'It's a beautiful thing': Crowds gathering on Jones Beach for fireworks show

As the sun begins to set over Long Island, crowds of people have begun to gather on Jones Beach and the boardwalk ahead of the fireworks show scheduled to begin about 9:30.

Chris Dimatteo, 37, of Queens Village, brought his children to the beach for the fireworks display to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities. He opted to bring his family to the beach later in the day when the weather got cooler.

“It’s exciting to see, and you don’t get to see it in person like this, the way it’s gonna be tonight,” Dimatteo said.

Dimatteo said that the Fourth of July is a significant holiday to him as both he and his wife, Joanlee, come from a family of immigrants. Dimatteo’s family immigrated to the United States from Puerto Rico and Italy. His wife’s family immigrated from Colombia.

“We all came over here one time or another, and we’ve all come together as one big unit to create the United States,” Dimatteo said. “I think it’s a beautiful thing.”