Day of Live Music and Family-Friendly Fun returns to Exchange Place Plaza with Concerts, Carnival Rides, Food Trucks and New Jersey’s Largest Fireworks Display

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announces Pitbull and Akon as this year’s headliners at Jersey City’s 6^th annual Fourth of July Festival.  As we celebrate our nation’s freedom, the full day of festivities will take place from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Exchange Place Plaza.  The free festival includes live entertainment with featured musicians starting at noon on the main stage leading up to Jersey City’s own Akon and world-renowned rapper Pitbull as the main event.  The grand finale will follow with New Jersey’s largest fireworks display launching from barges in the Hudson River with an unparalleled backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

“We set the bar high last year bringing in Snoop Dogg as our headline performance, and we expect to impress, yet again, with this year’s entertainment lineup,” said Mayor Fulop.  “The headline performance and fireworks conclude a day of fun for thousands of families and visitors who come from all over the tri-state area.  As we show off all that Jersey City has to offer this Independence Day, I am confident this will continue to be one of the best celebrations in the nation.”

Last year, the event drew over 150,000 spectators from throughout the City and region. The daylong festival features designated zones for activities, including a carnival along Hudson Street, the “Love Beer Festival” on Columbus, and the concert stage at Exchange Place. Fun activations and additional food trucks and drinks can also be found along Montgomery Street.

The celebration will close with a grand finale featuring New Jersey’s largest fireworks display. Grucci, who will operate the fireworks display, is a sixth-generation, family-owned and operated fireworks company that has developed a prominent reputation; having performed at eight U.S. Presidential Inaugurations, Olympic Games, World’s Fairs and earned the Guinness World Record for “largest fireworks display” ever recorded.

Important information about this event provided below.

TRANSPORTATION TO THE EVENT:

Anyone attending the event is strongly encouraged to arrive by foot, bike, or public transportation to Exchange Place as parking will be extremely limited, and parking in the surrounding neighborhoods will be reserved for area residents.  Public parking will be available at all three Newport Mall garages at a $15 flat rate for vehicles entering after 5 p.m.

• By Light Rail and PATH: Guests are encouraged to utilize public transportation to get to and from the festival. The nearest PATH train station stop is located right in Exchange Place, for easy access to New York City, Newark, and beyond. NJ TRANSIT’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) will be running North only from the Harborside stop on Hudson Street, and South only from the Essex Street stop on Hudson and Essex in Paulus Hook. For both options, customers are strongly encouraged to buy roundtrip tickets from ticket vending machines in advance of the fireworks event. Guests utilizing the PATH or Light Rail, should check for holiday schedules and alerts here: http://www.panynj.gov/path/

• By Bicycle: This year, BikeJC is pleased to provide free bike valet service for all attendees who arrive on two wheels from noon to 10 p.m. in front of the post office on the Washington Street. Residents without bikes may also rent through Citi Bike, which has several stations location in the festival area, including at Harborside, at the end of Sussex Street, and on Washington and Grand. Please note that the Citi Bike station location at Exchange Place will not be operating on July 4^th.
• By Ferry: NY Waterway ferries will be in operation from NYC to the terminals at both Paulus Hook and Harborside until 4:00pm. For more information, please visit http://www.nywaterway.com/.
• By Bus: NJ Transit buses stop at locations throughout Jersey City and the surrounding region, including major transportation hubs like Newark’s Penn Station, Hoboken, Secaucus and New York’s Port Authority Bus Terminal. For more information, please visit http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusTo.

WHAT TO BRING/WHAT TO LEAVE HOME:

Please be advised that any bags or backpacks brought into the festival area are subject to search by law enforcement authorities. Attendees are encouraged to pack belongings in clear bags that show contents. Coolers will not be allowed in the festival area. For a full list of what can be carried into the festival and what is banned, please visit www.50starfireshow.com.

For more information on the event, transportation, what to bring, and announcements visit[www.50starfireshow.com]www.50starfireshow.com.

A special thank you to all of our sponsors for making this spectacular Independence Day celebration happen including Budweiser, Suez, PSE&G, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.  And thank you to all of our partners: Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the City of Jersey City, the Jersey City Municipal Council, the Office of Cultural Affairs, the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, Quality Education for Kids, Mack-Cali, the Exchange Place Alliance, Private Internet Access, and VisitNJ.org.  Supporting sponsors: Lyft, Investors Bank, Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, The Northern Trust/PGA Tour, and Disney’s The Lion King.  We’d also like to acknowledge the New York Red Bulls, the New Jersey Devils and the U.S. Army for their support.