Fireworks Over the Matanzas, the City of St. Augustine’s annual Independence Day celebration, returns Friday, July 4, starting at 6:00pm with The All-Star Orchestra performing a two-hour concert in The Plaza de la Constitución performing Big Band and popular tunes with a patriotic flare.

The 20-minute fireworks display will reach high over Matanzas Bay starting at 9:30pm, choreographed to a stirring soundtrack of popular and patriotic music delivered over an extensive sound system.  The entire Bayfront between the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and the Bridge of Lions will be transformed into a theatre of sight and sound.

Free Park & Ride Shuttle
The City will offer free satellite parking and shuttle service on Anastasia Island, donated by Old Town Trolley Tours.  Parking and shuttle service will be available from 6:00pm until midnight from parking locations along Anastasia Blvd.:

• Anastasia Baptist Church (1650 A1A South),
• St. Augustine Amphitheatre (1340-C A1A South),
• R.B. Hunt Elementary School (125 Magnolia Dr.) and
• *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.

The shuttle will drop passengers at the intersection of Flagler Blvd at Gerado St. as well as Flagler Blvd west of Gerado St. between 9:30pm and 11:00pm. No eastbound traffic will be allowed per the St. Augustine Police Department.

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 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 Friday, July 4, 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.

The Historic Downtown Parking Facility, adjacent to the St. Augustine & St. Johns County Visitor Information Center at 1 Cordova Street, offers parking for $20.00 per car, per entry or $3.00 with the ParkStAug St. Johns County resident discount.

Parking in the lot at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is not free and is enforced from 8:00am - 9:00pm, seven days a week, including federal holidays.  There will be no vehicular access to or from the Castillo’s parking lot on July 4th from 6:00pm until approximately 11:00pm.

Street Closures
Street closures will begin as early as 4:00pm at Cathedral Place with no vehicular access from Avenida Menendez to Cordova Street.

Additional closures will begin at approximately 8:00pm and continuing until approximately 11:00pm, with vehicles prohibited on the Bridge of Lions, Avenida Menendez, and S. Castillo Drive.

There will be NO east bound traffic on King Street from US-1 starting at approximately 9:00pm.

There will be NO east bound traffic on W. Castillo from US-1 to N. Cordova starting at approximately 8:00pm.

Additional street closures starting at approximately 8:00pm, include:

• N. Cordova from Orange St. to the Historic Downtown Parking Facility entrance
• San Carlos between US-1 and San Marco Ave.
• Picolata Rd. between US-1 and San Marco Ave.

All efforts will be made to re-open roads between 11:30pm and 12:00am.  However, due to the volume of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, all times are estimated and subject to change.

Modifications to the road closures may be made at any time at the discretion of the St. Augustine Police Department without advance notice to ensure public safety.

Arriving by Water
The Bridge of Lions will not open for marine traffic, starting after the 8:00pm opening, until approximately 11:00pm. 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 overnight slips and 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 cancelled 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. If the fireworks are cancelled, the public will be notified on the city website at www.CityStAug.com 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.  Complementary shuttle service is generously donated by Old Town Trolley Tours.

For more information, visit www.CityStAug.com/Fireworks. Stay up to date with the latest event updates by following @CityStAug and @StAugPD on Facebook and X.

For media inquiries, contact Melissa Wissel, Communications Director, at 904.293.3307 or via email at mwissel@citystaug.com.