By Gus Saltonstall
On June 10th, the New York Philharmonic will host its popular, full-orchestra, outdoor performance on the Great Lawn in Central Park.
At the end of that performance, fireworks will set off around 9:30 p.m. The Philharmonic, which has a permit for fireworks from 9:30 to 10:20 p.m. for this year’s performance, has concluded its Central Park performance with fireworks since 1972.
Some Upper West Siders, including Councilmember Gale Brewer, are worried about unsuspecting dog owners, who might be walking their pooches in Central Park at the time.
“Pet owners are concerned about the effects of fireworks on dogs, whose sensitive hearing results in increased runaways when they experience the noise from fireworks,” Brewer wrote in a letter to the mayor’s office in April. “Proactive communication with pet owners, others involved in animal care, and the local press can mitigate this concern.”
Upper West Sider Gail Buchwald mentioned that the advanced notice of the fireworks was particularly important, given that the timing of the display aligned with off-leash hours within Central Park.
“It should be noted that there is a courtesy law which allows dogs to be walked off-leash after 9 p.m. This means that dogs are at risk of becoming frightened and running away as a result of the loud fireworks noise,” Buchwald wrote in a note to Brewer’s office. “As you may know, our community is one that prides itself on being pet friendly and many of our residents have dogs. This [the fireworks] will cause them to flee in fear, often becoming separated from their owners and lost.”
The Philharmonic’s Green Lawn performance will begin at 8 p.m. on June 10th. Elim Chan will conduct a program that will include principal cello Carter Brey performing Saint-Saens’ “Cello Concerto No. 1,” as well as music by Copland, Ravel, and others.
The show is completely free to attend, and there will also be a pre-concert performance by the Philharmonic’s Youth Choir.
On April 30th, David Cerron, a commissioner within the New York City Parks Department, replied to Brewer’s letter.
“We recognize that quiet green space is a precious resource in New York City, both for pet owners and for all residents,” Cerron wrote. “We also recognize that the annual New York Philharmonic concern for the Great Lawn provides a unique opportunity to bring this cultural offering free to all New Yorkers to enjoy.”
Cerron added that the Parks Department had shared the concern for dogs with the New York Philharmonic, and that it has “encouraged the New York Philharmonic to expand these communication efforts to ensure a broader audience of surrounding residents can be reached.”
The New York Philharmonic has information about the June 10th concert posted on its website, including information about the fireworks. The Parks Department also has information about the Central Park show on its own website.
The Philharmonic did not respond to West Side Rag’s email asking for more information about their outreach efforts within the neighborhood.
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You’ve been warned!
Neighbors are good at planning their dog walks on fireworks days. Just walk them early and stay home with them. Give them calming treats. At home. Your pet is more important than a concert with fireworks.
Is this really what she’s focused on, whether the fireworks will scare little Scruffy? Can we please focus?
Silly comment. It probably took her all of 5 – 10 minutes on the effort. Clearly you’re not a dog person. And before anyone even mentions the owners that don’t clean up after their dogs, just don’t.
I am a dog person, obsessed with my dog. Truly, you can just walk your dog earlier or later
It is not a big deal
Nobody says it is. Again, they’re talking about outreach. Informing others so that they can act accordingly. It’s not a huge ask.
It tells you a little about what a bubble we live in on the UWS
Yes, a lovely bubble, where citizens and politicians care about humans and animals. How quaint!
Well, I’m sure dogs in NYC are licensed. A simple click of a few buttons at the appropriate department where those records are kept can send an alert to the owner of the need to leash dogs that evening in the park. Owners can then reschedule their walk at a different time, and tend to close living dogs with calming treats as Peter Le suggests, below.
Not all dogs are licensed. Most dog owners are never told to do this. I say this as someone who has had two dogs (licensed). What you’re talking about sounds state of the art but I don’t think this is a thing. And many people have fosters and new dogs. So many dogs run away during fireworks.
Unless they run onto a busy street.
Dog owners want out reach? The rest of the city wants you to obey the laws! It’s neck and neck in the race for most entitled New Yorkers between dog owners and the bike lobby.
…”our community is one that prides itself on being pet friendly”…
How wonderful if our community would be HUMAN FRIENDLY again!
Just send your doggy AWAY to doggy camp for the summer. The dogs will be happy and so will all the New Yorkers who won’t have to smell dog pee and step over (even left over) dog doo.
While I understand worries about dogs being spooked, that should be the least of our concerns regarding fireworks over Central Park. Central Park is a habitat for many birds and other wildlife who cannot choose to be there or not during the fireworks. We know that fireworks scare and kill them and leave garbage on the ground. I have enjoyed beautiful fireworks my entire life but we really need to reconsider where and if we use them given their environmental impact.
Thank you. I began to think that no one was going to mention the wild life. Birds are passsing through, birds are mating and hatching their young. I hope they don’t get spooked and fly into a glass sky scraper!! The coyotes come out in the evening as well. It’s their feeding time. It’s time for (helium balloons and )fireworks to become a thing of the past. They are not wil life friendly.
dogs are not the least important – they’re very important and should be inside. you’re correct about the other animals who don’t have a choice.
Right. I agree with the poster about the adverse effects on wildlife, but since when is there a hierarchy of beings.
How about we start talking about why we need fireworks in the first place? Dogs get terrified and so do plenty of humans, such as our military personnel, people who have been traumatized by guns, and plenty of others (including the animals in Central Park). Fireworks are also expensive and terrible for the environment. Let’s move beyond fireworks and celebrate in other ways!
