Although Macy’s decided to move its fireworks back to the East River this year, residents of Hudson County have other options including an all-day entertainment spectacular scheduled to take place in Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Secaucus, Bayonne, and Union City are also running events on different days this coming week, and the Meadowlands Fair will host fireworks for two nights.
Read on for a rundown of those celebrations.
Secaucus and other towns
Secaucus has an event on Wednesday that’s open only to residents.
The band Alotta Colada will perform at 4 p.m. on July 2 at the town pool. The event is free to all town residents and their guests. Rides, food and refreshments will be available. Fireworks will take place after dark.
Union City will not hold fireworks, but has events planned for residents on Wednesday evening, July 2, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
On Palisade Avenue, from Ninth to 15th streets, they will host live music, activities for children, and free hot dogs and soda. Free transportation will be provided starting at 5:30 p.m. from nine stops in other areas of town.
In Bayonne, the holiday will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 1, as part of the inauguration of the new mayor, James Davis. The festivities will take place on the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park, beginning at 7p.m., weather permitting. The park is located between Avenue A and Newark Bay.
John Christian and Soiree will provide musical entertainment from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The musicians cover popular music from the 1940s to the present. The band will play at the municipal amphitheater, which is located at the southwestern corner of the lower level of the park, near Newark Bay.
The City will offer free children’s inflatable rides from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m and fireworks start at 9:45.
Liberty State Park
Rated 29th by WalletHub Report: 2014’s Best & Worst Cities for 4th of July Celebrations, Jersey City intends to fill in the gap left by the Macy’s by holding its own fireworks for the first time since 2008.
The rating is based on location, nearby accommodations and local quality eateries in the area surrounding the fireworks event. Jersey City was ranked first in the cities reviewed for the most food services per capita and third for most arts, entertainment, and recreation establishments.
Through support from Suntex Marinas, Budweiser, and Fox & Friends, along with a strong assist from the State of New Jersey and the superintendent of Liberty State Park, this year Jersey City will host the Freedom and Fireworks Festival, a free concert followed by a large fireworks display in honor of the 4th of July. The festival will also feature a Taste of Jersey City with food offered by local establishments, children’s rides, and local musicians. The event will run from noon to 9 p.m.
The all-day event will start with a festival that includes food trucks, vendors, carnival rides, games, live music, a Budweiser beer garden, the Budweiser Clydesdale Show, and more.
For Budweiser the event will conclude a national campaign to raise money for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides assistance to the families of military personnel killed or wounded in service. The nonprofit organization also gives scholarships to children and spouses of fallen soldiers. The fireworks are being done by the famous Grucci family. The full cost of the show will be paid by corporate sponsors.
“This will be the largest display in New Jersey,” said Mayor Steven Fulop.
Fox News Channel’s morning show, “Fox and Friends” is apparently planning to broadcast from some of the events.
This will be the first time Jersey City has held a fireworks show since Macy’s moved their show to the Hudson River in 2009. In the past, Jersey City paid as much as $150,000 to hold their show. This year the city pays nothing.
At the Meadowlands fair
The State Fair Meadowlands, next to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, will shoot off fireworks on July 3 and 4 from 10:30 p.m. onwards. This year’s fireworks will be put on by Garden State Fireworks, a company run by the Santore family of New Jersey for over 100 years.
For more information see www.njfair.com.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.