The Brooklyn waterfront is the place to be for Independence Day this year, as July 4, 2026 marks the 250th birthday of the United States.
There are two major events Brooklyn residents can enjoy: Sail4th250, the largest maritime and aerial gathering in U.S. history, and the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks.
Sail4th250
There will be 80 ships and more than 150 aircrafts that can be seen across the city on July 3 and 4. Th events will include free, timed, ticketed access to board the tall ships; free spectator anchorages on the water; prime viewing spots along the parade routes; six hours of live national TV coverage; and real-time online tracking of the visiting tall ships.
July 3: A preliminary Tall Ship Parade (“Class B” sailing vessels) of 24 ships will come down the East River between 1:00pm – 4:00pm. The 24 ships will come down Long Island Sound, pausing at South Street Seaport before proceeding to anchorages in Gravesend Bay off Brooklyn. Prime viewing locations include Manhattan's Upper and Lower East Side waterfront and the South Street Seaport district and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
July 4: International Naval Review 250, from 7:00 am – 9:30am; Grand Parade of Sail, from 9:30am – 2:00pm; and International Aerial Review, led by the Blue Angels is scheduled for 10:15am - 10:45am.
A fleet of 43 tall ships — 21 Class A vessels ranging from 161 to 378 feet in length, joined by 22 Class B ships — will sail under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, and up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge. USCGC Eagle always leads the parade. The passage takes approximately 2.5 hours at any fixed point, with six-minute intervals between ships.
Simultaneously, the International Naval Review 250 features 37 U.S. and allied naval vessels from 22 nations at anchor in the Hudson River. The International Aerial Review — 150 to 185 aircraft led by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels — overflies the parade starting at approximately 10:15am.
July 5–7: Free public access (timed, ticketed) to visit the tall ships in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Reserve tickets at https://sail4th.org/tall-ship-
July 8: Class A tall ships depart for Boston. Four of the five surviving "Five Sisters" — USCGC Eagle (U.S.), NRP Sagres (Portugal), Mircea (Romania), and Gorch Fock (Germany) — race for the International Perpetual Challenge Cup into Boston Harbor on July 9.
Spectators on the waterfront or online can track every participating vessel in real time through AquaMap, Sail4th 250's official vessel-tracking partner. Available on iOS, Android, and in any browser at aquamap.app/sail4th-250, the platform displays ship positions, identifications, and routes as vessels transit from their home ports into New York Harbor.
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks
The annual fireworks display marks its 50th year, with barges both on the East and Hudson Rivers. Public viewing at Brooklyn Bridge Park will be accessible only via free tickets issued by the city.
This year's show will include more than 85,000 shells in 30 colors, including a laser show from the Brooklyn Bridge. The fireworks display is scheduled to start at 9:25pm and will last about 25 minutes.
