Annual July 4th event hosted by Klein, Diaz

Annual July 4th event hosted by Klein, Diaz
Photo courtesy of Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s office

The annual 4th of July tradition in the Bronx will continue this year as the country celebrates its 240th birthday.

On Thursday, June 30, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Senator Jeff Klein will host the borough’s official kickoff to the July 4th Independence Day celebrations, titled the annual ‘New York Salutes America’ boardwalk festival and fireworks extravaganza, which will take place at Orchard Beach.

The free event, which is expected to be attended by over 10,000 people, is open to the public and includes family activities, including balloon artists, magicians and music performances.

The event will feature music made popular by Bronx artists, many of whom have been inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.

Songs by Dion, Steven Tyler, Bobby Darin, Nitty, The Chiffons, Anthrax, Irene Cara, Grand Master Flash, Ace Frehley, Kurtis Blow, Prince Royce and Jennifer Lopez will fill the air.

Additionally, the event’s line-up will include the second annual ‘Bronx Empanada Eating Contest’. The empanadas are being supplied by Havana Cafe.

Contestants will be selected at the beach prior to the contest and the winners will win a Bronx Prize Package from Diaz’s office.

The fireworks and performances were made possible by fireworks company Fireworks by Grucci.

The Grucci Performance App, which broadcasts music in perfect synchronization with the live performance, will be available for the event’s attendees, who can simply go to the App Store or Google Play on an Android or iPhone, download the app for free and search ‘Fireworks by Grucci’ to tune in during the show.

“This is a great, fun-filled evening that one can spend with their friends and family,” said Diaz. “This is one of our jewel events, which this year showcases the addition of our second annual eating contest, where people from across the city can experience the best that the Bronx has to offer.”

“The Fourth of July is a celebratory time for all Americans,” said Klein. “Every year, I look forward to our fireworks extravaganza, which has become a cherished tradition for our Bronx families.”

“As we reflect upon the extraordinary history of our nation, we must remember the sacrifices of our country’s brave servicemen and servicewomen, whose courageous acts contributed to our nation’s freedom,” the senator added.

This year’s ‘New York Salutes America’ boardwalk festival and fireworks extravaganza will begin at 6 p.m.

The event’s eating contest will start at 7:45 p.m., with the fireworks show beginning at 9:20 p.m.

Orchard Beach is also home to the annual ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk’ in October.

Reach Reporter Steven Goodstein at (718) 260-4599. E-mail him at sgoodstein@cnglocal.com.