St. Augustine celebrates America’s 250th

The Nation’s Oldest City will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in a big way with a variety of events. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

Patriotic Concert

The patriotic fun begins Thursday, July 2, with “Yankee Doodle Dandy – America250 Concert,” presented by First Coast Opera and the EMMA Concert Association. The concert, which will feature early American music and patriotic favorites, will be held at 5 p.m. at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine.

This is a free event for all ages and will conclude with an old-fashioned ice cream social.

Access the building through the Main Branch Library parking lot. Follow the brick path for additional parking in the back.

For further information, go to https://www.firstcoastopera.org/america250.

The Waterworks is available through a partnership with the City of St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.

Independence Celebration at the Castillo

The St. Augustine Music Festival in partnership with the National Park Service will present a special outdoor musical program at the Castillo de San Marcos, 11 S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine. Fife and drum musicians will perform throughout the park. A brass quintet will perform ceremonial fanfares and patriotic selections at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m.

For further information, go to www.staugustinemusicfestival.org/event/independence-celebration-at-the-castillo. Also: https://staugustinemusicfestival.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200531562. It isn’t necessary to order or print tickets, though filling out the forms will help the St. Augustine Music Festival for future grants.

Free admission to fort

From Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, visitors will be admitted to the Castillo de San Marco National Monument for free.

The nation’s oldest masonry fort is the site where captured American colonial soldiers were imprisoned during the Revolution.

The Castillo is located at 11 S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine.

For further information, go to www.nps.gov/casa.

Florida Freedom Tour

This traveling museum celebrates the history of the Sunshine State and will stop Saturday, July 4, in the parking lot of the Castillo de San Marcos, 11 S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine.

Board the 18-wheeler and take in the many exhibits for free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fireworks and music

Perhaps the biggest event of this or any Independence Day celebration in St. Augustine is Fireworks Over the Matanzas.

The festivities get started with a two-hour concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 4. The All-Star Orchestra will perform big band favorites and popular tunes with a patriotic flair at The Plaza de la Constitución at the heart of downtown St. Augustine.

The fireworks begin to light up Matanzas Bay at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 4. The sky show, which is held between the Castillo de San Marcos and the Bridge of Lions, runs for about 20 minutes and is choreographed to a soundtrack of patriotic and popular music.

To make access easier to downtown St. Augustine for visitors, the city offers a free park & ride shuttle service on Anastasia Island. It is donated by Old Town Trolley Tours. Parking and shuttle service will be available from 6 p.m. to midnight on July 4. Locations are:

• Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South

• St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340-C A1A South

• R.B. Hunt Elementary School, 125 Magnolia Drive

Visitors may also park at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, 999 Anastasia Blvd., though there is no shuttle stop there. The nearest shuttle pick-up and drop-off is R.B. Hunt Elementary School.

There is parking downtown, but visitors are encouraged to arrive early to claim a space. Parking in city-owned lots and on-street spaces is free on July 4. However, drivers should verify that they are parked in a city-owned lot and not in a private lot where towing may be enforced.

Parking is also available at the parking garage at 1 Cordova St. next to the Visitor Information Center. The cost is $20 per vehicle per entry, $3 per vehicle with the ParkStAug St. Johns County resident discount.

Note that the Castillo de San Marcos parking lot will be closed on July 4. Vehicles left in the lot overnight from July 3 to July 4 will be towed.

Road closures are expected to begin at 6 p.m. at Cathedral Place, and no vehicle will be allowed between Avenida Menendez and Cordova Street.

Additional closures are expected between 7:30 and 11 p.m. This affects:

• Bridge of Lions

• Avenida Menendez

• South Castillo Drive

• Picolata Road between U.S. 1 and San Marco Avenue

• San Carlos Avenue between U.S. 1 and San Marco Avenue

• North Cordova Street from Orange Street to the parking facility

In addition, there will be some traffic changes (all 7:30 to 11 p.m.):

• King Street west of MLK Boulevard will have two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane

• King Street east of MLK Boulevard to Avenida Menendez will have one lane in each direction.

