Coney Island's shores are easy to get to, and action packed from the rides to the waves. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
How to Get to Beaches in NYC by Ferry or Train
Watch the Parade of Ships, enjoy boat tours, see special exhibits, take in military band concerts, and more during Fleet Week 2023. Photo courtesy of Fleet Week
Memorial Day Weekend 2023 in NYC: Fleet Week, Day Trips, and More To Do in NYC with Kids
Enjoy the spacious shore and freshwater at Fahenstock State Park's Lake Canopus. Photo courtesy of I Love the Hudson Valley
Best Swimming Lakes near NYC You Need to Discover
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Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide
Get a birds eye view of the skyline from the Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards. Plan a visit near sundown to watch the city lights come to life. Photo by Jody Mercier
3 Days in NYC with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom
Enjoy a wild visit to the Philadelphia Zoo during a weekend getaway to the City of Brotherly Love. Photo courtesy of the zoo
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Climb on platforms dangling from ropes at Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier
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Watch your kite soar above the Manhattan skyline at the Waterfront Kite Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo by Etienne Frossard
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Enjoy the pageantry and patriotic celebrations when Fleet Week returns for Memorial Day weekend in NYC. Photo courtesy of Fleet Week New York
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Relax in the serene garden at the Noguchi Museum during its free Community Day. Photo by Jody Mercier
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Here's the NYC Public School Calendar for 2022-2023
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53 Things To Do on an NYC Staycation with Kids
Get a Broadway-caliber serenade during a birthday dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner.
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The Brooklyn Children's Museum offers three floors of rotating and permanent interactive exhibits perfect for warding off the rainy day blues. Photo courtesy of BCM
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& Juliet turns Shakespeare's classic tale on its head with plenty of girl power. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy
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Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier
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4th of July Weekend in NYC: Fireworks, Festivals, and More Things To Do with Kids

Get an up-close view of the fireworks courtesy of the 34th Street Helipad's Front Row Fireworks celebration complete with live music, food, beverages, and great views of the Macy's fireworks. Photo courtesy of the event
Get an up-close view of the fireworks courtesy of the 34th Street Helipad's Front Row Fireworks celebration complete with live music, food, beverages, and great views of the Macy's fireworks. Photo courtesy of the event
6/29/22 - By Drew Kristofik

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this 4th of July weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long holiday weekend.

We've got the 411 for the big Macy's 4th of July fireworks show plus other fireworks displays from Staten Island to Coney Island. When we're not oohing and ahhing at night sky spectacles, we're planning to blast off to the New York Hall of Science's Rocket Park mini golf opening, wear paper hearts on our sleeves at Playscape's latest puppet performance, and skip off to see the Wizard at the Sheen's El Otro Oz. And, of course, we've got a picnic basket and a big, lightweight blanket parked by the door for all the upcoming FREE outdoor flicks.

Beat summer's heat with a visit to our favorite FREE swimming pools or hit up a local splash pad or sprinkler park. Find more seasonal picks in our packed Guide to Summer Fun in NYC and our Family Activity Calendar.

More Things To Do in New York City this Week with Kids

Be sure to click through to each listing for all the details, including recommended ages and time. Check with each venue for COVID guidelines before heading out to any event.

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Celebrate Independence Day all weekend with old-fashioned family fun at Historic Richmond Town. Photo courtesy of Historic Richmond Town
Celebrate Independence Day all weekend with old-fashioned family fun at Historic Richmond Town. Photo courtesy of Historic Richmond Town

4th of July Fireworks & Festivals in NYC This Weekend

Fort Hamilton Independence Day Fireworks

Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn
Friday, July 1
Fort Hamilton gets a jump on the July 4 festivities by holding its fireworks extravaganza three days early. Food trucks and live music proliferate around the beautiful lawn at USAG Fort Hamilton. READ MORE

Richmond Town Independence Day Celebration

Richmond, Staten Island
Saturday, July 2-Monday, July 4
Celebrate our nation’s independence with old-fashioned family fun! Visit Historic Richmond Town on July 4 for home-churned ice cream, a patriotic pinwheel parade, and an inspirational reading of the Declaration of Independence. READ MORE

Nathan’s Famous 4th of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest 2023

Coney Island, Brooklyn–FREE
Monday, July 4
Yes, once again, you can watch people stuff hot dogs into their mouths with mind-boggling velocity. Hearty eaters compete to see who can chow down on the most franks at this classic NYC summer event. READ MORE

Fourth of July at the New-York Historical Society

Upper West Side
Monday, July 4
Celebrate Independence Day with crafts, stories, and history exploration at the New-York Historical Society. READ MORE

Travis Parade

Rossville, Staten Island–FREE
Monday, July 4
Travis hosts one of the oldest consecutive Independence Day celebrations in the United States. The festivities start at noon with a ceremony at Independence Park (corner of Victory and Glenn Street). READ MORE

