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NJ Fireworks Guide . 4th of July . North . Central . South Jersey

June 24, 2009 in July the 4th - Independence Day by BNJ

(July 1, 2009) We are continuing to update our NJ fireworks feature for the 4th of July of 2009 and we’ll continue to add more events to the list as we discover them. You can help us write this story by telling us about your town’s display or your favorite in your neck of the woods. Just leave us a comment below and we’ll add your town’s celebration to our list.

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Fireworks Photo . Princeton . Creative Commons Photograph by Peter Roome

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North Jersey July 4th Fireworks

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Florham Park 4th of July Celebration, Saturday, July 4, 2009

Florham Park has been throwing a party for the 4th of July for 52 years and it seems that they didn’t let the economy slow them down this year. Here’s their extensive schedule of events for the day:

Schedule
9:00 AM Flag Raising Ceremony at Firehouse #1 on Brooklake Road
9:30 AM Parade begins (Rain or Shine) at Ridgedale Ave. and Brooklake Road Road
10:30–3:00 PM Family Picnic at the Borough Hall Lawn—Featuring…

Kiddie Rides and Games

Monster Wave Slide Mega Obstacle Course Fairytale Castle Combo

Bungee Run Sea of Balls Trailer Hay Ride

Sports Radar Cage 3-1-1 Sports Combo

Petting Zoo and Pony Rides

Visit the St. Barnabas “Fire Safety House”

And the July 4th Celebration Day Continued…

11:45 AM Presentation of Parade Trophies by Mayor Eveland
12 PM–3:00 PM Social Garden (must be over 21 to enter, mug purchase (required to enter).

$6.00 mug purchase required to enter.

Music provided by the Mariachi Band

9:00 PM Fireworks begin. Refreshments Available.

Refreshments

Hamburgers 3 Tickets

Hot Dogs 2 Tickets

Soda/ Water 1 Ticket

Beer 3 Tickets and the purchaser must be 21 years or older. Read rules at the Social Garden.

Pizza, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Ice Cream & Italian Ice are available as cash sales only.

The rain date for the Florham Park Fireworks is Sunday, July 5, 2009. [Florham Park-Morris County-North Jersey]

For more information on Florham Park’s Fourth see their website. It is one of the best 4th of July websites in the whole state of New Jersey. It is full of information and it includes a great collection of photos. See this great New Jersey community website here.

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Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, New York City with great viewing along the Hudson River in Weehawken and Hoboken, July 4, 2009

The biggest fireworks show in America has moved a little closer to New Jersey this year. That makes the New Jersey communities of Weehawken and Hoboken very happy indeed. They will both be great spots to view Macy’s 4th of July fireworks spectacular.

The staging area for the fireworks is directly across from Weehawken and in front of the Intrepid. The entire show is staged on barges that will be anchored from 24th Street to 50th Street in Manhattan. To get more information, see our Fireworks Press Release from Macy’s Here.

[Hoboken and Weehawken-Hudson County-North Jersey]

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Hasbrouck Heights Independence Celebration Fireworks Display, Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Hasbrouck Heights Lions Club presents the 25th Annual Independence Day Fireworks Display on Thursday, July 2, 2009. Festivities begin at 8pm at Gary Depken Athletic Stadium (Rt. 17 & Franklin Ave, Hasbrouck Heights.) Presale tickets are available for $3 at several local businesses. Tickets can be purchased at the Gate for $5 and children under 5 are free. Tickets and gate fees pay for this event. Enjoy inflatable rides for children, a dunk tank, 50/50 raffles and entertainment provided by a professional disc jockey. Attendees may bring blankets to sit on, but no chairs are allowed inside the stadium.

[Hasbrouck Heights-Bergen County-North Jersey]

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Mountain Lakes 4th of July Fireworks Display, Saturday, July 4, 2009

The fireworks are scheduled for Saturday, July 4th at 9:00 p.m. over Mountain Lake. The rain date for the fireworks is Sunday, July 5th. Today, June 21, 2009 the town had raised just about 1/4 of the cost of the fireworks through individual donations. [Mountain Lakes-Morris County-North Jersey]

Get more information on Mountain Lakes New Jersey here.

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Parsippany July 4th Fireworks, Saturday, July 4, 2009

The Parsippany fireworks will take place at dusk on Saturday, July 4, at Parsippany Hills High School. Rain date is Sunday, July 5. [Parsippany-Morris County-North Jersey]

Get more information on Parsippany New Jersey here.

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Paterson Independence Day Celebration, Friday, July 3, 2009:

Paterson will celebrate Independence Day and the birthday of the city of Paterson on Friday, July 3, 2009. The fireworks will be staged at approximately 9:00 PM at Garret Mountain overlooking the city. The display is sponsored by the businesses and merchants of downtown Paterson.

Get more info from the Downtown Paterson SID @ 973-881-7300.

