Long Islanders celebrate eve of July 4th with celebrations in sweltering heat

On the eve of the nation's 250th anniversary, communities across Long Island and New York City Friday kicked off a weekend of celebrations.

From a hometown parade in Bethpage, to a maritime procession along the East River and an airshow rehearsal over Jones Beach, semiquincentennial festivities unfolded under sweltering summer heat. On the East End, Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn, who died in Vietnam in January 1969, was reinterred at Calverton National Cemetery during a poignant ceremony.

Bigger events are set for Saturday, including a massive tall ship parade along the Hudson River, fireworks shows and parades and fairs across Long Island. The FourLeaf Airshow at Jones Beach is set for Sunday and Monday.

Hundreds of marchers stepped off from Bethpage High School in a parade that wound through flag-lined streets before heading toward Broadway, where a street fair followed. The procession featured classic cars, fire engines and military-style vehicles from the Museum of American Armor.

“It’s 250 years of the country,” said Greg Patsos, commissioner of the Bethpage Fire Department and one of the event’s organizers. “We’re very proud, we’re very patriotic in this town.”

Lenard Mulqueen, 83, a lifelong resident who was the parade's grand marshal, said the celebration is an important moment of reflection.

“We live in the greatest, most charitable country in the world,” Mulqueen said. “You gotta be proud of that.”

Families lined the parade route early, enduring temperatures that climbed past 90 degrees by midmorning. The high recorded in Islip on Friday was 96 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to soar not quite as high on Saturday, but still into the low 90s.

Organizers handed out water bottles as spectators clustered in the shade, and some children in the parade tossed water balloons to help cool off the crowd.

“It’s a special day for America,” said Maritza Lopez, whose 6-year-old daughter, Cassandra, marched in the parade as a Girl Scout. “We get to celebrate more than usual.”

Sky show

On Long Island’s South Shore, more than 100,000 people visited Jones Beach State Park while military and international performers rehearsed for the annual airshow, now in its 22nd year. The event is scheduled to kick off 10 a.m. Sunday and Monday, though it could face delays or cancellation if rain or cloud cover develops.

A 25-minute fireworks display at Jones Beach is set for Saturday at 9:30 p.m.

Planes streaked overhead performing stunts and skywriting, while parachute teams — including the U.S. Army Golden Knights and the U.K.’s Red Devils — descended onto the sand carrying a massive American flag. Organizers handed out 1,776 red, white and blue cupcakes on the boardwalk to mark the milestone anniversary. 

The rehearsal concluded with the roar of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, whose fighter jets flew low over the ocean and beach in tight formation. Adding to a dramatic day — nearby at Jones Beach's Field 6, a man was bitten by what officials say was likely a shark.

Boat parade prep

Along Manhattan’s East River, spectators gathered on the waterfront to catch the preview of Sail4th 250, a parade of tall ships from across the world making its way into New York Harbor.

The grand parade will kick off at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and sail down the Hudson River. The boats, some of which are more than a century old, will be on display in piers along New York Harbor between July 5-7.

Markel Valmana, 25, a civil engineer who lives on the Lower East Side, biked downtown and stopped to watch schooners sail between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

“I saw some of the boats that were coming online. Some of them were super cool,” he said.

Nearby, a ship docked at the South Street Seaport drew crowds, including one flying the flag of the Netherlands — the country whose people founded the company town that would become New York.

In Times Square, the festivities took on global significance. Eight ceremonial ball drops marked midnight across U.S. territories and time zones. The initial drop coincided with Independence Day in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, part of a livestreamed event leading up to a final midnight celebration in New York. However, the red, white and blue ball drop could not be seen from the street, as is the case on New Year's Eve.