July 4th 2025 Fireworks, Events Around Matawan-Aberdeen

MATAWAN-ABERDEEN, NJ — Independence Day falls on a Friday in 2025, kicking off a star-spangled three-day weekend packed with fireworks, festivals and other Fourth of July fun in and around Matawan-Aberdeen.

To help you fit it all in on your 4th of July calendar, Patch has put together a guide to what’s going on in Matawan-Aberdeen and the surrounding areas.

July 4 Festivities For 2025:

1. Aberdeen's fireworks were rescheduled to July 11 due to the rain on Tuesday.

They will still be held at the same location, 5 - 10 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park (Ocean Blvd. & Lakeshore Drive), with all the same fun: Food trucks, inflatables, bouncy houses, characters, live music and a DJ. Fireworks go off at 9:15 p.m.

2. Long Branch will host OceanFest July 4 at Pier Village, with fireworks that go off at 9 p.m.

Time: 1-9 p.m. on Long Branch's Great Lawn and Promenade. Fireworks go off at 9 p.m., when it gets dark. Come to Pier Village to watch, stroll around the shops, restaurants and beach.

3. And if you're looking for a unique way to celebrate the Fourth of July this year, look no further than "Independence Day on the Raritan River," held at East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway. This free family-friendly event will go from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on July 4. East Jersey Old Town Village is located at 1050 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854.

"Step back in time and celebrate Independence Day on the banks of the Raritan River at East Jersey Old Town Village, Middlesex County’s premier historical site for living history."

Enjoy a day filled with historical stories, patriotic-themed music and food. Attendees can also explore the nearby Cornelius Low House Museum.

Event highlights include:

• Stories by historical re-enactors of General George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben
• 18th-century music performances
• Fife and drum performances
• Food from Lady Kettle Corn, The Craft Caffe and The Mexi-Boys

Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. In that document, the 13 original colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.

During the pivotal summer of 1776, the pre-Revolutionary celebrations honoring King George III’s birthday were replaced with mock funerals as a symbolic break from the crown.

It was an exciting time in Philadelphia — the Continental Congress voted to break from the crown and, two days later on July 4, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the original 13 colonies — New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia — to adopt the Declaration of Independence.

The first annual commemoration of the nation’s independence was in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, while the Revolutionary War was ongoing. Fireworks have been part of Fourth of July festivities since the first celebration in Philadelphia.

Today, Americans celebrate with fireworks, parades, concerts, and family gatherings and barbecues. Celebrations, though, predate by centuries the designation of Independence Day as a federal holiday, which didn’t happen until 1941.