Vintage photos show what Coney Island's 4th of July celebrations used to look like

Erin McDowellJul 3, 2024, 20:52 IST

Contestants at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, July 4, 1987.Walter Leporati/Getty Images

Coney Island has been a popular destination for the Fourth of July since the early 20th century.
Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held on July 4 since the 1970s.

Coney Island has been a destination for Fourth of July celebrations for over a century.

From fireworks displays, parades, and live performances to the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island has been hosting Independence Day celebrations since the early 20th century.

Coney Island is still popular for New Yorkers who want to escape the city for the day, walk along the boardwalk, enjoy some rides, and eat a hot dog or two — or many more.

Here are vintage photos that show what Coney Island Fourth of July celebrations have looked like through the years.

Fourth of July marks one of the busiest days of the year in Coney Island.

An aerial view of the crowds on Coney Island Beach during the Fourth of July.George Rinhart/Corbis/Getty Images

In the 1930s, Coney Island exploded as a popular destination for beachgoers and families on the Fourth of July.

People crowding the beach at Coney Island on July 4, 1938.Getty Images

Thirty years later, revelers still visited Coney Island Beach to celebrate Independence Day.

A pair of unidentified men in shorts pose for the camera on the crowded Coney Island Beach on July 4, 1968.Bev Grant/Getty Images

The beaches were also popular in the mid-'90s.

Fourth of July crowd at Coney Island in 1995.Susan Watts/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images

People also came to Coney Island to shop on the boardwalk.

People shop inside a store in Coney Island on July 4, 1968.Bev Grant/Getty Images

The first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held in the 1970s.

Contestants eat hot dogs during the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island.Walter Leporati/Getty Images

The first official winner of the contest was a woman named Melody Andorfer.

A man eats hotdogs at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island on July 4, 1961.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Edward Krachie was the 1995 champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

American competitive eater Edward Krachie holds a trophy in his hands as he celebrates his victory in the 1995 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island.Walter Leporati/Getty Images

The contest has been successful ever since and draws thousands of in-person attendees and even more online viewers each year.

Portrait of three, unidentified contestants as they pose with plates of hot dogs prior to the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island.Walter Leporati/Getty Images

Nathan's was and still is a popular establishment in Coney Island to grab a cheap dog — on the Fourth of July or any other summer day.

A couple eats hot dogs in front of Nathan's Famous fast-food restaurant at Coney Island on July 4, 1968.Bev Grant/Getty Images

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