Thank you for your last point. You are absolutely correct. Let’s begin caring about others.
Yes, there are plenty of alternatives that are being employed in other cities. LED is popular, I think.
Some use drones.
As a “military personal” type person we know the difference of fireworks and real rounds. having been under fire on ops we can even tell instantly if its incoming or outgoing IE friendly or not.
Those folks that may have issues related to their service by far have options already in place to avoid the loud noise etc. that may cause them issues.
Note that these Philharmonic performances feature the marvelous principal cellist of the orchestra, Carter Brey, who is retiring this year.
https://www.thestrad.com/news/new-york-philharmonic-principal-cellist-announces-retirement-after-30-years/21057.article
I came here thinking this article would be about something worthwhile and important like the fact that these fireworks cause a ton of air and noise pollution – but no, of course it’s about dogs and their selfish owners. Thanks everyone.
So, for one night don’t take your dog off the leash. I’ve never been crazy about fireworks’ noise (I used to cry when I was a little girl), but I had a German Shepherd for 16 years in Manhattan and never took him off leash in the park. Between cars, bikes, other animals, plants, ticks, bees, wasps, and creeps who try to steal dogs, what would have been the point? — and my dog was trained to heel and obey commands. He was perfectly happy outside on lead and lived a great, long life. A good dog is always by your side. If not, don’t blame fireworks or rabbits.
I think you are missing the point. The point of this article is that people did not know this was happening. Now that they are being informed, they will hopefully do what you are suggesting. But if you don’t know, you can’t be prepared – failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
I agree with others that this is a pretty long article for something like this. And the easy solution is to put a few signs on trees like they do when a film is shooting so people will know.
Personally I don’t think being out in Central Park with your unleashed dog after 9 pm is a very wise idea, but what do I know. Unfortunately, I have been seeing more and more people with unleashed dogs at 11 am or 2 pm, which is really rude and there should be consequences. But heaven forbid you say anything, it is like telling Trump to stop insider trading – you get scowled at and insulted. WSR should have a feature where readers can take pictures of violators of this law and submit them to be posted. Then have rewards for naming names.
Again, it’s about letting people know. Nothing more.
In the interest of dogs, cats, birds, squirrels and oh yeah, veterans! maybe we can consider that fireworks are an outdated “tradition” that can be replaced with noiseless ones (if you really cannot let go) or abolish them altogether. They hurt more than they benefit. Music without fireworks is still entertainment.
99.999999999999999999999999999 % of veterans have no problem with them and as for no noise that’s next to impossible to do
One option might be to do it with drone lights shows but that tech is very expensive and has a host of FAA etc issues that would require all levels of gov approval and would take decades as this is the UWS and as with any other proposal someone will sue to force a multiyear environmental impact study etc
would be great to come up with a better way to celebrate rather than inflicting the terror we cause the squirrels, birds and other wildlife tucked in for the night in the midst of those sudden explosions.
Perhaps Manhattan’s budgets and air quality in the summer should be a obvious reason to actually stop adding more pollutents to those of us who breathe air.and focus budgets on more pertinent issues. Fireworks on July 4th can be more special if we stop the fireworks displays in NYC so that the noise and air pollution can get better for all residents.
Yes ! Let’s save the fireworks $$ and put them to better use. People are still homeless and hungry.
Dogs over people’s enjoyment of fireworks, once a year. Get a grip, Gale, not a gripe.
Please do something about the unbelievably loud music many drivers blast out of their windows and the packs of dirt bike riders that terrorize the neighborhood every time they take over an avenue in the evenings. I would think this is a much more urgent matter than the Phil having a fireworks show.
If only Gale cared that much about people.
These concerts are huge expensive productions requiring lots of security and sanitation. Why waste money on polluting fireworks when the money could be used by the NYPD or DSNY.
The Philharmonic pays for the fireworks and the other costs associated with the concert. It does the same at the other parks – including fireworks – it performs in. It does so as a gift to the City. In return it gets the satisfaction of the enjoyment experienced by the over 200,000 people who attend these concerts in all 5 boroughs.
I outta know – I worked for the Philharmonic for over 20 years. And I’m a dog owner/lover.
Donors pay for the fireworks.
Yes. Donors to the Philharmonic
As a dog owner a couple of things You should already be aware of this as its happened every year since 1972. Keep your dog on a leash so he/she won’t runaway if the dog is skittish.
And although I have an 80 pound very friendly dog and I’m a born and raised NY’er and UWS’er
you would not catch me in that part of CP. Your are more likely than not to get brushed back by an ebike/electric scoter than not. At least in the day you can see them
Also, violent felony assaults are up so begin that deep in the park is not a good idea.
No more fun of any kind!
Fireworks, flyovers, and thunderstorms – our cat Vader hates them all. A Sith Lord hiding in the closet is not a good look.
Put signs at entrances to the park. Have Notify NYC send a text blast (as they do for many other things). That ought be warning enough. Anyone walking their dogs regularly in the park will have seen the signs by then.
Yet I heard Gale Brewer opposed and rejected the Business Improvement District that would have helped all the small businesses on Broadway in her district.
Shows where her priorities are.
Thank heavens for Shaun Abreu supporting his portion in the West 90’s and above.
The Parks Department should include posting flyers in and around the off-leash area in advance of the performance to make dog owners aware of this problem, and not just rely on their checking the website. If dog owners don’t know about the fireworks, they won’t know to check the Parks Department’s website.