On Thursday, June 25th, 2020, the office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., in collaboration with The Bronx Tourism Council and BronxNet, debuted “The Bronx Salutes America Fireworks Extravaganza” broadcast.
“The Bronx Salutes America” fireworks extravaganza was cancelled in 2020 due to public gathering restrictions caused by COVID-19. The event was originally slated to take place at Orchard Beach the night the virtual event was broadcast.
The virtual event featured BronxNet footage taken from the past four years of firework displays at Orchard Beach, along with select musical performances and the yearly empanada eating contest.
The virtual Bronx Salutes America Fireworks Extravaganza will be televised again on BronxNet TV (channel 67 on Optimum / channel 33 on Verizon Fios) on Thursday, July 2nd at 8pm and Saturday, July 4th at 2 p.m. It is available for streaming at BronxNet.TV.
“Our annual fireworks presentation is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “While we aren’t able to celebrate together this year, we still wanted to capture the excitement of the first days of summer and continue our tradition of teaching our children about patriotism and reflecting on the freedoms we enjoy living in the United States of America. Our borough has been hit hard by COVID-19 but we will get through this and come out on the other side of this pandemic as a stronger community. Thank you to BronxNet for partnering with us to put this message out there to celebrate Independence Day.”
The annual “The Bronx Salutes America” fireworks display has drawn crowds of over 10,000 people to Orchard Beach. The event includes family activities and music performances and also traditionally features music made popular by Bronx artists, many of whom have been inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.
“We cannot be together to celebrate the birth of our nation, but we can keep the memory of the fun we’ve had in the past as we look forward to future celebrations,” said Olga Luz Tirado, Executive Director of The Bronx Tourism Council.
“As we approach Independence Day 2020, we are pleased to partner with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Bronx Tourism Council to bring you ‘The Bronx Salutes America’ fireworks extravaganza on BronxNet TV,” said Michael Max Knobbe, Executive Director BronxNet TV.
The Bronx Tourism Council was established in 1991, as a division of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), creating a cohesive and symbiotic relationship between arts and culture and economic development. The role of the Bronx Tourism Council is to promote the borough’s rich history, its institutions, and cultural diversity on a local, national, and international level.
BronxNet provides local television by the people of The Bronx, for the people of the Bronx, keeping borough residents in touch with the issues, neighborhoods and activities that make The Bronx what it is today. Their channels feature in-house produced shows created by community access producers as well as provide a training ground for local residents in television production, providing hands-on internships and career preparation. High school and college students can prepare for media careers behind and in front of the camera through BronxNet’s Training Program for Future Media Professionals.