On May 15, the Empire State Building lit its world-famous tower lights in red & white pinstripes, blue, and gold to mark 50 days until Sail4th 250, a multi-day maritime celebration that will take place across the New York and New Jersey Harbor in July 2026 to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.
The Empire State Building hosted a special lighting ceremony with President of Sail4th 250 Chris O’Brien, NBC 4 New York News Anchor David Ushery, and Telemundo 47 News Anchor Darling Burdiez, who flipped the famous light switch.
After the ceremony, the group toured the Observation Deck Experience – which was named the #1 Top Attraction in the United States in Tripadvisor's 2026 Travelers' Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do – and posed for photos on the building’s 86th and 102nd Floor Observation Decks.
See photos from the visit below!
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