The City of St. Augustine is making changes ahead of its “Fireworks Over the Matanzas” event.

St. Augustine, Fla — In response to the record-breaking 2024-2025 Nights of Lights season and community feedback, the City of St. Augustine is making changes to its Fireworks Over the Matanzas operations as a test run for proposed operational changes for the upcoming Nights of Lights season.

The following changes will be made on Friday, July 4, 2025:

• There will be an additional 134 public portable toilets placed in the parking lot at the corner of St. George Street and Cathedral Place, and 20 portable public toilets added near the Visitor Information Center. View the map here.
• Pedestrian barriers will be installed along Cathedral Place on the north side of the Plaza de la Constitución as a barricade, preventing pedestrians from crossing Cathedral Place in the middle of the block. Pedestrians must cross at the intersection of Cathedral Place at St. George Street and Charlotte Street. It is important to note that Cathedral Place will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at 4:00 pm, between Avenida Menendez and Cordova Street.
• Barricades will be placed at critical intersections in the historic downtown area to block vehicular access.
• Public Safety Assistance and St. Augustine Police officers will be stationed at critical intersections to direct pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
• The American Red Cross will be stationed at the intersection of Cathedral Place and Charlotte Street, near Anderson Circle, distributing water while supplies last and helping as needed to passersby.
• The Broudy’s Lot, located at 198 W. King St., will be open for free parking from 5:00pm until midnight; however, shuttles will not be available. The Broudy’s Lot is within walking distance to downtown, so those who choose to park there may walk to the historic downtown and bayfront.

As a reminder to those who plan to attend Fireworks Over the Matanzas:

• Before you arrive, have an exit strategy.
• Plan to stay downtown after the fireworks display. Allow traffic and people to disperse.
• Be patient. Expect long delays when exiting downtown following the fireworks. It takes all day for people to arrive, and everyone tries to leave at the same time.
• The Historic Downtown Parking Facility is expected to reach capacity early and will be closed. There will be long exit lines when leaving the garage after the fireworks.

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