ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Tens of thousands of spectators gathered Friday night for St. Augustine’s popular Independence Day celebration, “Fireworks Over the Matanzas,” as city officials implemented new safety measures to manage the massive crowds.
The annual fireworks display over the bayfront in downtown drew 50,000 visitors from across the country, where enhanced security and crowd management protocols were put in place.
St. Augustine City Manager David Birchim detailed several new measures implemented for this year’s celebration.
“We have installed what are called Meridian barricades around the pedestrian areas downtown. These are devices that don’t allow vehicles to pass through. So we’re armoring up and protecting our pedestrian areas,” Birchim said.
The city also placed 143 additional public restrooms near the plaza and restricted traffic on Treasury Street and St. George Street to improve pedestrian safety and movement.
Watch the entire celebration below:
“We’re excited,” Daphne Darbouze, a visitor from Washington D.C., told news4JAX before the display. “We had chairs. We had food, and now we’re ready to enjoy the show. Relax, be with family.”
Laura Cepero, visiting from Fort Myers, praised the atmosphere of the celebration.
“If you want a good vibe, this is the place to be. It’s very laid back, and couldn’t ask for anything more,” she said.
For many attendees, the celebration held deep personal significance. Darbouze, who is also an immigrant, emphasized the importance of unity during the national holiday.
“No matter the narrative right now, whether you’re left or right, for me, it is coming together. It is the togetherness of us as a people that makes this celebration worth celebrating,” she said. “As immigrant child, I think it is important for me to celebrate the country that welcomed us.”
Cepero shared how her family’s diverse background shapes their appreciation of the holiday. “I have a family of military. His family are all immigrants, so we both understand the concept of freedom and what it means, but it means differently to everybody,” she said.
