Governor Hochul Announces Four Major Events at Jones Beach State Park Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of America’s Founding

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced signature events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States will take place over the Memorial Day and July Fourth weekends at Jones Beach State Park. The July Fourth weekend celebration will feature the United States Navy Blue Angels as part of the FourLeaf Air Show and Fireworks: Celebrating America250. These events launch a series of 250th themed programs hosted by State Parks throughout the year on Long Island, which was the scene of numerous Revolutionary battles and skirmishes between Patriot and British forces.

"The founding of America250 years ago cannot be told without including New York's pivotal role in the American Revolution," Governor Hochul said. "That history can be found across our state, from Long Island all the way to Niagara and the Great Lakes, the Hudson and Mohawk valleys, the Capital Region and the North Country. We're looking forward to an incredible range of programs at State Parks on Long Island throughout the year. And our I LOVE NY website makes it easy to find these as well as many other sites and programs, and learn more about both the familiar and unknown people who helped shape our democracy."

The Memorial Day weekend events at Jones Beach will include:

• A first-ever drone show with patriotic themes over the Atlantic Ocean in front of the Central Mall at Jones Beach State Park
• Historic reenactors portraying the four signers of the Declaration of Independence from New York: Philip Livingston, Lewis Morris, William Floyd, and Francis Lewis
• Revolutionary War reenactor encampments from the all-Black 1st Rhode Island Regiment and the 5th New York Regiment
• Additional reenactors portraying George Washington on horseback, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, as well as Benjamin Tallmadge and Robert Townsend (both Long Island residents and businesspeople who were key members of Washington's Culper Spy Ring)
• Period music with fife and drum band
• Demonstrations of Colonial-era cooking
• History-themed family games
• Inflatable play areas to be enjoyed by children

Additionally, on the July Fourth weekend, Jones Beach State Park will host the FourLeaf Air Show and Fireworks: Celebrating America250. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. on the Fourth, with the annual air show set for July 5 and 6. Headliners are the United States Navy Blue Angels, joined by international military jet teams, including the Canadian Snowbirds. Other performances will include the United States Army Golden Knights, United States Navy F-35C Lightning II Demo Team, Australian professional aerobatic and air race pilot Aarron Deliu, American Air Power Museum Warbirds, Farmingdale State College Aviation, 105th Airlift Wing, and NY Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III Flyover.

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser said, "These events on Long Island are an exciting part of what is happening across New York State as we share the compelling stories of the people who shaped the American Revolution with our Revisit the Revolution initiative. Wherever you live, you will find events near you that will bring this history to life this year."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "As we commemorate 250 years since our nation's birth, special events - like those at Jones Beach, and our other State Parks and historic sites - offer residents and visitors alike a unique opportunity to explore and experience different regions of the state, and complement any getaway or extended vacation."

I LOVE NY will continue to promote commemorative events and historic locations, and share inspiration guides for the 250th Anniversary throughout the year. For updates to the America250 commemorative events calendar, as well as ideas for discovering some of the state's most storied destinations, visit iloveny.com/america250.

Revisit the Revolution at these upcoming monthly programs on Long Island. For the events listed, reservations are required and will be taken two weeks prior to the program. To register, please visit Eventbrite.com and search by program title or #NatureEdventure. For questions, please call (631) 581-1072.

