We realize that your favorite display may not have made the cut, but you are more than welcome to make your own nominations by leaving us a comment below. You can also vote for your favorite in our Best of NJ Fireworks Poll at the bottom of the article. Feel free to vote for your top 3 choices. You can vote once a week. The poll closes on July 7th.
Mercer County Freedom Festival
Saturday, June 29, 2013: Freedom Festival is one of the first Independence Day celebrations in the state every year. This large festival is held in Mercer County Park in West Windsor Township. It is an all-day event that features a wide range of activities for the entire family. You’ll find a car show, inflatables for the kids, tethered hot air balloon rides, local food vendors, live entertainment, local crafts, laser tag, a beer and wine garden, hot dog and pie eating contests, wiener dog races and of course fireworks at 9:30 to bring the day to a grand finish. Some of the featured music will be Little Mac & the Peoples Champ, Bigg Romeo, the Amish Outlaws, and the Mercer County Symphonic Band.
Mercer County Park Freedom Festival
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Summit: 4th of July Celebration & Fireworks
Thursday, July 4, 2013: This annual event consists of day and evening events. The day events begin at 9:45 AM with the Flag Raising Ceremony. The Children’s Bicycle Parade begins at 10:00 AM. Local children decorate their bikes in a patriotic fashion and receive trophies and certificates. Last year’s parade had over 500 participants. Immediately following the Children’s Bicycle Parade, Polka Dot will host a kid’s concert with fun sing-a-longs and dancing. The rides and amusements start at 10:00 AM and will continue through 1:00 PM. Kids can ride the train, jump and slide on inflatable rides and play carnival games for prizes. There will be lots of food, drink, and snacks available including Towne Deli and Mom’s Catering. Tickets for the rides, games, food, and crafts can be purchased on the day of the event. At 12:00 Noon the Summit Stompers Dixieland All-Stars will entertain on the big stage while the Emergency Softball Game starts at the big field.
The evening’s festivities begin at 7:45 PM with The Cameos, New Jersey’s Favorite Oldies Group. They will perform their unique renditions of the most popular songs of the 1950′s and 60s with a little 70s for good measure. The Grand Fireworks Display, featuring Garden State Fireworks will start at 9:15 PM. [Summit-Union County-Central Jersey]
Find out more information about the 4th of July in Summit New Jersey here
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Cape May: Fireworks, Picnic & More
Thursday, July 4th, 2013: Congress Hall in Cape May is having an old-fashioned picnic for the 4th of July. The event features 3 legged races, potato sack races, face painting, balloon twisting and a great BBQ.
Congress Hall Grand Lawn is the place to be for the ultimate 4th of July celebration. Activities go on all day from 4 pm-9 pm. Join us for carnival games, face painting, balloon twisting, family lawn games, and more. Chime in with our Congress Hall Festival Choir’s patriotic sing-a-long along with live music on the veranda.
Join us for dinner with our famous family picnic or Lobster Bake. Picnic begins at 5:00 p.m. Tickets cost $12 and include all of your barbecue favorites and All-American apple pie for dessert! Bring your chairs and set them up right on the lawn. If you prefer a seated event, try our Lobster Bake which features a stationed affair including Maine lobster, clams, sirloin steak, and much more. Reserve your table today for the veranda or stay cool in the Ballroom. Cash bars are available. And of course, make sure you stick around for the fireworks at dusk. You’ve got the best seat in town here at Congress Hall! Call 609-884-8421 to make your Lobster Bake reservations today.
More info here
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Wildwood, Cape May County NJ Fireworks & 4th of July Events
Thursday, July 4 & Friday, July 5, 2013: The Wildwoods have a full 2 days scheduled to celebrate the 4th. There’s a boardwalk run, a parade, a Jimmy Buffett Tribute concert, a patriotic concert, a pooch parade, a Mummer’s Parade performance, a lifeguard championship, WWE Live, beach yoga, a collectibles show and fireworks on both nights. The Thursday nite fireworks are the big show and the Friday night fireworks are the regular Friday night fireworks.
