Jones Beach July 4 fireworks 2024: What to know
Crowds gather to watch Fourth of July Fireworks explode over Jones Beach State Park. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Fireworks inspired by “Barbie,” Beyoncé and Taylor Swift will highlight a 25-minute pyrotechnics display that will paint the night sky with whimsical candy-colored patterns and floral designs this Fourth of July at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh.
New for this year’s show — comprised of 5,000 shells launched from a barge 2,000 feet off shore — are “pink and aqua” effects dancing across the sky to Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” from the “Barbie” movie, says Chris Santore, production manager and choreographer for New Jersey-based Garden State Fireworks.
Beyoncé fans should watch the skies for “ghost rings,” a fireworks effect Santore describes as “a circle that ignites across the sky,” in a segment set to the singer's chart-topping “Texas Hold 'em.” And Swifties should keep their eyes peeled for “a really cool cracking flower section,” timed to the bridge in Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.”
Patriotism will be on display as well, with rockets glaring to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” Just before the finale, “massive golden weeping willow fireworks” illustrate Whitney Huston’s stirring version of “America the Beautiful,” Santore says.
WHAT TO KNOW
- The annual Jovia Financial Credit Union Fireworks Spectacular blasts off at 9:30 p.m. on July 4 at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh.
- The fireworks are included in parking admission, $10 per car.
- You can watch the show from other vantage points.
The “high energy, super intense” finale features rapid-fire firecrackers choreographed to John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Radio stations WALK 97.5 FM and KJOY-98.3 FM will simulcast music during the fireworks presentation.
New this Fourth of July: “It’s going to be a fun day highlighting the 100th anniversary of New York State parks,” says George Gorman, Long Island regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Beginning at noon July 4, the boardwalk will be hopping with live musical entertainment and children’s performers. History buffs can browse booths set up along the boardwalk highlighting the history of New York State parks, covering each decade from the 1920s through the 2020s. Gorman says the park will stay open after the fireworks for spectators to enjoy the late night activities.
Here's all you need to know about the many ways to see the fireworks spectacular:
Take the bus to the Jones Beach fireworks show
On July 4, NICE (Nassau Inter-County Express) will be running buses to Jones Beach State Park on a regular weekend schedule. Beach-bound buses will leave every half-hour beginning at 8:28 a.m. from the Freeport Long Island Rail Road station and from the Hempstead Rosa Parks Transit Center in Hempstead Village. NICE will add buses throughout the day and evening if needed. Post-show return trips to Freeport and Hempstead will begin at the park’s West Bathhouse — and buses will return to the bathhouse until all passengers are picked up. More information is available at nicebus.com/Passenger-Information/Jones-Beach.
Watch the Jones Beach fireworks show on a boat
Get into the patriotic spirit with a drink in hand on a Fourth of July fireworks cruise. Choose from 10 Captree Fleet boats offering fireworks cruises through the scenic New York State Channel to a water view of the sky spectacular. Coffee, cookies and other snacks will be served on the return trip. Boats leave at 6:30 and 7 p.m. from Captree State Park, 3500 Ocean Pkwy., Babylon. Boarding begins a half hour before departure. (631-669-6464, captreefleet.com, $65).
Freeport Water Taxi & Tours' 44-foot, 28-passenger American Yacht catamaran leaves at 8 p.m. for a two-hour cruise with a cash bar and specialty drinks (Jones Beach Brewing Co. blonde ale, Fisher Island Lemonade, coconut coladas, margaritas and more.) Board at 211 Woodcleft Ave., Freeport; $65 for passengers ages 11 and up, $45 for children ages 5 to 10, reservations required, 516-521-7744, freeportwatertaxi.com.
The Capt. Lou Fleet offers July 4 fireworks cruises, also leaving from the Freeport Nautical Mile. Dance to DJ music and enjoy a cash bar aboard The Captain Lou VIl, an 85-foot cruiser with a covered upper deck, climate controlled cabin and galley, or the Atlantic Pearl, which features an open upper level and a climate controlled cabin ($65). Or take a dinner cruise on The Starstream VIII, a 100-foot super-cruiser ($95). Board at 7:30 p.m. for 8 p.m. departure at 31 Woodcleft Ave., Freeport. Reservations are required and can be made at 516-623-5823 or at captloufleet.com.
Dine at a historic site during the show
Watch the night sky light up from a seat at Gatsby on the Ocean, the restaurant and catering facility on the second floor of Jones Beach’s historic Art Deco West Bath House. The ballroom and the dining areas on the building’s terraces offer ocean views and will be open throughout the fireworks show, with baked clams, burgers, lobster rolls, salads and more on the menu. No reservations are required. (516-785-0012; gatsbyontheocean.com).
Watch the Jones Beach fireworks show from another park
See the fireworks from a different viewpoint on the pier and long shoreline at Wantagh Park (1 King Road, Wantagh, 516-571-7460) or at nearby Cedar Creek Park (3340 Merrick Rd., Seaford, 516-571-7470). Admission is free with proof of Nassau County residence; nonresidents pay a $10 parking fee. Nassau County residents with a Leisure Pass can see the show at the county’s Nickerson Beach Park, located on Long Beach west of Jones Beach. Parking costs $15. Nonresidents pay a $37 parking fee. (880 Lido Blvd., Lido Beach, 516-571-7700).