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Fireworks Rain on the Hudson, Justin Bieber Performs

By DNAinfo Staff on July 5, 2010 8:11am  | Updated on July 6, 2010 6:45am

By Tara Kyle and Jennifer Glickel

DNAinfo Reporter/Producers

MANHATTAN — Revelers crowded every available foot of shoreline, rooftop and pavement along Manhattan’s West side Sunday night, as the Macy’s annual 4th of July fireworks overtook the skies.

For this year’s show, the 34th of its kind, Macy’s organizers hauled 40,000 shells onto barges lining the Hudson River. They were ignited over the course of a 26 minute show, operating under the theme of “American Harmony.”

Notable pyrotechnics included an aqua jellyfish, atomic pattern rings and a mile long shower of golden sparks falling from 1,000 feet in the sky.

The New York Pops Orchestra and Mormon Tabernacle Choir provided the score, performing Americana mainstays including “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and “God Bless America.”

Down under the Queensboro Bridge, tween pop sensation Justin Bieber performed to the screams of young girls.

Ticket prices soared for a quality spot from which to watch the fireworks. Hudson Terrace, a rooftop lounge near the river, sold 250 to watch the pyrotechnics display from $250 to $1,450 per couple.

"The fireworks were definitely a huge draw for us," Erika London, an event planner at the bar, told the Associated Press.

The prime views of the fireworks show were from the Circle Line's sightseeing boats, tickets for all of which were sold out a week in advance of Sunday night's festivities.

A digital firing system helps Macy's designer to time the fireworks precisely to the musical score.
A digital firing system helps Macy's designer to time the fireworks precisely to the musical score.
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DNAinfo/Tara Kyle