Get more info here
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Long Branch: Oceanfest, Festival & Fireworks
Thursday, July 4, 2013: 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. You might want to consider staying at the marvelous modern Bungalow Hotel that’s a few steps away from the festivities. We were there this past month and it is a great destination! Also, be sure and grab a goodie at Cake Bake & Roll on the corner. [Long Branch-Monmouth County-Central Jersey]
More information @ BestofNJ.com’s Oceanfest page
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Ridgewood NJ Fireworks & Fourth of July Celebration
Thursday, July 4, 2013: This is one of our favorite fireworks displays in the entire state. It is a great little show put on by a warm and open community! The Fire Department is one of the main reasons that this celebration is so successful here. They show up with a giant rig and display one of the largest American Flags that I’ve ever seen. It must measure at least 50 feet tall. Ridgewood New Jersey is celebrating the 103rd anniversary of their July 4th festival and the theme this year is Honoring our Declaration of Independence.
The day begins at 9:00 AM with a flag raising, the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. At 10:00 there will be an Independence Day Parade featuring local rescue and emergency squads, antique cars, bands and more. At 6:00 PM there will be a celebratory concert featuring the Illumination Twirlers, Miss Patti’s School of Dance, Toxic Figz, Flyin’ Angels Skydivers sponsored by Tarvin Realtors, The New Jersey Brass Quintet, Mack Brandon, and the Connection and Crush – the Band. The festivities are introduced by mayor Killion. The grand finale is the fireworks show sponsored by Applebee’s and the Shannon Rose The fireworks go off after the gates are closed at 9:00 PM.
Go to the Ridgewood July 4th Website for more information.
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Weehawken and New Jersey Hudson River Towns, Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks
July 4, 2012: The biggest fireworks show in America is back on the Jersey side again for 2012. 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 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.
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Randolph New Jersey Freedom Festival:
2013 Freedom Festival: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, July 4 – 6, 2013: 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 continue through Saturday with the grand finale being the fireworks on Saturday night. [Randolph-Morris County-North Jersey]
- Day 1: 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 $25.00. The fair is open from 7:00 to 11:00 PM.
- Day 2: 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. Friday night is band night.
- Day 3: Parade Day: The parade kicks off at noon at Dover Chester Avenue in front of Mt. Fern Church. It features bands, pipe and drum corps, bands, antique cars, horses and floats.
- 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.
- Fireworks begin 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 ($5.00) which helps defer the cost of the fireworks. Parking is plentiful and inexpensive. There will be a DJ from 6:00 to 11:00. The rain date for the Randolph fireworks display is Sunday, July 7, 2013.
Find out more about the celebration in Randolph and about the community.
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Hamburg: Crystal Springs Resort July 4th:
Thursday, July 4, 2013 Concert, Picnic and Fireworks Crystal Springs has a full weekend of festivities planned for their resort guests and homeowners. It all starts with a New Orleans-inspired 4th of July Festival that features live music by Ted Hefko’s New Orleans Jazz Band, a picnic menu with pulled pork, fried chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, sangria and lemonade, horse and carriage rides, pie and hot dog eating contests, and a fireworks display at 8:30. Admission is $55.00.
Sunday, July 7, 2013: BBQ the resort will have a Chef’s Garden Barbeque with barbeque, brick oven pizza, micro-brewed beers, and sangria. There will be 2 seatings and live entertainment by the John Moultrie Duo. Admission is $70.00.
Find out more at Crystal Springs Resort
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Camden: Waterfront Freedom Festival & Fireworks
Wednesday, July 3, Thursday, July 4, Friday, July 5 & Saturday, July 6, 2013: Camden is expanding its celebration of our nation’s independence this year with 4 full days of festivities. On Wednesday there’s a Let Freedom Rock Concert featuring Heart with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience. On Thursday there’s a Fantail BBQ on Battleship New Jersey, on Friday there’s another BBQ and a Patriotic Brass Ensemble on the Battleship, live music in Wiggins Park, and family fun all day long. On Saturday, there’s more family fun and music in Wiggins Park, more BBQ on the Battleship, cocktails, and a front-row seat for the Adventure Aquarium’s Waterfront Fireworks Spectacular.
Find out more on the Battleship Site
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