These Florida Towns Throw Legendary 4th Of July Celebrations

The 27th state to join the Union (it was admitted on March 3, 1845), Florida treats Independence Day with the panache you’d expect from the country’s leading vacation destination. Across the Sunshine State, local governments and tourism boards from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf Coast put on fun festivals that celebrate the 4th of July with enough patriotic pageantry to rival the displays put on by many bigger cities.

The best of them make use of their unique geography and heritage to provide event calendars chock-full of music concerts, fun parades, and breathtaking firework finales that make you glad to be a part of the party. So, pull up a ringside deck chair and settle in as we take a look at these Florida towns that throw legendary 4th of July celebrations.

St. Augustine

America’s oldest permanently occupied European settlement, St. Augustine, turns its Spanish-colonial downtown into one vast open-air fun zone for its July 4 Fireworks Over the Matanzas celebration. The party begins at 6 p.m. in the 16th-century Plaza de la Constitución, where the All-Star Orchestra will play a medley of big-band standards and patriotic medleys.

Then, from 9:30 to 9:50 p.m., more than 5,000 firework shells will be launched from barges anchored in the Matanzas River, lighting up the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and the Bridge of Lions, two of the city’s best-known landmarks. The best views can be had at the bayfront seawall from the fort south to St. Francis Field, and the city’s parking garage will extend its hours to handle the larger-than-normal holiday crowds.

If you’re planning on making a getaway of it, daytime programming includes ranger-led tours at the Castillo, cannon firings at the Colonial Quarter, and family picnics at Anastasia State Park. As for accommodations within earshot of the fireworks and fun, the 1888-built Casa Monica Resort & Spa offers rooftop viewing, while the Marker 8 Hotel & Marina boasts balconies facing the launch zone over the river.

Mount Dora

Mount Dora pushes its Independence Day celebrations forward a day to July 3, with the Freedom on the Waterfront festival in Elizabeth Evans Park. Beginning at 5 p.m., food trucks and vendors offer up tasty food and unique crafts while tribute bands cover classics from swing to southern rock. At 9:15 p.m., fireworks lift off from barges set up on Lake Dora, a superb backdrop for the town’s most anticipated community occasion.

Holiday activities spill over into the morning of July 4 with an old-fashioned Independence Day Parade down Donnelly Street and a Firecracker 5K that loops tree-lined Lakeshore Drive. Those wanting to get out onto the water should check out Premier Boat Tours, a local business operating a special Independence Day Sunset & Fireworks Cruise from the historic Lakeside Inn with a water-level vantage point on the pyrotechnics. While you’re at it, book a night or two at this built-in-1883 inn. It’s Florida’s oldest continually operating hotel and offers reduced dockage fees for guests arriving by boat.

Cocoa Beach

Located close to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach is an ideal spot for a Fourth of July getaway. The town’s Independence Day fun includes a fireworks spectacle over the Indian River Lagoon. Best viewed from the Riverfront Park in Cocoa Village (bring a blanket and/or deck chairs), a free pre-show concert by the Brevard Symphony Orchestra is a good excuse to arrive early.

July 4 also coincides with Cocoa Beach’s 100th anniversary, so the town is splurging on a few extra treats for visitors and residents to enjoy. Highlights include what promises to be an excellent drone light show on Saturday July 5 at 8:45 p.m. being held over Cocoa Beach City Hall. Between these two evening events, pay a visit to the space-age exhibits at Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral, shop at the original Ron Jon Surf Shop.

Thinking of staying for a few nights? Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort offers a private shuttle service to both event locations, while the retro-chic Beachside Hotel & Suites features a lazy river so you can linger outside until showtime.

Stuart

Popularly known among fisherfolk as the Sailfish Capital of the World, Stuart centers its National Holiday around Flagler Park on the St. Lucie River. There, the town’s Stars & Stripes Fireworks show erupts into action at 9 p.m. sharp for one of the best small-town displays on Florida’s lovely Treasure Coast. Regular fireworks goers will grab benches along the Riverwalk, a quarter-mile boardwalk linking downtown to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center.

Festivities kick off earlier in the day with a 10 a.m. parade of more decorated golf carts rolling through downtown for the 3rd Annual Golf Cart Parade, a fun spin on traditional main street processions. A kids zone, food trucks, and live music on the Riverwalk Stage will keep everyone busy until nightfall.

Other fun things to do in Stuart over the Fourth of July Weekend include checking out a show at the historic Lyric Theatre, built in 1925 and still going strong, and popping into the Stuart Heritage Museum for a primer on local history. Overnight options include the Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa in nearby Jensen Beach, which is a great option. The Old Colorado Inn is steps away from the best eateries and bars in Historic Downtown Stuart, as well as the town’s lovely Riverwalk.

Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island

Up in Florida’s Panhandle, Fort Walton Beach partners with neighboring Okaloosa Island for a two-day Independence Party extravaganza. The fun kicks off at Landing Park with food trucks, children’s games, and live music before a 9 p.m. grand fireworks show. Spectators line the sugar-white sand beside the 1,262-foot Okaloosa Island Pier or plant deck chairs on the Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island.

Fun things to do in Fort Walton in the lead up to the evening events include watching colorful displays of marine life gliding in flood-lit tanks at the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, and visiting the Indian Temple Mound Museum for its fascinating displays of early Native American life. If you don’t mind getting wet, the artificial reefs at Ross Marquez Park are perfect for snorkeling adventures.

As for accommodations, check the availability at The Island Resort for its DJ pool party on July 4, or Beal House Fort Walton for its balcony-view rooms that look directly toward the fireworks.

Florida’s small-town Independence Day events prove that authentic, memory-making celebrations can thrive far from megacity stadiums. Each community featured here combines manageable crowds with marquee settings, be it a 350-year-old fortress or a Gulf-front pier, enabling visitors to absorb local traditions while enjoying the country’s most important National Holiday. Together, these Florida towns throw some of the most legendary 4th of July celebrations you’re ever likely to experience.