St. Augustine, Fla. (June 20, 2024) – Florida’s Historic Coast celebrates the 4th of July with events throughout the holiday week, including one of the largest fireworks shows on the Eastern seaboard.
Fireworks over the Matanzas kicks off at 6 p.m. in downtown St. Augustine with a free musical performance in the Plaza de la Constitucíon by the All-Star Orchestra. The two-hour show features big band, swing, and patriotic music. The fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m., with over 5,000 individual shells shot from a barge moored in the Intracoastal Waterway.
Visitors can enjoy the show from several locations. Free viewing is available throughout the city. The best spots are from the Castillo de San Marcos, along the Matanzas Bay, and from the Bridge of Lions, as well as the southern end of Vilano Beach and Vilano Beach Boat Ramp. Dozens of downtown restaurants offer balcony and patio viewing, while tours aboard one of St. Augustine Sailing’s luxury vessels or Florida Water Tours provide an exciting view of the fireworks from the water.
Parking for Fireworks Over the Matanzas is available throughout Downtown St. Augustine, but road closures will affect traffic flow beginning at 8:30 p.m. A free park-and-ride shuttle for Anastasia Island is available from 6 to 11 p.m.
Heading to the beach? Get there July 1-4 with a free beach shuttle to Mickler’s Landing Beachfront Park at Ponte Vedra Beach and the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier at St. Augustine Beach.
For more downtown music, Colonial Oak Music Park announces the return of Oakfest, a free 5-day music series from July 3-7 that celebrates the eighth anniversary of the musical venue. Concerts are family-friendly and showcase the region’s most popular local performers.
The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is hosting an Independence Day Weekend Oceanfront Cookout July 4-7, complete with sandcastles, movies, a dive-in movie, and more. While south of St. Augustine on A1A Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa offers guests a Star-Spangled Cookout Buffet, complete with a grand fireworks finale on the 6th.
Right off I-95 and less than an hour from Jacksonville and Daytona Beach International Airports, Florida’s Historic Coast is closer than it seems. Use the trip planner to learn more about history and celebration in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches.
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Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, the rural beauty of Hastings, Elkton, St. Johns, and 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches. Visitor Information Centers are located at 10 Castillo Drive, St. Augustine; 200 Solana Rd. Suite B, Ponte Vedra Beach: and at the St. Johns County Beach Pier Park, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach. For advance travel information, call 1.800.653.2489 or go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com. Check us out on social media Instagram @FloridasHistoricCoast; @ViajaStAugustine, Facebook.com/OfficialStAugustine, and Facebook.com/ViajaStAugustine and Twitter @FlHistoricCoast
