No fireworks on Fourth of July at Jones Beach, parks department says

There will be no Independence Day fireworks at Jones Beach State Park this summer, the state parks department said Saturday, because the celebration is just too popular to follow social distancing.

The event — just like the air show on Memorial Day weekend, also canceled this year — is one of the most popular on Long Island, drawing enormous crowds.

To stem the pandemic, the parks department is limiting the number of cars that are allowed to park at Jones Beach to half the usual number, and the same holds true for other popular features including picnic tables.

While the July Fourth fireworks had lost the sponsor — Sterling National Bank — the parks department has heard from other companies interested in the 2021 celebration.

The parks department posted a notice announcing the cancellation on its website: "Due to social distancing measures in place and the large crowds the event typically attracts, it is not feasible to hold the Fourth of July Fireworks display this summer. We look forward to resuming the event next year."