As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday on the 4th of July this Saturday, several places across Queens are preparing to host events to mark the milestone celebration.
From historical exhibitions to rooftop parties and from cultural performances to guided tours, there are plenty of events taking place across the borough this weekend and beyond to entice people of all ages.
Here are some of the more noteworthy 4th of July and America 250 events taking place across Queens in July.
July 4 from 12-5 p.m. at Black Spectrum Theater at Roy Wilkins Park (177-01 Baisley Blvd.)
This free, family-friendly event honors America’s semiquincentennial with historical re-enactments, live music and complimentary food.
The 425-seater theater is open to residents, families, community organizations, churches, youth groups and local businesses for a day of civic education, cultural expression and intergenerational engagement.
Summer at the Library America 250 History Series
Queens Public Library branches across Queens are hosting dozens of events and exhibitions to celebrate America’s 250th birthday throughout the month of July, from historical exhibitions aimed at adults to arts and crafts events for kids.
From an exhibition on the American flag for kids aged 6-11 at Elmhurst Library on July 2 to an exhibition for teens on the evolution of New York City at Ridgewood Library on July 7, there are countless events spread throughout Queens celebrating the semiquincentennial. See here for a comprehensive list.
July 3 from 1-3 p.m. in Astoria Park and the Long Island City waterfront
Astoria Park and the Long Island City waterfront parks of Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Park will offer ideal viewing sites for the arrival of 25 smaller Class B tall ships that will sail down the East River from the Long Island Sound before reaching New York Harbor, from where they will take part in a massive parade on July 4.
50th annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks
July 4 at 9:25 p.m., Long Island City waterfront
A feature of 4th of July celebrations in New York City for half a century, the Macy’s annual 4th of July fireworks display is not unique to the America 250 celebrations. However, the display still remains a central component of the 4th of July celebrations and there are few better places in Queens to catch the pyrotechnics than the LIC waterfront.
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout July at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
From 8-10 p.m. on every weekend night throughout July, NYC Parks and Wheel Fun Rentals will celebrate Independence Day with LED bike rides through several parks across the city, including at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
The initiative invites groups to rent surreys for $29, which will light up red, white and blue as they move through the park. The Queens bike rides start from David Dinkins Circle in Flushing Meadows.
July 4 from3-6 p.m. at the Cunningham Park Community Building
NYC Parks is also bringing America 250 festivities to Fresh Meadows with a 4th of July concert at Cunningham Park in partnership with Friends of Cunningham Park. The three-hour concert will see Utopia Winds perform a variety of patriotic music.
July 15 from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Bayside Historical Society at 208 Totten Ave.
The Bayside Historical Society will mark America’s birthday with an exhibit highlighting the stories of Queens residents whose acts of service and sacrifice helped shape the American story.
The exhibition will feature stories from 1657 until the present day, detailing the work of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring among other fascinating stories. Light refreshments will be served at the event, while the exhibit itself has been open since June 25.
Through July 5 at the Museum of the Moving Image
MoMI is celebrating America’s landmark birthday with an exhibit highlighting films that take on the perspective of the nation’s historically marginalized and less frequently represented on screen.
The exhibition has been running since May 29 and will continue through July 5, presenting films about collective labor, immigrant communities and the disenfranchised, asking what the term “American cinema” means. Featured films in the exhibit include the iconic The Grapes of Wrath and Days of Heaven.
America 250 celebration
July 4 from 6-10 p.m. at The Rockaway Hotel rooftop
The Rockaway Hotel will host its own 4th of July celebration this Saturday, marking America’s semiquincentennial with ocean views, a live DJ, an open bar and 360-degree views of fireworks displays. Tickets are required to enter.