From Coney Island to Southampton, festive New Yorkers took advantage of friendly temperatures and sunshine Monday to ring in the nation’s 240th birthday.
Revelers headed out across a sunny tri-state to celebrate at barbecues and beaches, with rain holding off until night — and even that stopped in time for Macy’s East River fireworks.
Crowds that spent Independence Day at the annual hot-dog-eating contest at Coney Island saw link legend Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaim the title, with a record-setting 70 franks.
Chestnut gutted out the victory with 17 more wieners than runner-up Matt Stonie at the Nathan’s Famous competition.
He just beat his own personal best of 69 hot dogs and buns set in 2013.
Chestnut, 32, had won eight competitions in a row before Stonie dethroned him last July Fourth.
Wilfried Fosse, 25, a sales rep from Harlem, summed up the event’s unusual appeal. “Yeah, it gets gross,” he said. “But it’s something to see.”
The event got off to an unexpectedly raucous start when animal-rights activists stormed the stage and threw fake blood on the neat display of sausages.
Wearing red shirts, the protesters were promptly removed from the stage and the event proceeded without further incident.
The group Direct Action Everywhere took responsibility for the demonstration to protest alleged mistreatment of pigs at a Hormel Foods Farmer John facility in California.
Although Nathan’s hot dogs are all beef, cows face similar cruelty, according to a statement from the animal-rights group.
“This grotesque event takes a day of celebration and turns it into a festival of violence and gore for animals no different than our dogs and cats,” said one of the activists, Rachel Zeigler.
The group called for an end to the annual ritual.
The competition has been held each Independence Day since the early 1970s at the eatery’s original location at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues.
Contestants have 10 minutes to eat as many dogs as they can while spectators cheer them on.
The winner takes home the Mustard Yellow International Belt.
Temperatures in New York are expected to reach a high of 88 on Tuesday and the temperatures are only going to get hotter as the week continues.
The Big Apple is set to get baked this week with temperatures soaring into the 90s with high, uncomfortable humidity, according to AccuWeather.
Wednesday is expected to reach a high of 95 — marking the first 90-degree day for New York City since Memorial Day weekend — while Thursday, too, should see a high of 95.
