Governors Island

On Sunday, July 4 at 2PM (the beach opens at 10 AM) Roseanne Cash performs a free concert on Governors Island. And…

On Sunday, July 4 at 4PM there’s a free show by She and Him with Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and MWard.

Coney Island

On the fourth:  Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Get there early. Needless to say it’s a popular event.

Film

I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, Cyrus at BAM; Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at the Pavilion

Sunday,  Jul 4 at 9:30 PM at BAM: Eldridge Cleaver directed by William Klein (1969) 75min. Under pressure from FBI’s counterintelligence program, Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver and his wife Kathleen left the United States for Algeria. There, he set up the International Section of the Black Panther Party which quickly became the hangout of revolutionaries from the Vietnamese and African liberation movements. Klein’s moving interview follows up with Cleaver during the Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algiers, where he expounds upon the Vietnam War and Black Power during a time when “revolution was the main theme of the day.”

Shopping

On Sunday, July 4: The Brooklyn Flea, a source for for top antiques, vintage furniture and clothing, handmade goods, jewelry, design objects, and locally grown and prepared foods, will remain at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in Fort Greene on Sundays only.

The Brooklyn Paper Suggests:

If you’re a betting man, head on over to Willie’s Dawgs instead and sign up for the Park Slope spot’s hot dog eating contest lottery pool, with the spoils (a $100 discount at Park Slope Veterinary Care) going to whoever correctly predicts the amount of hot dogs it will take to win Coney Island’s fabled event (last year it was 68, and everyone knows that Chestnut will eat 74 this year). The hot dog joint plans to donate all proceeds from the lottery to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue organization, which helps keep man’s best friends safe.

Later, head to Floyd Bennett Field for a Fabolous day. That’s no misprint: the Brooklyn MC will co-headline the third annual Brooklyn Music Festival at Aviator Sports. He’s joined by the infamous Shaggy, whose hit song “Wasn’t Me” lit up the charts in the late 1990s, and B.O.B, the young budding rap star from Atlanta who topped the charts in 2010 with his soulful ballad “Nothin’ on You.” Other acts include Tony Matterhorn and Lady Saw, two Jamaican dancehall deejays who plan to ignite the dance floor, and Jamaican crooner Barrington Levy.

For those looking to move, put on your Fourth of July dancing shoes and head out to Bushwick for a patriotic powwow of massive proportions. The Sunday Best crew is at it again with its self-proclaimed “best doggone backyard barbecue in Brooklyn,” at its new home at Brooklyn Fire Proof. Burgers, corn on the cob and, of course, hot dogs will be on the grill, while special DJ guest Rich Medina will keep the tunes pumping from 3 pm into the night — but ending early enough for you to catch some fireworks.

And for a good old-fashioned picnic, head to Bay Ridge for state Sen. Marty Golden’s third annual gathering. Blues Circus, the Groove, High Tides, Piranha Bros., The Ridge, and Frank Marra and His Band will provide the tunes, while hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, drinks and ice cream will be available.

Fireworks: Although the Hudson River once again plays host to the Fourth of July Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular, you can still enjoy the patriotic pyrotechnics from numerous waterfront parks, as the shells will reach heights of up to 1,000 feet, creating more than a mile of dazzling fiery joy visible from the Brooklyn shore.

North Brooklyn parks like East River State Park, Grand Ferry Park and the lesser-known Transmitter Park in Greenpoint offer the clearest views of the fireworks, set off between W. 24th and W. 50th street across the river. Financial district skyscrapers partially obscure the view from Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, but southern Brooklynites can flock to the 69th Street Pier in Gravesend for a straight peep up the river.

The 26-minute show starts at 9:20 pm, so pack some watermelon, head over to watch the sunset, and make a night of it.