A friend who lives at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side said she was already making plans to exit for the 4th of July — her neighborhood goes bonkers then. So I figured it was a good time for an update since we will have some of that action here as well.

July 4th is also a Saturday this year, so that means double the fun. Sunset is at 8:30. (In 1776 it was at 7:30, so I guess that was pre daylight savings!)

MACY’S FIREWORKS
The Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks are planned for the East River again this year. Tribecan Telly Hatzigeorgiou runs an super fun (paid) viewing program at the Downtown Skyport at 6 East River Piers — I did that last year and it was just right — easy viewing, not crowded, good access to food and drink (and bathrooms). See that information here.

SAIL4TH 250
For those of you who remember OpSail in 1976, this is the same idea. Billed as the largest international maritime gathering in modern American history, the event will feature 60 international tall ships from more than 20 nations, 40+ allied and U.S. naval vessels, a British aircraft carrier, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, and over 100 aircraft led by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

The seven-day celebration, running from July 3 to 9, is intended to surpass all previous Operation Sail events (1964, 1976, 1986, 1992, 2000, 2012) in scale and scope. They are expecting 8 million spectators.

Here’s the schedule:
July 3
Parade of 25 Class B Tall Ships sailing down the East River from Long Island Sound to anchorages in Gravesend Bay (off Brooklyn), ending at the Statue of Liberty; Class A Tall Ships start to arrive in New York Harbor.

July 4
Parade of Sail: More than 20 majestic Class A Tall Ships (vessels ranging from 340 to 371 feet in length). They will sail under the Verrazzano Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge, before they navigate to their respective berthing locations.

International Naval Review 250: 40+ allied and U.S. naval vessels participate — only the seventh international naval review in U.S. history and the fourth in NYC.

International Aerial Review: More than 100 allied and U.S. aircraft, led by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels

July 5-8
Free public access to international tall ships berthed at multiple locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey. (Stepping aboard is equivalent to stepping on foreign soil — though no passport required.)
Food festivals and cultural events throughout the region
A planned exhibition of rare 18th-century historical documents
July 6: NYC “Homecoming of Heroes” NYC-hosted ticker tape parade honoring post-9/11 combat veterans and first responders

July 9
Class A Tall Ships depart to Boston and they will eventually make it to New Orleans, Norfolk and Baltimore.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
President John F. Kennedy was a key supporter of Operation Sail, the predecessor organization to Sail4th 250. In 1961, he officially endorsed the non-profit OpSail, Inc. to “promote international friendship, maritime heritage, and support for sail training through spectacular gatherings of the world’s tall ships.” Kennedy’s deep love for sailing and belief in its power to unite nations positioned him as the visionary behind the inaugural event, even though he was assassinated before he could see it come to fruition.