WEEKLY GUIDE

7/3 - 7/9, 2020

This 4th of July is going to look a bit different, but there are many things you can still do with your family to celebrate the holiday!

If you don’t want to go a year without seeing live fireworks, head to Panther Park in Cedar Grove this Friday. Plan to arrive when the parking lot opens, at 7PM, to guarantee a good view! You can also enjoy the fireworks from other spots in town or watch the livestream if you prefer to stay home.

Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular is looking a bit different this year. To allow New Yorkers to experience the fireworks without creating crowds, the annual Independence Day spectacle will instead showcase five-minute firework displays taped earlier this week throughout New York City. The event will be edited into NBC’s annual special airing at 8PM, and features a mix of pop and patriotic anthems from some of America’s top musicians, like John Legend and Black Eyed Peas.

The traditional special A Capitol Fourth, hosted this year by John Stamos and Vanessa Williams, features live fireworks from Washington, D.C., and performances by Patti LaBelle, Renée Fleming, The Temptations, the National Symphony Orchestra, and more. You can watch it at 8PM on PBS, Facebook, YouTube, or NPR. Don’t miss it!

If you’re in the mood for country music, Kane Brown, Lauren Alaina and Old Dominion will all be performing from their own backyards, and are inviting music fans across the country to celebrate the Fourth of July together. Fans can tune in to watch the iHeartCountry 4th of July BBQ this Friday at 8PM on The CW Network, as well as on iHeartCountry stations.

The Bellevue Theatre is partnering with film distributors to bring The Bellevue Virtual Cinema to you. Their first selection, John Lewis: Good Trouble, is available today. The movie explores Georgia representative’s, 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform, and immigration. Part of the rental fee benefits the ongoing efforts to bring back The Bellevue Theatre, so go rent the movie now!

Drive-Ins are popping up all around us and you can find one at the Garden State Plaza parking lot. They are showing a fun family movie every Friday in July; their first choice is Night at the Museum. You can watch the movie from your car or bring some chairs and watch tailgate-style. Come early to enjoy music and food and beverages from the various food trucks that will be onsite. All profits from ticket sales will go to the Center For Food Action food pantry in Bergen County.

The Y in Montclair will be hosting a series of conversations to continue the dialogue about race. The discussion will be led by the YMCA of Montclair’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Chair Dr. Laura Quiros, Ph.D. The next virtual Brave Space Community Dialogue session is happening on Wednesday, 7/8 at 12PM.

Hamilton is arriving at Disney+ this Friday! The phenomenon can now be enjoyed by anyone from home and many fans are getting together for an online watch party. Join them at 8PM and interact with other fans!

For the next Montclair Literary Festival event, New York Times columnist, best-selling author, and Nobel prize–winning economist Paul Krugman is discussing our economic future and the impact of covid on inequality. drawing from his latest book ‘Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future’. The discussion will be moderated by CBS News chief investigative journalist and senior national correspondent, Jim Axelrod, a Montclair resident.

If you have enjoyed quarantine to organize your house and declutter, here is a list of several local charities that have now reopened and are accepting donations!