I think I was 12 - I was going into 8th grade.
Mom and some other neighbors had a big BBQ picnic in our backyards that afternoon, everyone’s moms had different food and several dads were on the BBQ. It was like a suburban block party.
That night I recall watching that on TV. Did they have music conducted by John Williams or am I mistaken?
I do remember how pretty the tall ships looked against the NY skyline.
I don’t know about John Williams, but there’s always a big orchestra concert in D.C. My parents went to several when they lived there in the 1990s.