July 4th 2025 Fireworks, Events Around Princeton

PRINCETON, 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 Princeton.

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 Princeton and the surrounding areas.

July 4 Festivities For 2025:

What: Fourth of July at Morven and Princeton Battlefield 2025
Where: Princeton
When: July 4, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. onwards
Visit Morven Museum & Garden and the Princeton Battlefield State Park for their annual Fourth of July Festival. This is a free public event featuring activities at both venues. Stop by Morven any time between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. for activities and art-making with community partners; garden tours; face painting; music from the Vintage Vibe Tribe; food trucks; a chance to sign the Declaration of Independence; and more. The museum will be open with half-price admission. A short distance away, check out the Princeton Battlefield State Park where you can visit the historic Clarke House and hear a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Will Krakower, Resource Interpretive Specialist with the NJDEP, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

What: East Windsor Independence Day Celebration
Where: Etra Lake Park
When: July 5, 6 p.m. onwards
East Windsor will host their Independence Day celebration at Etra Lake Park on Saturday, July 5. Celebrations begin at 6 p.m. with Jerry Rife’s Rhythm Kings, followed by Trenton Brass Quintet Plus One Band at 7:45 p.m. At 9:30 p.m. (approximately) there will be fireworks display. Rain date is Saturday, July 12.

What: Lawrence Township Fireworks
Where: Rider University
When: July 1, 6 p.m. onwards
The annual Independence Day Fireworks will be held at Rider University (Rain date: Wednesday, July 2). Food trucks, live band and children's entertainment will begin around 6 p.m. Fireworks will start around 9:30 pm.

What: 2025 Independence Day Fireworks & Concert Hamilton
Where: Veterans Park
When: July 1, 16 p.m. onwards
An unforgettable evening of celebration at the annual Independence Day Concert and Fireworks hosted by Hamilton Township! The event will take place on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Veterans Park (Kuser Road, entrance). The festivities kick off at 6:00 p.m. with food from a variety of vendors and live musical entertainment by The Heartbeats. Then, at 9:30 p.m., get ready for a spectacular fireworks display that will light up the night sky.

What: 2025 Post Game Fireworks At Trenton Thunder Ballpark
Where: Trenton Thunder Ballpark
When: July 4, 6 p.m. onwards
The Thunder, presented by NJM Insurance, will host fireworks over Trenton Thunder Ballpark on July 4. Get ready for family fun, exciting baseball, and dazzling fireworks displays! The event begins at 6 p.m., then, at 9:30 p.m., get ready for a spectacular fireworks display that will light up the night sky.

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.