Macy’s Fourth of July
Macy’s annual pyrotechnic extravaganza toasts its 30th anniversary with over 120,000 explosions and musical accompaniment from the New York Pops.
• July 4, 9 p.m.
• Free
Belle and Sebastian
Battery Park, Battery Pl. at Broadway; 212-344-3491
The veteran Scottish band (and critics’ darling) gives an outdoor concert followed by a small show of fireworks.
• July 4, 3:30 p.m.
• $3 suggested donation
Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest
Nathan’s Famous, 1310 Surf Ave., between 15th St. and Stillwell Ave., Coney Island; 718-946-2202
Four-time defending champ Takeru Kobayashi and recent American record-breaker Joey Chestnut (who downed 50 dogs in twelve minutes) face off.
• July 4, noon
• Free
Boswijck: Independent Music in the Town of the Woods
Office Ops Rooftop, 57 Thames St., between Morgan and Knickerbocker Aves., Bushwick, Brooklyn; 917-723-3660
This alternative celebration spotlights rising local indie-rock acts: Zach Condon’s Balkan-folk-meets-pop Beirut, former Inouk front man Damon McMahon, singer-songwriter Rusty Santos, and atmospheric-pop fivesome the Occasion.
• July 4, 3 p.m.
• $15
Candlelight Walking Tour
Fraunces Tavern & Museum, 54 Pearl St., at Broad St.; 212-425-1776
Guide James S. Kaplan leads a candlelit, all-night walking tour of Revolutionary War–era sites in Lower Manhattan, including the grave of General Horatio Gates (who won the Battle of Saratoga) and Thomas Paine’s last residence.
• July 4, 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
• $20
Rooftop Films: Fun With Founding Fathers
Pier at Solar One, Stuyvesant Cove Park, 23rd St. and the East River; 718-417-7362
The “Fun With the Founding Fathers” program screens short films like Cox and Combs, an animated musical about the the nation’s first president, and Night Visions, a documentary about a young soldier’s experiences in Iraq. Brooklyn rock act the Double performs live.
• July 4, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Danny Tenaglia
Spirit, 530 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh Aves.; 212-268-9477
Legendary D.J. and producer Danny Tenaglia fuels the Fourth with progressive house.
• July 3, 11 p.m.
• $30
Jo Thompson and the JC Heard Orchestra
Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center, Columbus Ave. between 62nd and 65th Sts.; 212-875-5766
Old-school chanteuse Jo Thompson joins the JC Heard Orchestra for a night of fifties jazz and swing tunes at “Midsummer Night Swing.”
• July 4, 6:30 p.m.
• $15 with dance workshop, otherwise free
Independence Day 1806
Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S. Riverside Ave., Croton-On-Hudson; 914-271-8981
For the historically minded, this Bicentennial flashback delivers a parade, open-hearth cooking, and military reenactments.
• July 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• $10 adults; $9 students and seniors; $6 children under 5
Independence Day 1856
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, 89 W. Sunnyside Ln., Irvington; 914-631-8200
Visitors get an interactive Independence Day circa 1856: town ball (a precursor to baseball) and a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence.
• July 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• $10 adults; $9 students and seniors; $6 children under 5
Movie Openings
The Devil Wears Prada
The much-anticipated movie adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’ novel, with Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.
Strangers With Candy
Amy Sedaris stars as 47-year-old ex-junkie–whore turned high-school student Jerri Blank in the big-screen version of Comedy Central’s cult-favorite series.Superman
The relatively unknown Brandan Routh assumes the title role in director Bryan Singer’s take on the D.C. Comics superhero.