Happy Birthday, USA

America turns 235 years old this
Independence Day! To celebrate, we’ve prepared a guide chock full of birthday
bits to ring it in the NYC way and make your fourth fabulous. So don your best
red, white, and blue get-up, march out with your flags and patriotic pride, and
swagger down to whatever event piques your interest (we’ve got plenty). From
savory delights to beach toys to Fourth of July extravaganzas, here’s a list of
how to make it grand. — 

LET IT SHINE

Macy’s
Fourth of July Fireworks have enchanted the city for the past 34 years.
This year’s spectacle is bigger, better and brighter. Hosted by Nick Lachey,
the festivities will begin at 9pm with inspiring displays released
from six barges on the Hudson River between 20th Street and 55th Street. There are also numerous
places along Manhattan’s West Side that make for great spots to
witness the show. This year’s extravaganza is patriotically unique with its
theme “Gift of Freedom,” celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Statue of
Liberty and the 235th birthday of our country. The electricity of the night
doesn’t stop there—be sure to catch performances by Beyoncé and Brad Paisley.

BBQ G-O-O-D

After you’ve decorated your backyard in all red, white,
and blue it’s time to throw the yummiest barbeque. Check out our grilling guide from last year for timeless
ways to go beyond the classic burger and hot dog choices.

Still hungry? (Us too!) Here are a few new recipes from our Yummy Delicious bloggers!

  —-> Here’s a recipe from The Naptime Chef:

This is a fabulous twist on the classic grilled
steak. It is perfect for summer with the citrusy, spicy flavor! My brother,
affectionately known as Uncle Will by my daughter, developed it after eating
something similar in Argentina when he was traveling.

Uncle Will’s
Chimichurri Amarillo

1 1/2 lbs skirt steak

2/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients and stir vigorously or use a food processor.  Use half
of the sauce as a marinade on skirt steak (or any cut of meat suitable for
grilling). Use the other half as a dipping sauce when serving. Make sure to
marinate for at least two hours.

-Kelsey Banfield, The Naptime Chef

Here’s a recipe from MiniMunchers:

Grilled Corn
& Black Bean Salad
4 ears of
corn
2 cans
black beans, drained
1 pint
grape tomatos (halved)
3 sprigs
FRESH cilantro – chopped finely
3 slices
red onion minced
2 tbsps
extra virgin olive oil
Juice of
1 Lime
1 avocado
(chopped up)
Sea salt
& freshly ground pepper to taste

Open ears
of corn – remove silks, keeping husks. Soak ears of corn in a big pan of water
for 30 minutes. Replace husks (as best as can) and place on the grill (do not
place corn itself on grill but the husks). Grill for 10 minutes with top on
grill.

Meanwhile
mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, except the avocado. Keep at room
temperature. When corn is done, let cool and cut off the cob into the bowl. Top
with avocado and serve as a side salad, appetizer with tortilla chips or as a
light vegetarian meal.

-Carla Sullivan, MiniMunchers

Grilled Flounder With Tomatoes and
Basil
4 flounder fillets
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
16 basil leaves, julienned
1 lemon, quartered
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

BEACHY KEEN

For most, the answer for what to do this July Fourth
weekend seems simple—see you at the shore! But what beach? Dive
Right In to our comprehensive list of the city’s best beaches and pools.

PLAY TIME

The water, sun and sand will make for a great beach day. To
ensure that the whole brood has a blast, go above and beyond with some of our
picks for this summer’s brilliant beach toys!

• Have
  a ball (literally) at the beach, or pool with The
  Wave Runner, and watch as it bounces on water.
• You
  can never go wrong with a bucket or pail, but let your child have the
  coolest (and good-for-the-planet) one thanks to Zoe
  b— biodegradable in two to three years.
• Our
  Sunshine
  Essentials article features great toy finds including SandoSaurs T-Rex Dinosaur
  Molds for fossil fun and Nerf’s Super Soaker
  Thunderstorm (the first ever battery-powered water blaster!).
• For
  fun for the little ones, our Splish
  Splash round-up has the perfect assortment of toys for tots
• As
  you get your tan on, the youngsters can fill these unique cupcake molds from Melissa & Doug with
  sand “dough,” add seaside cupcake toppers, put the quirky play treats on a
  tray, and “bake!”
• To
  further the cooking theme, these whimsical HABA
  Sand Ice Cream Cones provide a toy and a treat!

