Nassau July 4th fireworks show held after postponement

Thousands of people watched Nassau County’s 14th annual Fourth of July fireworks show Sunday night at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow after weather conditions canceled the festivities the night before.

Many staked out early spots for prime views at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater hours before the show started. Children roamed around playing Twister, blowing bubbles and playing catch.

Nassau County police said the event historically draws more than 20,000 people inside the park and an additional 10,000 at outside venues such as Nassau Community College.

The show was sponsored and presented by the county, Bellport-based Fireworks by Grucci and TD Bank.

Sitting in blue deck chairs, Lori and Keith Siebner of Bethpage said their kids had gone elsewhere for the fireworks, but they were enjoying the evening.

“It’s a beautiful night; we decided to come out,” Lori Siebner, 53, said. “There’s no other country like this.”

Guy and Irene Scala of Oceanside brought their three children — ages 2 months, 8 and 10 — to the event. The couple said Eisenhower Park was one of the best locations to see fireworks.

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The family said they enjoyed the waterfront setting and upbeat music, even though the baby slept through most of the show.

Many in the crowd were prepared with picnic snacks as they listened to classic-rock cover bands before the fireworks. Juliette Tamar, 34, of Uniondale arrived four hours early with her family, toting a feast of fried chicken, stewed peas and watermelon.

“We come every year, for the kids,” she said. “We cooked it all last night.”

Bernard Rebuffel, 29, of Brooklyn, said this was his first time attending Nassau’s fireworks show.

“Celebrating America is a meaningful thing to me,” he said. “People talk about barbecues and parties, but we should also remember the history.”

People lined up in droves for the ice cream trucks and other cold snacks in the balmy weather as kids danced to “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”

Andrew Hinds, 23, an ice cream seller, said it was one of the biggest sale days for the Good Humor ice cream trucks stationed at the event. He said he had already sold out of SpongeBob pops by 7:15 p.m.