Brooklyn to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with Sail4th
America welcomes the tall ships of the world to the Port of New York and New Jersey for a universal celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Photo: Sail 4th 250
BOROUGHWIDE — As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, a large fleet of ships will be sailing under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the festivities in July.
Sail4th 250, a nonprofit organization, is hosting an international maritime celebration in New York Harbor from July 3 through July 8, bringing sailors together in the universal fellowship of “freedom, hope and opportunity that our country has always represented,” according to its website.
America welcomes the tall ships of the world to the Port of New York and New Jersey for a universal celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Photo: Sail 4th 250
The six-day celebration focuses on Independence Day, featuring international tall ships and military gray hull ships.
“We will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world, creating a majestic nautical spectacle and an unforgettable once-in-a-generation event on land, sea and air,” reads the Sail4th site. “Across the region, a rich tapestry of events, festivities and celebrations will unfold, honoring our shared history while educating, entertaining and uniting communities.”
The largest fleet of the world’s tallest ships and gray hull ships will sail into New York Harbor, pass in Presidential review, and salute the Statue of Liberty. Brooklynites will be able to enjoy the festivities with a great view.
America welcomes the tall ships of the world to the Port of New York and New Jersey for a universal celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Photo: Sail 4th 250
On July 3 from 1-3 p.m., the Parade of Sail takes place. Class B tall ships from around the world will sail down the East River from Hell Gate Bridge to Gravesend Bay. Then, on July 4, starting at 9:30 a.m., more than 30 tall ships from around the world will sail up the Hudson River from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the George Washington Bridge.
That morning, there will also be an International Aerial Review. A massive formation of U.S. and international fixed and rotary wing aircraft will parade over the Verrazzano Bridge above the Hudson River, flying in formations and over the International Parade of Sail. The Blue Angels will lead the review, and Sail4th states there will be a thrilling surprise.
“In the tradition of the 1976 Bicentennial, the Statue of Liberty Centennial in 1986, the Columbus Quincentennial in 1992, the Millennium celebration in 2000, and the Bicentennial of The Star-Spangled Banner in 2012, international fleets will arrive in grand style and spend a week in the heart of the nation’s first capital,” the site states.
In addition, Sail4th has a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Navy for the events of July 4 in the Port of New York & New Jersey. The Navy is hosting only the Seventh International Naval Review that morning, a solemn time-honored ritual involving more than 53 U.S. and foreign warships.
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