New York's Independence Day celebrations will light up the Hudson River in rare and spectacular fashion to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but those aren't the only fireworks going off this holiday weekend! Check out some highlights of how to spend the 4th of July. Learn about the role of New York City in the War For Independence and the early years of the republic on the Revolutionary New York walking tour and see the many historic sites of Lower Manhattan. Enjoy an open bar, a five-course meal, and front-row seats to the Macy's Fireworks on the Fourth Of July dinner cruise, complete with private dining tables, spacious observation decks, and unbeatable views! Take a day trip to the "Cradle Of Liberty" and explore the Boston Freedom Trail, with stops that include the Paul Revere House, Bunker Hill, the site of the Boston Tea Party, and a dozen other historic locations! Celebrate the way the Founding Fathers did with an ale at the historic Fraunces Tavern, established in 1762—a full fourteen years before the Declaration Of Independence—and their fantastic museum! Take an amazing trip through the port of New York City's long and storied history with the South Street Seaport's Past & Future exhibition! This totally free event will captivate sailors and landlubbers alike. Over two months of regional contests will culminate in the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island this July 4th when twenty competitors vie for the contest's 92st championship title! High atop the Wyndham Garden Times Square South, Greenhouse 36 will be serving tapas and cocktails both inside the restaurant and on the Madison Square Sky Lounge, with southerly views of the fireworks display. Get a spectacularly close-up view of the fireworks with the Fourth of July Evening Cruise and enjoy the beauty of the Hudson River, a live DJ, and drinks and food for purchase before dropping anchor near the Statue of Liberty for the main event! As America's initial capital—thanks to Alexander Hamilton, perhaps our most famous New Yorker—New York is one of the best places to celebrate the birth of the United States and the signing of the Declaration Of Independence. Aside from the many festivities specific to July 4th, there are world-class restaurants, a thriving, thumping nightlife, and more things to do in the five boroughs and beyond than you could shake a single-shot musket at!