As America celebates the 243rd anniversary of its independence, communities across the First Coast are marking the occasion and long holiday weekend with fireworks and festivities.
Wednesday, July 3
Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blues at First Wednesday Art Walk, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. - The monthly Downtown Art Walk will take on a patriotic theme with a full lineup of entertainment:
Art Walk At Hemming Park
Main Stage – A live blues performance by Vibe RW from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. followed by Groove Coalition from 6:45p.m. - 9 p.m. Free American flags from the red Art Walk tent will be available while supplies last, along with art on display throughout the area.
Kids Zone at Adams Street – Bethany Stockdale will be performing for kids from 5 p.m -9 p.m. Bounce houses, a magic show, activities by My Gym, jump-roping by Jump 4 Jax and more will be available through the evening.
Art & Culture
The Jacksonville Main Library will feature the exhibition Reclaimed Life Beyond the Landfill. Learn about reusing plastics and other materials with Eco Relics. Music by John Drum.
Southlight Gallery – View the exhibit The Three Graces by Nofa Dixon, Dee Roberts, and Nancy Schultz. And at Living Things, an evening of literary performances starts at 7 p.m. in the second-floor gallery as part of The Great American Poetry Crawl.
MOCA Jacksonville – Admission will be free during Art Walk.
Many Downtown restaurants, clubs and businesses will also be open for Art Walk.
Jumbo Shrimp Independence Day Celebration, 7:05 p.m. - 10:05 p.m. - Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The annual Jumbo Shrimp Independence Day game starts with free hats for the first 2,000 fans who arrive. A fireworks show will be held following the game between the Shrimp and Chattanooga Lookouts.
July Third King Street Bar Crawl, 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. - Jackonville's King Street District will be hosting a bar crawl for Independence Day eve starting at Whiteway Deli & Tavern, the pub crawl offers two options. People can either follow the bar crawl path or choose your own adventure.
Thursday, July 4
Downtown Jacksonville fireworks, 9:45 p.m. - The annual celebration will be held along the banks of the St. Johns River with fireworks launched from the Acosta Bridge and from a barge on the river between the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront and the Southbank. Although the Jacksonville Landing is vacant, it still has plenty of prime viewing spots.
Jacksonville Beach fireworks, 9 p.m. - The pier parking lot will be open for seating only for the display of fireworks from the pier.
Downtown Fernandina Beach fireworks, 9 p.m. - Activities begin at 5:30 p.m. with live music along the waterfront, vendors, a kids zone and a patriotic pet contest.
Orange Park fireworks at Moosehaven, 9:20 p.m. - Live performances from Tony Jackson, Kaitlyn Lowe and Lyndie Burris Knowles begin at 5 p.m., along with food trucks, a kids zone and fireworks. Admission is free. Parking will be $5. Coolers and pets are not allowed.
St. Augustine fireworks, 9:30 p.m. – Beginning at 6 p.m., The All-Star Orchestra will play big band and swing music along with patriotic standards before the fireworks show over the Mantanzas River near the Bridge of Lions.
Freedom Festival at Orange Park Mall, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Bounce houses, a rock wall, food trucks and games for the kids will be offered along with a viewing area for the Orange Park fireworks.
Riverside Arts Market Fourth of July Celebration, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. - R.A.M will be hosting a celebration under the Fuller Warren Bridge with a view of the Downtown Jacksonville fireworks show. Live music starts on the main River Stage starting at 6:30 p.m. Several food trucks and beer vendors will also be there.
Amelia Island Firecracker 5K, 6:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Starting at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation, runners will cross the tree-canopied hotel grounds on a scenic route. A Fitness Fun Zone will be open from 7 a.m.- 9 a.m. with a bounce house, music and more.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Admission Special - The zoo will be offering a buy one, get one admission ticket special from July 4-7.
'A Capitol Fourth', 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m.- 11:30 p.m. - For those who prefer to celebrate indoors, WJCT-TV channel 7.1 will be live broadcasting A Capitol Fourth from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, and our troops watching around the world on the American Forces Network.
Friday, July 5
Annual July 5th Beaches Cleanup - The city of Jacksonville and Keep Jacksonville Beautiful are partnering with the Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol for the annual July Fifth Beaches Cleanup following the Independence Day holiday. Volunteers will remove litter and debris along the shoreline.
Participants must be at least 18 or accompanied by an adult, should wear sturdy footwear and sun protection, and should bring their own drinking water. The cleanups will only be canceled in the event of inclement weather.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
Madison Roberts can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or (904)358-6317.
