ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — If you want to watch 20 minutes’ worth of fireworks and listen to two hours’ worth of good music, then the Plaza De La Constitución is where you’ll want to be on Tuesday night.
St. Augustine city officials say you can avoid all the congestion on the road and catch a free shuttle that’ll take you to see the Fourth of July fireworks.
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In celebration of the 4th of July, the city of St. Augustine is hosting its annual Independence Day celebration with fireworks over the Fort Matanzas National Monument. That’s at 9:30 p.m. and the display is scheduled to last 20 minutes.
But starting at 6 p.m., there’s a 2-hour concert from The All-Star Orchestra in the Plaza De La Constitución. Thomas and Rebakah, a Florida couple visiting St. Augustine, say they’re excited.
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“We’re gonna take in the sights, the scenery and do some history touring like we’ve already been doing,” Thomas said.
“Just celebrating America, it’s all about the free, our independence, and being able to be grateful to God,” Rebakah said.
The best part is the Nation’s Oldest City will provide free parking at R.B. Hunt Elementary and free shuttle rides on Anastasia Island from 6 p.m. to midnight from the following locations near Anastasia Boulevard.
- Anastasia Baptist Church (1650 A1A South)
- St. Augustine Amphitheatre (1340-C A1A South)
- R.B. Hunt Elementary School (125 Magnolia Dr.)
- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (999 Anastasia Blvd.)*
*As this is a parking-only location, those who park there will need to access the shuttle at the R.B. Hunt Elementary School stop by crossing Anastasia Blvd. at the lighted crosswalk just east of the attraction where law enforcement officers will assist pedestrians to cross the road safely.
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“It was great because we were able to park way out of the traffic pattern and the fact that we have a free shuttle back to our car, I couldn’t ask for more,” Thomas said.
City officials said it’s all happening at the Bayfront between the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument and The Bridge of Lions.
The shuttle will drop passengers at the east end of the Bridge of Lions and pick them up from that location for the return trip following the fireworks.
Here is more detailed information provided by the city of St. Augustine:
Parking and Traffic
Parking will be limited throughout the downtown area, so visitors are encouraged to arrive early and use the Historic Downtown Parking Facility and nearby parking lots. With multitudes of pedestrians and increased bicycle traffic, those in vehicles are asked to take extra precautions and to please be patient.
The St. Augustine Police Department has a traffic plan that moves vehicles safely and as quickly as possible out of the downtown area following the show. A summary of the parking details can be found at www.CityStAug.com/Fireworks.
Parking in city-owned lots and in on-street spaces is free on Tuesday, as it is on all federal holidays. Drivers are reminded to confirm that they are parked in a city-owned lot and not a private lot where towing may be enforced by the lot owner.
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The Historic Downtown Parking Facility, adjacent to St. Augustine & St. Johns County Visitor Information Center at 1 Cordova Street, offers parking for $15.00 per car, per entry, or $3.00 with the ParkNow Card.
Parking in the lot at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is not free and is enforced from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., seven days a week, including federal holidays. There will be no vehicular access to or from the fort parking lot on Tuesday from 6 p.m. until approximately 11 p.m.
If you are looking to take the drive yourself there is a new tool designed to help tourist and local drivers find parking ahead of visiting their destination. The St. Augustine Parking Finder can be found on the City’s website: www.CityStAug.com/ParkingSpotFinder
Street Closures
Rerouting of traffic begins at 8 p.m. and continues until 11 p.m. and includes prohibiting vehicular traffic on the Bridge of Lions, Avenida Menendez, Cathedral Place, and S. Castillo Drive. Additional street closures include:
- Picolata Rd. between US-1 & San Marco Ave. (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.)
- San Carlos between US-1 & San Marco Ave. (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.)
- King St. will have two westbound lanes, and one eastbound lane, west of MLK Blvd. (8:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.)
- King St. will have one westbound lane and one eastbound lane, east of MLK up to Avenida Menendez
- There will be NO eastbound traffic on W. Castillo from U.S. 1 to N. Cordova (8:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.)
- N. Cordova will be closed from Orange St. to the entrance to the Historic Downtown Parking Facility (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.)
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Arriving by Water
The Bridge of Lions will not open for marine traffic, starting after the 8:00 p.m. opening, until approximately 11:00 p.m. Vessels will be prohibited in an area north of the Bridge of Lions to a point approximately in line with Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Marine law enforcement will patrol Matanzas Bay and notify vessels in violation of the prohibited area.
The St. Augustine Municipal Marina will have limited hourly dockage on the 4th of July. Contact the marina directly on VHF CH 16 or CH 71 for availability and docking instructions.
It is important to note that fireworks may be canceled or postponed due to weather given the unpredictability of Florida’s summer rain showers. A cancellation or postponement will likely be a last-minute decision.
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If the fireworks are canceled, the public will be notified on the city website at www.CityStAug.com/Fireworks and on the city’s social media pages at @CityStAug. If a cancellation notice is not posted, then the fireworks are still scheduled.
Fireworks over the Matanzas is produced by the City of St. Augustine with support funding from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.
For more information, visit www.CityStAug.com/Fireworks. Stay up to date with the latest event updates by following @CityStAug and @StAugPD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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