• March 15, 10:30 AM - 12 PM | Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve: Colonial Games - Test your coordination with a ball and cup. How far can you roll a hoop? Take a journey to the past and visit Colonial America!
• March 21, 11 AM - 12 PM | Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center: The Science of Spying - Join an educator to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. Learn about the Culper Spy Ring through a hands-on activity.
• March 28, 10:30 AM - 12 PM | Nissequogue River State Park: Revolutionary Remedies: The Women Who Healed a Nation - Explore the overlooked medical work of women during the American Revolution. We'll highlight the nurses, caregivers, Indigenous healers, and enslaved African women whose herbal knowledge, improvised remedies, and daily labor sustained the Continental Army. Through a hands-on activity, visitors will discover how ordinary women used extraordinary ingenuity to keep a nation alive.
• March 29, 10:30 AM - 12 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Flag Code of the Revolution - Explore how our flag has evolved over the past 250 years and how flag code was useful communication during the Revolutionary War. Go on a guided hike to decode a spy letter using flag code and create a flag of your own to take home.
• April 8, 1 - 2:30 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Spy Through Parks - Become a code breaker like Washington's spies! Learn how the Culper Spy Ring used codes during the American Revolution, then try to crack the secret codes for real!
• April 11, 10 AM - 12 PM | Hallock State Park Preserve: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island's role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• April 12, 1:30 - 3 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: Recognizing Women's Right To Vote in NY State - On November 6, 1917, women won the right to vote in NY State. Join this special America250 program to hear Town of Islip Historian George Munkenbeck share the history of local Long Island suffragists. Also on display will be a travelling exhibit provided by the Long Island Library Resources Council.
• May 30, 10 AM - 12 PM | Belmont Lake State Park: Colonial Cooking - Learn how colonialists grew and cooked their food as well as popular recipes from this time. Watch as Diane Schwindt from the Ketcham Inn cooks food over an open-air hearth and then sample items that she cooked! 40 people max.
• June 6, 10 AM - 12 PM | Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island's role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• June 14, 10:30 AM - 12 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Flag Code of the Revolution - Explore how our flag has evolved over the past 250 years, and how flag code was useful communication during the Revolutionary War. Go on a guided hike to decode a spy letter using flag code and create a flag of your own to take home.
• June 20, 11 AM - 12:30 PM | Hempstead Lake State Park: Spy Through Parks - Become a code breaker like Washington's spies! Learn how the Culper Spy Ring used codes during the American Revolution, then try to crack the secret codes for real!
• August 2, 1 - 3 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: He Dared To Sign: William Floyd - Long Islander William Floyd dared to sign the Declaration of Independence for New York in 1776. In doing so he risked his life, family and fortunes. But he didn't sign on July 4th! Most of the men signed today, August 2, 250 years ago! This talk will cover Floyd's life and times and the actual signing of the Declaration, along with 3 other New Yorkers.
• August 15, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island's role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• September 4, 6 PM - 8 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: Spy Through Parks - Become a code breaker like Washington's spies! Learn how the Culper Spy Ring used codes during the American Revolution, then try to crack the secret codes for real!
• October 4, 10 AM - 12 PM | Sunken Meadow State Park: Hike Through History - Go on a hike through Long Island's role in Revolutionary History in a year-long series highlighting how local sites played a role during the American Revolution.
• October 17, 1 - 3 PM | Nissequogue River State Park Preserve: Unfinished Revolutions: First Nations - The American Revolution itself was imperfect and many Native Americans did not benefit from its ideals of liberty and freedom. Learn more about the ongoing struggle of New York's Indigenous communities to achieve the ideals of the Revolution from author Travis Bowman and Montaukett Executive Director Sandi Brewster-Walker.
• November 14, 10:30 AM - 12 PM | Connetquot River State Park Preserve: Revolutionary Remedies: The Women Who Healed a Nation - Explore the overlooked medical work of women during the American Revolution. We'll highlight the nurses, caregivers, Indigenous healers, and enslaved African women whose herbal knowledge, improvised remedies, and daily labor sustained the Continental Army. Through a hands-on activity, visitors will discover how ordinary women used extraordinary ingenuity to keep a nation alive.

The Long Island initiatives are supported in part by a $125,000 grant from the State 250th Commemoration Commission. More information on the commission can be found here.

Revisit the Revolution at New York State Historic Sites and Parks

In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, OPRHP's state historic sites and parks are hosting special exhibitions, offering dynamic programs, showcasing preservation projects, and sharing new digital resources for New York residents and tourists to discover. Revisit the Revolution explores New York's influential role in the American Revolution and its lasting impact for the state and the nation. Revisit the Revolution is an initiative of the New York State Division for Historic Preservation and is supported in part by the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission. Learn more about Revisit the Revolution.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call (518) 474-0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.

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