The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) today announced the entertainment and events lineup for the inaugural July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course which will feature $1 Carnegie Deli Hot Dogs. This marks the first opportunity in history for fans to experience live thoroughbred racing at Saratoga during the Independence Day weekend.
Traditionally held at Belmont Park, the four-day celebration, from Thursday, July 3, through Sunday, July 6, blends world-class racing with patriotic fanfare, family fun, and historic tributes, setting the table for the traditional summer meet.
The special July 4th Racing Festival will feature seven graded stakes among 10 stakes overall across the four-day holiday weekend with first post at 1:10 p.m. except Saturday which will have a 12:35 p.m. first post. Admission gates will open daily at 11 a.m.
All first responders, active military and veterans will receive free admission on Independence Day, Friday, July 4, with valid ID.
Daily Festival admission is $7 in advance or $10 at the gates while fans may also purchase a four-day General Admission pass for just $20 at ticketmaster.com/nyra/buy/J4RF5GA.
Independence Day on Friday, July 4 will feature the Belmont Derby on FOX airing live nationally from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and highlighted by the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational. The July 4 stakes lineup also includes the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban, presented by canned cocktail producer Subourbon, and the $150,000 Schuylerville.
In an extension of the policies in place for the recent Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, cash will not be accepted for food and beverage purchases, admission, parking or programs (with the exception of the official Saratoga store) during the July 4th Racing Festival and 40-day Saratoga summer meet. Reverse ATMs, also known as cash-to-card kiosks, will be available at multiple locations throughout the venue.
The main track will be closed to the public for morning training during the July 4th Racing Festival, and will re-open for Breakfast at Saratoga on Thursday, July 10, Opening Day of the summer meet.
Dollar Dogs, Saratoga sunglasses giveaway and revolutionary entertainment headline July 4th Racing Festival
Fans attending the July 4th Racing Festival will enjoy $1 Carnegie Deli Hot Dogs all four days of the event as part of the All-American celebration. The dollar dogs will be available at concession stands throughout Saratoga Race Course where hot dogs are traditionally sold.
As the centerpiece and namesake of the Festival, Independence Day, Friday, July 4, includes a robust lineup highlighted by a Saratoga-themed sunglasses giveaway, available to the first 15,000 fans through the gates. The stylish sunglasses boast frames in traditional Saratoga red and mirrored shields that feature the classic Saratoga logo.
Fans on the Fourth of July will enjoy a live rendition of “America the Beautiful” by Sofronio Vasquez, winner of NBC’s The Voice Season 26, accompanied by the display of a giant American flag. Vasquez’ rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down” captivated all four coaches on The Voice (Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire, and Gwen Stefani). Originally from the Philippines, Vasquez resides in nearby Utica, NY.
The West Point Parachute Team (WPPT) will return to Saratoga Race Course on Independence Day to dazzle fans with a riveting afternoon aerial demonstration. Comprised of cadets and established in 1959, the WPPT is one of the oldest continuously operating parachute teams in the U.S. Military.
Before the 4th race on the Fourth of July, there will be a reading of the Preamble to America’s Declaration of Independence by Sean Kelleher, Town of Saratoga Historian and Vice Chair of the Saratoga 250 Commission. Kelleher will be accompanied by historians in 18th-century civilian militia kit of the 2nd Massachusetts Regiment.
Uncle Sam, the iconic figure, whose roots connect to nearby Troy, will stroll the track grounds on Independence Day while a three-pound replica cannon will be prominently displayed near the paddock throughout the four-day festival.
This exact working replica of a 1777 Saratoga Campaign cannon will be part of the 250th commemoration of the “Henry Knox Noble Train of Artillery.” Starting in December, it will trace the route taken in 1775 from Fort Ticonderoga along Lake George and the Hudson River corridor, then across Massachusetts to Boston in March 2026. The artillery delivered to Dorchester Heights in March 1776 directly forced the British out of Boston – celebrated ever since as Evacuation Day.
The Independence Day celebration will be bookended in the morning by the Firecracker 4 Road Race in Saratoga, the longest-running event of its kind in the Northeast, and in the evening by the spectacular fireworks display in downtown Saratoga.
Yankee Doodle Band and Hildebrandt’s Ice Cream Eating Contest headline Saturday’s weekend festivities
The Independence Day weekend celebration continues on Saturday, July 5 with a Saratoga trackside performance by the Yankee Doodle Band and the debut of the Hildebrandt’s Ice Cream Eating Contest.
After devouring those $1 Carnegie Deli Hot Dogs as the appetizer, fans can head straight to dessert with the Hildebrandt’s Ice Cream Eating Contest. Three heats comprised of 10 fans each will be held in the backyard near the Big Red Spring. Fans can sign up to participate at nyra.com/julyfourth.
Founded in 1927 by American Legion Post 471 in Rensselaer, the Yankee Doodle Band began as a senior drum and bugle corps. It evolved into a full band in 1936, growing to 75 members by 1941. Over the decades, the Band earned recognition at national American Legion events, parades, and patriotic ceremonies, including New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller’s inauguration and events at the Empire State Plaza.
On both Friday and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., complimentary horseback rides will be available for children in the backyard, courtesy of Adirondack Dreamcatcher Farm. Located in nearby Corinth, Adirondack Dreamcatcher Farm offers horseback rides and features interactions with a variety of farm animals.
For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com/Saratoga.