the nation’s 250th anniversary — is going to be even bigger. The plan is to have barges along both the East River and the Hudson, so around the horn for double the show.

Add to that Sail4th 250, what organizers are billing as “the largest international maritime gathering in modern American history.” The gathering of tall ships from around the world will take place from July 3 to 8, with parades on July 3 and 4 with 30 Class A and 30 Class B international tall ships, 40 gray-hull vessels, a British aircraft carrier, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, and an International Naval Review.

But wait, there’s more! It’s also the FIFA World Cup! The matches start on June 11 and games take place all across the US, Mexico and Canada; on July 5 the round of 16 will be taking place at the Meadowlands in MetLife Stadium, which for FIFA purposes they are renaming the New York New Jersey Stadium, just to make things a little more confusing.