4th of July Fireworks on Coney Island

Coney Island, Brooklyn–FREE
Monday, July 4
Coney Island's iconic 4th of July fireworks return for 2023! Bring the family, a blanket, and a picnic to watch the fireworks dazzle over the Atlantic. READ MORE

Empire Outlets' 4th of July Fireworks

St. George, Staten Island–FREE
Monday, July 4
Empire Outlets hosts a celebratory block party with face painting, balloon animals, stilt walkers, and a fireworks show capping off the fun at 9:15pm. READ MORE

Fireworks and Back to the Future

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Monday, July 4
Snag a perfect view of the Macy's fireworks at Skyline Cinema. It's a seats-only evening (no cars), so there's nothing to block the view. Bring your own chair or blanket and a picnic, and stick around after the fireworks for a screening of Back to the Future! READ MORE

Front Row Fireworks

Kips Bay
Monday, July 4
This July 4th celebration is complete with live music, barbecue and beverages, and great views of Macy's 4th of July fireworks. Enjoy balloon artists and face painters, as well as life-size versions of Jenga, chess, and pingpong while you wait for the main event. READ MORE

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks

Over the East River–FREE
Monday, July 4
The 47th annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks sparkle over the East River, in a dazzling display featuring nearly 50,000 shells lighting up the night sky and launched from five barges set out between East 23rd and East 42nd Streets. READ MORE
Nothing says summer quite like a movie under the stars in the heart of NYC at Bryant Park's Movies Under the Stars. Photo by Angelito Jusay
Nothing says summer quite like a movie under the stars in the heart of NYC at Bryant Park's Movies Under the Stars. Photo by Angelito Jusay

More Fun Things To Do in NYC this Weekend

El Otro Oz

Greenwich Village–FREE
Thursday, June 30
Click your heels together tres veces and take a transformative journey via a salsa-, merengue-, and Mexican folk-infused musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz, Theater Works USA's summer show. READ MORE

Movie Nights at the Garden: Men in Black (PG-13)

Flushing, Queens
Friday, July 1
MIB agents Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Jay (Will Smith) go on a mission to stop an alien assassin in New York City. Bring a blanket and plan to grab a snack from the Bunny Burrow Bazaar. READ MORE

Seaport Beach Fest

South Street Seaport–FREE
Friday, July 1-Monday, July 4
Seaport Beach Fest transforms the neighborhood into a coastal oasis, inviting New Yorkers to enjoy live music performances, pop-up bars and food trucks, and a larger-than-life sand beach. READ MORE

Opening Weekend for Rocket Park Mini Golf

Corona, Queens
Friday, July 1-Sunday, July 3
Putt your way through a nine-hole miniature-golf course that teaches the science of spaceflight. Players explore key science concepts, including propulsion, gravity, escape velocity, launch window, gravitational assist, and more. READ MORE

Summer in the City: Los Pleneros de la 21

Upper West Side–FREE
Saturday, July 2
Grammy-nominated Los Pleneros de la 21, the premier East Harlem-based ensemble and nonprofit community organization, brings the sounds and sights of traditional Puerto Rican music and dance to Lincoln Center. READ MORE

All-American Blast

Flushing, Queens–FREE
Saturday, July 2
The Red, White, and Blue Party brings the whole community together for some classic, all-American fun at Tangram. READ MORE

Playscape Performs: Paper Heart Puppets & Bruce Cannon

Battery Park City–FREE
Saturday, July 2-Sunday, July 3
Playscape Performs presents a pair of puppet performances at its ShowBox. In Cardboard Explosion!, by Paper Heart Puppets, four original stories are brought to life using nothing but cardboard and the power of imagination, while Bruce Cannon uses a classic style of marionette puppetry in The Magic of Music. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Fishy Fun

Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday, July 2-Sunday, July 3
Focus on friends with fins, especially those popular goldfish swimming in Wave Hill’s Aquatic Garden. Turn colorful paper bags into fantastic 3-D fish that can swim through the air. READ MORE

Rock and Roll Playhouse: Rock in the USA

Greenwich Village–FREE
Sunday, July 3
Rev up for the Fourth with an evening of classic US rock music, performed by the Rock and Roll Playhouse. READ MORE

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus: Flatbed Follies

Various Locations–FREE
Friday, July 1-Sunday, July 3
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus is taking its show on the road, popping up all over town to present an array of mobile circus acts on portable parade float stages. Its Flatbed Follies series aims to bring arts to underserved areas and resurrects the magic of yore when the circus coming to town was the main event. READ MORE

Bryant Park Movie Nights

Midtown West–FREE
Monday, July 4
Classic films under the stars on the big screen are back in Bryant Park, and this summer is all about sequels. Bring a blanket and sit on the lawn to enjoy great food, friends, plus a classic Warner Brothers cartoon before each film. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

US Army Fort Hamilton - SGT. Deon L. Taylor Field
New York Historical Society DiMenna Children's History Museum
P.S. 26 and Showplace Entertainment Center
Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk
Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center
Various locations