ST. JOHNS & CLAY COUNTIES, Fla. – Several Independence Day events are taking place Thursday in St. Johns and Clay Counties.
St. Augustine is celebrating Independence Day with a concert and fireworks show Thursday night.
A concert with patriotic music is open to the public at 6 p.m. at the Plaza de la Constitucion.
A fireworks display begins at 9:30 p.m. at the Castillo de San Marcos. The best place to see the show is on the bayfront, between the Bridge of Lions and the fort.
Police estimate more than 60,000 people will pack into downtown St. Augustine to see fireworks. If you're heading down, police urge you to be patient. It can take awhile to get out of the historic district after the show.
If you're coming in from north of the city, police suggest taking Ponce de Leon Blvd. North to State Road 16 or Lewis Speedway.
If you're coming from the south, take King Street to Ponce de Leon Blvd. into downtown.
Orange Park:
In Orange Park you can see fireworks Thursday at the Moosehaven Lodge at 1701 Park Avenue starting at 8:30 p.m. Police are expecting thousands to show up. Tickets cost $5 to get in.
Clay County:
Clay County is starting the celebration early. The Middleburg Civics Association is hosting a parade at 9 a.m. at 2102 Palmetto Street. There will be another parade starting in downtown Keystone Heights at 11 a.m.
Parade organizers recommend bringing your own lawn chair for roadside seating and a bucket to collect candy from the people on parade floats.
Law enforcement urges everyone to be familiar with the laws about fireworks in Florida.
The only legal fireworks are at the sparkler type. If it explodes or leaves the ground, it is illegal.
And police ask people setting off their own fireworks to be considerate of their neighbors. Fireworks-related noise complaints usually increase after midnight Friday. Before then, most residents are tolerant of the extra noise.