From City of St. Augustine, evidence of some better planning that we hope will help make for a better Nights of Lights during the holidays in November and December 2025 and January 2026:
June 24, 2025
City makes modifications for pedestrians, vehicles downtown for Fireworks Over the Matanzas
Changes made to improve public safety, traffic congestion, crowd management
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 to 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 as well as 20 portable public toilets being 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 will be required to cross at the intersections 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 4:00pm, between Avenida Menendez and Cordova Street.
· Meridian vehicle 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 offering assistance 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 following the fireworks.
For media inquiries, contact Melissa Wissel, Communications Director, at 904.293.3307 or via email atmwissel@citystaug.com.
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3 comments:
Whatever happened to the St Augustine Tea Party? I know they were doing terrorist marches in town during the first Trump train wreck. Did they completely fizzle out or what?
Doug Russo supposedly attacked on St George Street this month.
https://saintaugustineteaparty.org/
It was 20 years ago this month when DOUG RUSSO allegedly misled young people into picketing our peaceful Gay Pride event on Cuna Street, after federal court ordered Rainbow flags to fly in honor of Pride month. My late friend and mentor, J.D. Pleasant, videotaped their provocations. My friend Aubrey Skillman wrote about it for The Collective Press, in an article that we co-wrote, establishing that their anti-Gay animus came from misguided misinterpreted church teachings. One young alleged said that RUSSO kicked him in the testicles at the Bridge of Lions. When I attempted to persuade an SAPD bicycle officer to investigate, he refused to do so. That officer was Barry Fox, who during the 1990s actively served as the point man in rousting our artists and entertainers from St. George Street. By all accounts, SAPD Officer Barry Fox later became an honorable SAPD Police Chief, and now a code enforcement officer. But twenty years later, it appears that RUSSO remains uncouth, unkind and unChristian, acting like an energumen, requiring strict scrutiny at School Board meetings where he hates on Gays and minorities. God forgive him. Pray for RUSSO and his ilk. God forgive DOUG RUSSO and anyone else who hates on LGBTQ+ people and seeks to get votes from it. As Abraham Lincoln would say, are they al guilty of "idolatry that practices human sacrifice?" You tell me, my friends.
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