• No eastbound traffic will be allowed on West Castillo Drive from U.S. 1 to North Cordova Street.

For further information about shuttles, parking and street closures, go to www.citystaug.com/Fireworks.

For those wishing to arrive by water, the Bridge of Lions will not open for marine traffic between 7:30 and 11 p.m. A restricted boating area will be in effect between the Bridge of Lions and the Castillo de San Marcos. The St. Augustine Municipal Marina will have limited overnight slips and hourly dockage on July 4. Contact the marina on VHF Channel 16 or Channel 71 for information.

Departure from the festivities is strictly managed. Here’s a look:

• Traffic from Lincolnville, westbound King Street and Malaga Street will be directed south on U.S. 1

• Traffic leaving the parking garage, West Castillo Drive and the historic district will be directed north on U.S. 1.

• After Avenida Menendez and the Bridge or Lions reopen, southbound traffic on the former and traffic from eastern Lincolnville will be directed across the Bridge of Lions.

For visitors seeking information regarding weather and cancellations, go to the City of St. Augustine website, Facebook page and X; or St. Augustine Police Department Facebook page and X.

Fireworks over the Matanzas is produced by the City of St. Augustine with support funding from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.

Aboard ship

Several professional excursion businesses provide opportunities to see the fireworks and celebrate aboard their ships. Here’s a look at some:

• Black Raven – Live music, complimentary appetizers, specialty drinks for purchase during the fireworks. Open to ages 13-plus. Boarding at 8 p.m., departure at 8:15 p.m. Tickets: $109 per person. Address: 111 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine. www.blackravenadventures.com/home-page/pirate-cruises/july-4th-fireworks

• Fury’s Fourth of July Live Music Sunset & Fireworks Sail – The catamaran departs from the Beaches Marina (250 Vilano Road, St. Augustine) at 7:30 p.m. July 4 and returns at 10 p.m. There will be complimentary beer, wine, margaritas, soda, water and appetizers. Also, live music. Tickets: $149.95. Phone: 844-831-5397. www.furystaugustine.com/live-music-sunset-sail-fireworks-viewing

• Windward at St. Augustine – Gone2Sea Boat Rentals depart from the St. Augustine Shipyard, 117 Dockside Drive, St. Augustine, at 7:30 p.m. This private cruise on the Matanzas River offers sunset views, a front-row seat to the fireworks and a cooler with ice. Bring your favorite drinks and snacks. Limited to six guests. Admission: $650 boat rental plus $200 captain fee. www.gone2seaboatrentals.com

• St. Augustine Sailing – Set sail from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. July 4 on a Sunset Testing Cruise, featuring gourmet cuisine, sommelier-curated pairings and breathtaking views. Tickets are $299 per person. Address: 3076 Harbor Drive, St. Augustine. www.sta-sail.com/sunset-tasting-cruise

• St. Augustine Sailing also offers an exclusive 4th of July Fireworks Sail from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Each guest will receive a gourmet dessert box to enjoy during the fireworks show. Tickets range from $199 to $1,095-plus. For information, go to www.sta-sail.com. Phone: 904-547-2032.

More ways to celebrate

But America’s 250th is too big to be limited to fireworks and similar festivities. St. Augustine offers a lot of other ways to celebrate!

• Stories of American Veterans – The Veterans Day Photography Contest Juried Exhibition focuses on veterans and the American flag in selected works. Admission is free to this exhibition, which will be on display 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the ReFRAME Gallery, 200 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, through Nov. 30. Go to stjohnsculture.com.