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Dover New Jersey Concert and Fireworks, Friday, July 3, 2009:

*** Update [July, 1, 2009] ***

Thanks to one of our BNJ readers, we were alerted to the a news item on the Dover Township website that the 2009 fireworks have not been canceled. Here is the latest news:

Dover will celebrate Independence Day with a fireworks display and a concert sponsored by Casio and the town of Dover. The festivities will take place on Friday, July 3, 2009 at Hamilton Field on the East Dover School campus. The concert will begin at 6:00 PM with music played by Tropical Storm. Refreshments will be supplied by Youth Sport Groups. Advance tickets are $2.00 each and $3.00 each at the gate. All proceeds will go towards paying for the fireworks next year. The display is staged by Schaefer Pyrotechnics of Ronks Pennsylvania. The rain date for the fireworks is Friday, July 10, 2009.

For more information on Dover’s Fireworks see the Town of Dover Website

*** Update [June, 21, 2009] ***

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In doing some further research on this year’s fireworks displays across the state I discovered that Dover has removed any mention of fireworks from the town website. I think that is a pretty good sign that they have canceled the celebration. If I am wrong, you can let me know. With many New Jersey towns and boroughs having trouble balancing their budgets, there is a long list of July 4th Non Events this year. See a list compiled by NBCNewYork here.

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The town has not updated their information yet. Last year, the fireworks were held on Thursday, July 3, 2008. Refreshments and a concert accompanied the celebration last year. [Dover-Morris County-North Jersey]

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Randolph New Jersey Freedom Festival: Thursday, July 2, Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4, 2009

Randolph holds one of New Jersey’s biggest celebrations of the 4th. The festivities go on for three whole days. This year they begin on Thursday and continues through Saturday with the grand finale being the fireworks on Saturday night. [Randolph-Morris County-North Jersey]

Thursday, July 2:

Freedom Fair is a carnival that features rides, games, crafts and food. Visitors can ride all the rides as many times as they want for $20.00. The fair is open from 7:00 to 11:00 PM.

Friday, July 3:

Parade Day,The parade starts at Dover-Chester Road and Randolph Avenue at the Mt. Fern Church and ends at the County College of Morris [CCM]. The parade includes bands, pipe and drum cores, floats, local dignitaries, antique cars and riders on horseback.

Freedom Fair is a carnival that features rides, games, crafts and food. The carnival and fair is open from 2:00 to 11:00 PM.

Saturday, July 4:

Freedom Fair is a carnival that features rides, games, crafts and food. The carnival and fair is open from 2:00 to 11:00 PM. This is the last day of the fair.

The Freedom Festival Fireworks Display begins at 9:45 and the promoters call it the best show in Morris County [and it does have quite a few competitors for that title] The event features paid parking which helps defer the cost of the fireworks. Parking is plentiful and inexpensive. The cost is $5.00 per car and the first 500 visitors will receive an eco-friendly shopping bag. [limit 1 per car] The rain date for the Randolph fireworks display is Sunday, July 5, 2009.

To find out more about the celebration in Randolph and about the community go here.

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Washington Township Fireworks Festival: Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Washington Township Community Events Organization or the WTCEO will present a Fireworks Festival on Saturday, June 27th at the Long Valley Middle School from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The festival features live music, clowns, food and beer.

Music will be provided by the School of Rock performing at 5:00 and Scott Monetti and the Waffle Band at 7:30. Children can enjoy bounce houses, Fantastic Faces, Sprinkles the Clown and Gonzo. Food will be provided by local restaurants like Valley Restaurant and Long Valley Pizza Deli and Bagels. The Washington Township Fire Department will also be on hand to serve food and beer in the beer garden.

Visitors are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Rain date is Sunday, June 28. Get more information on the event here. [Washington Township-Morris County-North Jersey]

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Central Jersey July 4th Fireworks

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Red Bank: Friday, July 3, 2009

KaBoom! Fireworks on the Navesink is one of the best organized public displays in the state. The promoters offer reserved parking with front row seats along the river in Marine Park [tickets on sale soon - priced not available] and an exclusive gourmet dinner and show package. The display staged by Garden State Fireworks of Millington features over 10,000 shells and draws more than 50,000 people to downtown Red Bank. [Red Bank-Monmouth County-Central Jersey]

More information @ Red Bank New Jersey Kaboom Fireworks Site

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Long Branch: Oceanfest, Saturday, July 4, 2009

This annual Fourth of July tradition is a free, family oriented festival, which attracts both local residents and visitors from throughout the region. The event takes place along a half mile stretch of the oceanfront promenade between Seven Presidents Park and the Ocean Place Resort and Spa. Activities will include master sand sculpting exhibits on the beach, strolling entertainers, live music of every imaginable type, food vendors, craft vendors and lots of activities for children. The fun-filled daytime activities offer a great prelude to a spectacular fireworks display. [Long Branch-Monmouth County-Central Jersey]

More information @ Long Branch New Jersey Oceanfest Site

Frenchtown New Jersey & Erwinna Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 4:

