This year, July 4th falls on a Friday, giving people in Hoboken and nearby areas a long weekend to celebrate. The biggest event of the day will happen at Pier A Park, located at 100 Sinatra Drive. The event is called “Hoboken July 4th Presented by The Light Group”, and it is free for everyone.
The celebration will run from 12 PM to 11 PM and will include live music, DJs, food trucks, and a beer garden, alongside family-friendly activities. People at the event will also be able to see fireworks from two nearby shows — the Macy’s fireworks on the East River and the Jersey City fireworks at Exchange Place.
This event is one of the most ambitious ever hosted by the city and was created by The Light Group, a Hoboken-based hospitality company founded by Pat Light, a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The City of Hoboken and Mayor Ravi Bhalla have given the event their full support.
- Hoboken’s Pier A will host one of its biggest public events ever on July 4th, running from 12 PM to 11 PM with music, food trucks, a beer garden, and waterfront fireworks views.
- This free celebration is part of the new ‘Hop on Over to Hoboken’ tourism initiative led by former MLB pitcher Pat Light and supported by the City of Hoboken.
- Nearby areas like Jersey City, Ridgewood, and Bergen County will also feature their own parades, fireworks, and community events throughout the day.
Pat Light and The Light Group Help Put Hoboken in the Spotlight
Pat Light, a Hoboken resident, played for four MLB teams: the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Seattle Mariners. After leaving baseball in 2018, Light turned his focus to the restaurant business. He began by working behind the scenes at Green Rock Tap & Grill in Hoboken. Later, he purchased the venue and used it as a starting point to form The Light Group.
The company now owns and runs five well-known Hoboken spots:
- Green Rock Tap & Grill, known as a popular New York Giants bar
- Texas Arizona, a sports bar with a strong Penn State fan base
- River Street Garage, which features live music
- McSwiggan’s Pub, an Irish-style pub that attracts soccer fans
- The Waiting Room, a bar in Downtown Hoboken
The July 4th event at Pier A is the beginning of a tourism campaign developed by The Light Group to attract attention to Hoboken’s food, entertainment, and cultural attractions. Future plans include bar star pop-up events at The Waiting Room, along with other local promotions.
Pier A Event Will Feature Music, Food, and Fireworks
The festival on July 4th will offer a full lineup of entertainment. Local artists scheduled to perform include The Benjamins, Sean Patrick, Austin City Nights, The Alibis, and The Original Copy. Music will continue throughout the day and into the evening, and DJs will keep the energy going between live sets.
Food trucks will sell a wide variety of meals and snacks, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, nachos, and funnel cakes. There will also be vendors set up for a street-fair-style experience.
Adults will be able to enjoy drinks in a beer garden located within the event grounds. This area will be sponsored by Texas Arizona and The Waiting Room and will include cocktails, beer, and light snacks.
Even though the Macy’s fireworks are moving back to the East River this year, attendees at Pier A will still have clear views of the show from across the water. They’ll also have a direct line of sight to the Jersey City fireworks, scheduled to take place that night at Exchange Place.
Other July 4th Celebrations Near Hoboken
In addition to Hoboken’s waterfront event, there will be several other Independence Day activities taking place nearby on Friday, July 4th, 2025.
In Jersey City, a celebration is tentatively scheduled at Exchange Place from 12 PM to 10 PM. This event includes fireworks and is just across the river from Hoboken.
In Bergen County, the Second Annual Star-Spangled Spectacular will take place at Overpeck County Park in Ridgefield Park. It begins at 2:30 PM, with a rain date of July 5th.
In Ridgewood, events will begin at 9 AM at Wilsey Square and continue at 6 PM at Veterans Field, with fireworks planned for the evening.
However, the State Fair Meadowlands in East Rutherford, which often holds its own fireworks event, has been canceled for both 2024 and 2025.
Hoboken’s History and Future as a Waterfront Destination
Mayor Ravi Bhalla supports the “Hop on Over to Hoboken” campaign. He says the city has many parks and attractions and wants more people to know about them. Hoboken has a strong history, too. It was the site of the first recorded baseball game in the United States, played in 1846.
The city also has a rich cultural background. Its Italian roots can be seen in restaurants like Augustino’s, a Southern Italian eatery, and Leo’s Grandevous, a spot once visited by Frank Sinatra, who was born in Hoboken. Leo’s is known for playing Sinatra’s music on a regular basis.
There’s also an area known as “Irish Row”, where Irish pubs reflect another part of the city’s past.
Today, Hoboken is growing and becoming more diverse, with strong Latin American and Asian communities. Pat Light says Hoboken has “a little bit of everything.” He also says the waterfront is one of his favorite parts of the city.
The city is also easy to visit. People can take the PATH train or a ferry from New York City and arrive in Hoboken in just a few minutes.
