8. Parades across the city
This year, take a step back in American history and celebrate Independence Day at a parade in Lower Manhattan similar to those held immediately following the British military’s evacuation in 1783. Several of the oldest and most respected historical and military organizations tied to the neighborhood formed the Lower Manhattan Historical Association in 2014 to revive the patriotic traditions forgotten about since the 1970s, On July 3, 2015, the Association organized and lead its first Lower Manhattan Independence Day Parade revival, which has continued until this year. At 12 p.m., attend the July 4th Parade at Castle Clinton, which stands near where Fort Amsterdam was built in 1626.
Alternatively, attend the 112th annual Fourth of July Parade in Travis on Staten Island, one of the city’s lesser-known but long-standing traditions on the holiday. At Independence Park, join many locals in a walk along Independence Way, which got its name in 2004. During the American Revolution, 9,000 British and Loyalist troops landed on Staten Island, and one contingent of Loyalist troops was camped in Travis. On August 22, 1777, a major skirmish was fought on Staten Island between General George Washington’s Patriots and General William Howe’s Loyalists.