Coney Island’s iconic fireworks are coming back in full swing this summer, starting July 4 and continuing each Friday thereafter through Labor Day.
“We are here today to mark a milestone in Coney Island and for New York City, the return of the beloved July Fourth Fireworks and Friday night fireworks series,” said Alexandra Silversmith, executive director of the Alliance for Coney Island, at a June 28 press conference on the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk. “Twenty-three months since our last fireworks show, which is hard to believe, we are grateful to be able to bring these events back and can’t wait to see the smiling faces on the boardwalk.”
The return of the fireworks — hosted annually by the Alliance for Coney Island with a cohort of sponsors — was marked with a massive Monday morning celebration, which included a fire eater and a Brooklyn United Marching Band performance from Maimonides Park to the site of the world famous Cyclone.
The Fourth of July fireworks will be held on the holiday starting at 10 pm, while Friday night fireworks will begin July 9 at 9:45 pm, said Silversmith, who feared the spectacle wouldn’t return for the summer season after taking a break in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“I truly wasn’t sure if we would see this day in 2021,” she said, “so I am so glad that we are here.”
The fireworks are also expected to boost the local economy, and Coney Island Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus encouraged visitors from across the Big Apple and beyond to pay a visit to the peninsula.
“I want to welcome all of the visitors from all over NYC and beyond to please be sure to stop by and enjoy yourselves here in Coney Island,” Frontus said. “We are waiting for you and will see you on the boardwalk.”
And it’s a good time for the fireworks’ revival. The neighborhood’s amusement district reopened this summer after a lost season which left many area restaurants and small businesses struggling to make ends meet.
Councilmember Mark Treyger, who represents Coney Island as well as parts of Brighton Beach and Gravesend, announced Monday that he secured funding to help pay for the fireworks as well as other summer activities in the neighborhood.
“This is a wonderful, wonderful occasion and a wonderful turning point,” Treyger said.