• A Moment in Time: America 250 – Plein Air Paintings from America’s First Coast – As America celebrates its semiquincentennial, the Lightner Museum and the First Coast Plein Air Painters present this juried exhibition of Northeast Florida and its place in U.S. history. Support from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council and the St. Johns Cultural Council; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Members admitted free. Admission for all others is $20 for adults; $17 for seniors, students and military; $13 for ages 12-17; $12 for St. Johns County residents; free to ages 11 and younger. Check dates and times, https://lightnermuseum.org/exhibitions/america250. Lightner Museum is at 75 King St., St. Augustine. Phone: 904-824-2874.

• Birth of America Free Tours – Learn about St. Augustine’s role in the Revolutionary War during this free guided walking tour presented by Tour Saint Augustine Inc. at St. Augustine City Walks Food and Wine Tours, 4 Granada St., St. Augustine. For tickets and registration, go to www.staugcitywalks.com. Tours are held every Saturday in July at 6 p.m. Book tours at 904-825-0087. Email is info@toursstaugustijne.com.

• A Day with George and Martha Washington – Cara and Bill Elder, historical re-enactors from Deland, Florida, will present two programs on July 30: 11 a.m. at Anastasia Island Branch Library and 2 p.m. at Southeast Branch Library. Admission is free. Phone: 904-827-6900. Email: rlozano@sjcfl.us. Website: https://sjcpls.librarycalendar.com/event/possible-adult-program-17827.

• When In the Course of Human Events – The St. Augustine Art Association presents this exhibit on the legacy, evolving meaning and truths of America’s founding ideals. Employing various media, artists examine the Declaration of Independence as a means to share our collective past, present and future. St. Augustine Art Association is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is free. Address is 22 Marine St., St. Augustine. Phone: 904-824-2310. Website: staaa.org.

• Building America, The Life and Vision of Franklin W. Smith – Learn about Franklin Webster Smith, the architect of Villa Zorayda and Civil War-era reformer, entrepreneur and early abolitionist. On display through Sept. 30. Admission: $7-$15. Villa Zorayda Museum is open daily at 83 King St., St. Augustine. Phone: 904-829-9887. Website: villazorayda.com

• America 250: 3-course prix fixe menu at Cordova Coastal Chophouse – The Cordova Coastal Chophouse & Bar, 95 Cordova St., St. Augustine, will offer this dining experience inspired by the traditions of the classic American steakhouse through July 31. Cost: $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. For information, go to www.kesslercollection.com/casa-monica/event/america-250-3-course-prix-fixe-menu

• Fourth of July Cookout at AC Hotel St. Augustine by Marriott – Celebrate the holiday with a cookout at AC Hotel St. Augustine, 90 Riberia St., St. Augustine. Prices vary. Dates: July 3-5. Phone: 904-203-5038. For further information, go to https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/jaxsc-ac-hotel-st-augustine-downtown/overview.

• Red, White & Bourbon at AC Hotel by Marriott – This is a First Friday Art Walk event from 5 to 9 p.m. July 3 at AC Hotel St. Augustine, 90 Riberia St. Admission is free. Sponsored by St. Augustine Distillery and the St. Johns Cultural Council, the night will feature the debut of Barrell 4220, a single-barrel bourbon aged exactly 1,776 days. There will be complimentary bourbon tastings, specialty cocktails, live music by The Dunehoppers and a live barrel-painting demonstration by artist Shannon Speakman. There will also be raffle opportunities and a silent auction. Phone: 904-203-5038. For further information, go to https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/jaxsc-ac-hotel-st-augustine-downtown/overview.

• "Red White and Dink” Old Coast Pickleball Fireworks & Social – When: 6-10 p.m. July 4. Where: Old Coast Pickleball, 76 Dockside Drive, Unit 108, St. Augustine. Admission: $15. Enjoy an evening of pickup play, community spirit and patriotic fun! Just bring a paddle. Participants are encouraged to wear red, white and blue and bring a finger food or beverage to share. There will be a group walk to the marina to watch the fireworks display. Phone: 904-900-0700. For further information or tickets, go to oldcoastpickleball.com or https://app.courtreserve.com//Online/Events/Details/7411/JJF1B5O7411555.