This is NOT a New Jersey staged display but it’s a five minute drive over the state line, the music is provided by a New Jersey Symphony and you can watch the display along the banks of the Delaware River in New Jersey. This fireworks extravaganza staged in Tinicum Park in Bucks County Pennsylvania’s is one of my regions most popular events and it is almost always sold out as far as I know. There are only 5,000 tickets available. Light classical, popular and patriotic music is provided by The Riverside Symphonia of Lambertville. [Frenchtown-Milford-Hunterdon County-Central Jersey]

More information @ Concert Under the Stars: Fireworks and Music on the Delaware River

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Princeton New Jersey Fireworks, Spirit of Princeton, Thursday, July 2, 2009:

Run by the nonprofit group, the Spirit of Princeton, these fireworks are always held on July 2 at the Princeton University sports fields, next to the Stadium. See the photo taken by Lakewentworth below. [Princeton-Mercer County-Central Jersey]

Spirit of Princeton Fireworks

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Monroe Township 4th of July Celebration, July 4 ,2009:

The celebration begins at 5:00 and the fireworks are scheduled to begin at dusk. [Monroe Township, Middlesex County, Central Jersey]

More information on the Monroe Township of Middlesex County website

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South Jersey July 4th Fireworks

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Cape May New Jersey, Independence Day Celebrations and Fireworks @ Congress Hall, Saturday, July 4:

The Cape has a full day of activities to keep you going starting with a pancake breakfast starting at 7:00 in the morning sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club and ending with an all American picnic and fireworks display staged at the historic Congress Hall Hotel at the beach. The hotel sponsors the fireworks and offers an American Picnic or a Lobster Boil/Bake Menu with live music. [Cape May-Cape May County-South Jersey]

More information @ Congress Hall Fireworks or see the Cape May Times page for a better overall view of the July 4th celebrations here.

Cherry Hill New Jersey July 4th Music & Fireworks: Saturday, July 4, 2009

Cherry Hill sponsors a community festival annually to celebrate our country’s independence with live music, hot dogs, ice cream and fireworks of course. The festivities are held quite appropriately at the stadium at Cherry Hill High School.[Cherry Hill-Camden County-South Jersey]

*** Update [June, 21, 2009] *** =============================

Cherry Hill is going ahead with their fireworks display for 2009! Here is the updated information from the town website:

Each day Americans enjoy many liberties. We celebrate our freedom and independence on July 4 and must remember that our country was founded to preserve liberty.

Our Township together with TD Bank, will celebrate liberty and honor our country with our free Fourth of July observance at the Michael J Santarpio, Jr Memorial Field at Jonas Morris Stadium, Cherry Hill High School West, Chapel Avenue, Saturday, July 4 (rain date July 5). Gates open at 7 pm and the program begins at 8 pm followed by fireworks at 9 pm.

This is a wonderful patriotic evening for the whole family to enjoy. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy a fabulous performance and a brilliant fireworks display. Our musical entertainment this year feature Bizarre Silence.

This event is also supported by Cherry Hill Mall and Comcast Cable.

For more information, call the Recreation Department at 856.488.7868

Get more information on the festivities in Cherry Hill on the Township news page.

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Medford Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks: Friday, July 3, 2009:

Medford’s celebration is sponsored by the township council. It is held at Freedom Park and it features kids activities, live music and refreshments. [Medford-Burlington County-South Jersey]

Find more information on the fireworks and the festivities on Medfordnj.com.

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Collingswood Fun on the Fourth: Saturday, July 4, 2009

Collingswood has a wide array of events scheduled for the 4th including: a bike parade in Knight Park, a patriotic decorating contest, water games at Roberts Pool, and a fireworks display accompanied by the town’s own Collingswood Pops![Collingswood-Camden County-South Jersey]

Find more information on the celebration of the Red, White and Blue in Collingswood New Jersey here.

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Atlantic City July 4th Fireworks

The largest fireworks display south of New York City will be staged in Atlantic City on Saturday, July 4, 2009. The fireworks will light up the night above the Marina District. The pyrotechnic extravaganza is a joint venture sponsored by Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. The show is staged by Fireworks by Grucci of New York, the “First Family of Fireworks”.

The show can be viewed from Harrah’s or the Borgata for free. The show is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM. The fireworks are choreographed to music, supplied by radio station 95.1 WAYV FM.

For more information, see the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau site.

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Long Beach Island July 4th Fireworks

Beach Haven Fireworks

Beach Haven will stage their fireworks on Saturday, July 4, 2009 @ 9:00 or 9:15 PM [two different times are noted in two different places on the Beach Haven website] at Taylor Avenue and the Bayfront. The fireworks display is sponsored by the Red, White & Blue Committee.

Fine more information on the community @ the Beach Haven Website

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The amazing photograph for this feature is by Flickr member Lakewentworth aka Peter Roome. It was published under a Creative Commons License. Below you can see some more of his work, or you can see much more of his work on his website that I just found: RoomePhotography.com.