SUN SMARTS

Whether you’re hosting a savory barbeque, relaxing at the
beach, or enjoying the fireworks from a nearby park or pier, odds are you’ll be
outside this festive weekend. Don’t let your skin reveal (or suffer from) all
the fun you’ve had; keep the whole family healthy by learning the facts about
sunscreen. One of our New York Family
writers covered all of the Sun
Smarts you need to know when it comes to choosing the best SPF.

EVENT(FULL)

Take advantage of the summer season and consider enjoying
your Fourth of July weekend (or at least a part of it) in the water. Our
favorites include the Circle
Line July 4th Cruise where you can delight over the fireworks as you dine
and dance and the Fourth
of July Cruise on American Princess where families get to witness the
fireworks up close.

Lost your sea legs? Kick it on land! Start your weekend
with some worldly entertainment at the Avenue
of the Americas Summer Festival on Saturday. Participants can munch on over
500 types of international food and get crafty with hands-on projects. On
Sunday, head to SummerStage Bronx Family
Day at St. Mary’s Park where visitors will enjoy an engaging mix of Latin
and American-inspired music with performers such as Moona Luna and Secret Agent
23 Skidoo. Lastly, there is parade fun to be had if you’re willing to make the
trip. The historic town of Smithville, New Jersey (about a two-hour drive from the
city) will be hosting their annual July Fourth parade; enjoy marching bands,
floats, and appearances from local dignitaries.

To learn about Independence Day mosey on down to the Children’s Museum of
Manhattan for a jam- packed day of special events such as “Raising
Citizens: American Dream Quilt Program,” “Red, White and Blue Mural Wall,“ and
“Sparkly Fireworks Collage.” Head to Central Park to meet
a bald eagle, our national emblem, on the 3rd when wildlife educators from Hawk Creek Wildlife Center present a special live bird show
in honor of Independence Day.

Perhaps not historically informative, but definitely a
tradition is the legendary annual
Nathan’s hotdog eating contest at Coney Island. If you’re itching to do
something active then ditch the hotdogs and head down (or run) to the July
4th Marathon at Van Cortlandt Park.

EVERYDAY WONDERS

No matter the weather, there are oodles of non-specific
fourth events to guarantee happiness. If sunny skies grace our overhead, we’ve
taken inspiration from our Outdoor
Adventures Around the City to provide you with an updated list for sunny
fun.

If you like to plan ahead, then check out your local
park’s events calendar. Near Bryant
Park? They’ll host a cookout on the 3rd and feature an afternoon of jazz
and musette-style accordion music on the Fourth. If nothing specific is going on in your local
park, enjoy an afternoon in the coolest hangout for kids—the playground. Our
favorites include Union Square, Imagination
Playground in Manhattan, and Imagination
Playground in Prospect Park.

If you’re looking for a dose of history, after all it is Independence Day, then stand in the
very spot where the Declaration of Independence was read to General Washington.
A Revolutionary War Era Walking Tour
of Downtown Manhattan will paint a vivid picture of NYC life in the 1770’s.
More walking fun for your sunny weekend includes a walking tour with ManhattanWalks, a photo and
food tour with Sidewalks of NY Tours,
or a unique Gangs of New York tour or one of historic Harlem with Big Onion Walking Tours.

More to do on this hopefully sunny weekend (and you won’t
even have to leave the city!) includes free kayaking at the Downtown Boathouse, biking by Hudson River Park,
or make it an uber-full day at Pier
25 with mini golf, beach volleyball, and a children’s playground. Lastly go
carnival ride crazy with all the wonders Coney
Island has to offer including the beloved Wonder Wheel. For some fun outside the
city then hike it up to the Delaware
Water Gap (located an hour and a half from the city) and enjoy camping
galore. See what else you can do now that the summer fresh air is here by
perusing through our Great
Outdoors article.

P.S. If it does turn out to be a rainy
grey weekend—we’ve taken insight from our Rainy
Day Fun piece

• Drop-in
  at activity centers such as Craft
  Studio, Color Me Mine,
  or Moomah (part café, part art station)
• Make
  it a museum day with exhibits such as Journey to the
  Stars at the American Museum of Natural
  History or learn about what goes on Behind
  the Screen at the Museum of the
  Moving Image.
• If
  you’re looking for something more relaxing…read a book! While book stores
  are pretty quiet on the event front during the summertime, the New York Public Library comes to the
  rescue with their summer
  reading program that starts up this Thursday, so even when the Fourth
  has passed you by—the reading fun is here to stay!