Awaiting the tall ships in The Battery

Scores of people filtered through The Battery trying to get an early look at the Tall Ships before the parade kicked-off.

It was roughly 85 degrees, sunny and muggy at The Battery shortly before 9 a.m. Dozens of police officers were posted throughout the area and an NYPD helicopter made multiple passes overhead.

Albuquerque native Oscar Montes grabbed a spot to watch the parade roughly an hour ahead of time.

Montes and his wife, Natalia, were there to celebrate Independence Day and his birthday, they said.

"Today it's all about America — and me," said Montes, who turned 52 on Saturday. "We're here for the military parade and the tall ships. I don't think I've ever seen a tall ship other than on TV. Now we get to see the actual tall ships."

As of about 8:45 a.m., the couple said the only ships they had seen were a pair of docked tourists ferries that were blocking large portions of the shoreline at The Battery.

Natalia told Newsday, "We're a little bummed that the [ferries] are in front of us."

Meanwhile, at Pier 40, a crowd of people set up shop and patiently waited for the fleet of boats to start arriving.

Boats could be seen in the distance, inching their way over as people started to hurry over to the water front.

A military helicopter flying a large American flag passed overhead, flanked by two other military helicopters and one from the NYPD.

The flyover was greeted with brief applause and cheers from those on the ground.

Jeff Cai, an NYU student, waited for the event to kickstart in Pier 40 as this Fourth of July marks his sixth year in America.

Traveling from China for higher education, Cai said he heard about the event online and wanted to check out the holiday festivities.

"Especially here in New York, I've seen so many things," Cai said. "Especially those special events ... famous places and different cultures."