Thousands gather for Bay Shore fireworks

Winding up a holiday weekend that offered a mixed bag of weather, tens of thousands of Long Islanders streamed to beaches and parks Monday and then gathered in the evening under overcast skies for Independence Day fireworks displays.

After an ideal Saturday and bleak Sunday that put a damper on outdoor activities, Monday morning's fog and clouds didn't keep people at home, and they were rewarded by midday sunshine.

The entrance to Sunken Meadow State Park was closed for almost two hours in the afternoon after more than 25,000 people packed the facility. And there were large crowds at South Shore beach parks. State parks officials said 108,000 people came to Jones Beach and 39,000 to Robert Moses.

Monday night, traffic slowed to a crawl and parking was scarce in Bay Shore as thousands arrived to view the second annual Go 4th on the Bay Fireworks display.

Showtime was not until 9:30 p.m., but people flocked to Bay Shore Marina hours earlier, filling the beach and boardwalk. Many decided to attend after learning that Jones Beach had canceled its fireworks show for the second year in a row.

"It's local and it's free -- why not?" said Debby Melgar, 25, of Brentwood.

Ronnie and Elizabeth Allen, who have lived in Bay Shore for 48 years, said they visit the marina every Fourth of July to stroll. But this year was different with the Go 4th on the Bay Fireworks relocated to the hamlet from Fire Island.

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"We've never seen so much excitement down here," Elizabeth Allen said. "There's always been a lot of people, but this is much bigger."