Independence Day and freedom takes on a whole new meaning in our first post-pandemic July 4th weekend when we can go just about anywhere we like! The Macy’s fireworks are back celebrating our heroes and our resiliency. Lady Liberty’s little sister arrived in NYC this week for a short visit. Our roving photographer takes us to Williamsburg and Greenport this week. Take a free salsa class or see a free movie this weekend. Valerie Smaldone has the scoop on more LIVE theater. And signup for our awesome book event about our 41^st President. Head to Governor’s Island on July 24^th for the New York City Poetry Festival where three of our tomato poets will be featured.

Macy’s 45th annual 4th of July Fireworks

The fireworks are back! This year’s Macy’s Fireworks show will light up the NYC skyline in a celebration of America’s heroes & the resilient spirit within us all. More than 65,000 shells and effects will be launched from five barges positioned on the East River centered in midtown. They start at 9:25 pm. You can watch it live, or on NBC.  The show will feature some super-exciting opening acts, including Black Pumas, Coldplay, OneRepublic and Reba McEntire. Get details on where to watch live.

Williamsburg and Greenport

Our roving photographer Nicole Freezer Rubens (author of the Long Pause and the Short Breath) Since the last decade of the 20th Century Williamsburg and Greenpoint Brooklyn have been gentrified and have transformed into a Mecca of hipster culture and robust nightlife with its own unique vibe. All of this vibrancy rests on the old-world foundations of the enclaves inhabited by a true melting pot of working class ethnic groups. Fun fact; until 1885 Williamsburg had a silent “h” on the end and was its own city before being annexed by Brooklyn. 

July 3. FREE Cuban Salsa Dance Class

Head to Pier 45 at Hudson River Park at 5 PM tonight and learn the basic concepts of Cuban salsa and some fun open level steps to do on the dance floor. (No partner work). It’s feel good fun and they’ll keep the playing music for hours so you can meet the people attending the class/event. Get the details.

July 14. The Amazing Post Presidency of George HW Bush

Join us for an inspiring evening. The event is free, but you must register.

Now – July 5. Meet Lady Liberty’s Little Sister

Little Lady Liberty is a 9-foot-tall bronze copy of the Statue of Liberty, and she has was sent here from France to reflect the continued friendship between France and the United States. She took the same route as her her big sister. She was even made of the same mortar mold as the original 1878 statue by Auguste Bartholdi. She will be on Ellis Island until July 5 and then will be taken to the residence of the French ambassador in Washington, D.C., in time for Bastille Day on July 14.

July 24. Three Tomatoes’ Poets to Be Featured at New York Poetry Festival

We’re so excited. Carol Ostrow, Nicole Freezer Rubens, and Jane Goldman will be reading their poetry at the 10^th New York City Poetry Festival which takes place on Governor’s Island. You’ll find them listed under The Three Tomatoes and they’ll be doing their readings at 12:30 PM at Chumley on Sat. July 24. The festival is the largest community of poets in the country and offers a unique setting for literary activity, that electrifies arts and literature and brings poetry to new light in the public eye. REGISTER

Movies at The Museum of Jewish Heritage

Time Out says…The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is celebrating the reopening of its newly renovated Edmond J. Safra Hall with a full slate of film screenings this summer, featuring new and independent movies, old classics, documentaries, and family-friendly films including the Producers, Dirty Dancing, The Boys from Brazil.  Get the full line up.