Unbowed by smoke, Long Island preps for a long July Fourth weekend

Lingering wildfire smoke and threatening storm clouds, both forecast at the start of an elongated July Fourth weekend, had, as of late Thursday, failed to force any changes for Long Islanders looking to a pair of more welcome combustibles: barbecues and fireworks.

It remained unclear late Thursday whether the haze and smoke from the Canada wildfires would move on by Saturday, there is a 30% chance of showers, increasing to 60% by Monday night. The likelihood of rain drops Tuesday.

Between Friday night and continuing through the Fourth of July, an arsenal of pyrotechnics will light up the night skies from the East End to Nassau.

Festivals, featuring rides, food, car shows and even craft beers, will come to life in places like East Northport and Riverhead. In Old Bethpage, they'll party like its 1862, with mid-19th Century music and costumes.

Out at the Riverhead Raceway, the Friday night before the 4th of July means NASCAR-sanctioned races.

And, over the next five days, pet owners will deal with animals frightened by it all.

Or, put another way, it's a Long Island July Fourth weekend.

At Jones Beach State Park, 5,000 fireworks shells, launched off a barge 2,000 feet offshore from the Central Mall, will burst in colorful displays above thousands on the sand or in the parking lots Tuesday night.

“We are set,” said George Gorman, regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Traffic control is a key component of coordinating the event, Gorman said. Last year, an estimated 153,000 people turned out. Those devising the traffic management plan take into account visitor behavior, Gorman said.

Some families spend the day at the beach and head home before dark, he said. Some spend the day at the beach and stay for the fireworks. A third group shows up just for the fireworks show.

“We expect traffic to flow nicely into Jones Beach,” Gorman said.

A $10 parking fee will remain in effect until fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. he said.

Cats, dogs and horses will probably react to all the holiday noise as their ancestors most likely did on the country's first birthday — not well.

 At Babylon Animal Hospital, receptionist Tara Smith typically handles an influx of requests for sedative medications as the weekend full of fireworks approaches. 

“A lot of animals, they really, really freak out with it, it’s horrible,” she said. “Especially if it’s in a busy firework area, it’s just terrible, it gives them such anxiety.”

The need to comfort animals will start in full Friday night.

In Riverhead, a festival on Main Street will include five music stages, carnival rides and fireworks. At the Nassau Coliseum, the Empire State Fair continues through Tuesday. Fireworks are scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday nights in the parking lot.

On Saturday, options include fireworks at the St. Anthony's Family Feast and Festival at Trinity Regional School in East Northport and TD Bank's Celebrate America Fireworks at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. Fireworks displays will also follow Long Island Ducks games this weekend.

For those looking to get out but avoid all the fireworks bursting in air, Gorman said to get an early start. At Sunken Meadow State Park, traffic Tuesday will be diverted to Heckscher State Park once the former is filled to capacity, he said.

Fireworks are not a factor at Sunken Meadow — they are not visible from there — but picnic areas for barbecuing and proximity to Long Island Sound draw big holiday crowds.

“If you haven’t left to get there by 11:00 in the morning,” he said, “you will probably not be able to get in. If the weather is nice.”