Beth Reese CraveyJacksonville Florida Times-Union
Surprise, surprise, the weather in the Jacksonville area for the July 4th holiday and the weekend that follows will be — hot.
State and federal and most local governments that offer air conditioning will be closed. Most offices, banks and many businesses will also be closed. But some grocers, restaurants, pharmacies and services will remain open or operate on reduced hours.
If you can stand the heat, many communities have festivals planned. And temperatures are expected to cool — with little chance of rain — for the multiple nighttime fireworks on offer.
Independence Day falls on a Thursday this year. Here's a roundup of projected weather, what will be closed, what will be open and where to find fun, frolic and fireworks:
What's the Jacksonville-area weather forecast for July 4th?
According to AccuWeather, July 4th will be sunny with 44% cloud cover and a 25% chance of precipitation. The high temperature of 93 and a low of 78. RealFeel will be 102, RealFeel in the shade, 100. Projected high temperatures on subsequent days will be 95 Friday, 99 Saturday and and 98 Sunday, with 60% chance of rain Sunday.
Will Kohl's, Target and Walmart be open on July 4th?
Good news, Kohl's. Target and Walmart will be open on Independence Day and observe normal operating hours.
Will Publix, Winn-Dixie and Kroger be open on July 4th?
Publix and Winn-Dixie will be open with regular hours. Kroger will be open, but hours will vary be location.
Will Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Aldi be open on July 4th?
Food Lion and Harris Teeter will be open with regular hours. Aldi will be open as well, but with modified hours that vary by location.
Will Whole Foods, Fresh Market and Trader Joe's be open on July 4th?
Yes, Whole Foods and Fresh Market will be open with regular hours. Trader Joe's will close at 5 p.m.
Will Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale be open on July 4th?
Costco will be closed on Independence Day. Sam's Club will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while BJ's Wholesale will be open with regular hours.
Will Walgreens, CVS and Dollar General, be open on July 4th?
Walgreens and Dollar General will be open with regular hours. CVS stores will be open on regular hours, but pharmacy hours may vary by location.
Will Home Depot, Best Buy and Lowe's be open on July 4th?
Yes, with regular hours.
Can Florida liquor stores be open on July 4th?
Yes, but sales are prohibited between 12 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Will McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's be open on July 4th?
Yes, but hours ay vary by location.
Will Chick-Fil-A and Arby's be open on July 4th?
Yes.
Will Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden be open on July 4th?
Yes.
Will KFC and Bojangles be open on July 4th?
Yes.
Will Subway, Jersey Mike's and Firehouse Subs be open on July 4th?
Yes, but some Firehouse Subs may have limited hours.
Wil Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbuckscoffee shops open on July 4th?
Yes and Krispy Kreme customers who wear red, white and blue to participating shops on July 4th can get a free Original Glazed doughnut.
Will Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s Pizza and Papa John’s Pizza restaurants be open July 4th?
Yes.
Will Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chili's and Carrabba's Italian Grill be open July 4th?
Yes.
Will Applebee's, Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden be open on July 4th?
Yes.
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Will mail be delivered on July 4th?
No. TheUnited States Postal Servicewill be closed.
FedExwill be closed for most delivery options, but FedEx Custom Critical will be open and FedEx Office will have modified hours.
UPSwill have no UPS pickup or delivery service. SomeUPS Storelocations may be open; UPS Express Critical will remain available.
Will government offices be closed July 4th?
Federal and state offices will be closed for the holiday, as will most city and county governments. Gov. Ron DeSantis also gave state workers the following Friday off for a four-day weekend.
Will garbage be picked up on July 4th?
Yes, in most area locations. The July 4th holiday does not adjust the garbage collection schedule in Jacksonville, Clay County, Nassau County and St. Johns County. But it does in Putnam County — residents whose pick-up day falls on the holiday will have their garbage collected the next day.
When and where are Northeast Florida Independence Day events?
Saturday, June 29
- Macclenny — Food trucks and live music start at 5 p.m. at Memorial/Duck Pond Park, followed by fireworks at dusk. Info:facebook.com/events/3506573812888265.
Wednesday, July 3rd
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp — 6:05 p.m. game against the Charlotte Knights is billed as an Independence Day Celebration with fireworks. Info: milb.com/jacksonville/tickets/promotions.
Thursday, July 4th
- Fernandina Beach — 6 p.m. DJ, food trucks and vendors in downtown Fernandina Beach, 9 p.m. fireworks over the marina. Info: fbfl.us/1122/Upcoming-Events
- Hilliard, Callahan and Nassau County — 4:30 p.m. live music, food vendors, carnival games, pie bakeoff, watermelon eating contest, most patriotic dress contest, fireworks at 9 p.m. Northeast Florida Fairgrounds, 542359 S. Kings Road, Callahan. Info: facebook.com/events/955215026606732
- Jacksonville — 9 p.m. fireworks at Riverfront Plaza, Ray Greene Park, The Avenues mall, Trinity Baptist Church and Ed Austin Regional Park. Info:specialevents.coj.net/Special-Events/Fourth-of-July-Celebration.aspx.
- Jacksonville Beach — 8 p.m. patriotic music by Navy Band at Seawalk Pavilion, fireworks at 9 p.m. at Fishing Pier. 503 N 1st St. Info: jacksonvillebeach.org. City police issued some tips for a successful holiday celebration: report suspicious activity, keep track of your children, collect your trash and follow beach rules, which ban beach driving, alcoholic beverages, glass bottles or charcoal and gas grills and require dogs to be leashed. For the fireworks show, the beach and the water will be closed from 100 feet north and 100 feet south of the pier. Also, some traffic routes will be limited or blocked after 4 p.m. and some turning lanes will be blocked. Here's the list: Florida A1A will have several turning lanes blocked, Beach Boulevard will be limited at certain intersections to westerly traffic, the main travel route for northbound and southbound traffic in the three beach communities will beFlorida. Secondary routes will be Penman Road and then Mayport Road. The main westbound travel routes will be J. Turner Butler Boulevard, Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard. A secondary route will be Wonderwood Drive.
- Keystone Heights — 8 a.m. 5K run, 11 a.m. Sound of Freedom Parade, daylong festival, 5 p.m. concert by Paul Wane and 9:30 p.m. fireworks at Keystone Beach Park. Info: exploreclay.com/event/56th-annual-4th-of-july-celebration.
- Orange Park —5 p.m. Kids’ zone, live music, food trucks and, at 9:15 p.m., fireworks. Moosehaven, 1701 Park Ave. Info:moosehaven.org/american-pride-4th-of-july.
- St. Augustine — 6 p.m. The city's All Star Orchestra plays patriotic favorites, followed at 9:30 p.m. by a 20-minute fireworks display over Matanzas Bay. Info:citystaug.com/744/Fireworks-Over-the-Matanzas. St. Johns County will offer a free shuttle service to Mickler's Landing Beachfront Park and the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 4 through July 7, weather permitting.The shuttles will run every 20 minutes, with the final shuttles departing from the beaches to the designated parking locations at 4 p.m. For updates, go to sjcfl.us/sjc-connectand @SJCBeaches on Facebook and Twitter or St. Johns County Beach Services at (904) 209-0331. Vehicles are permitted on the beach between 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; passes are required and can be purchased with cash at any beach access ramp.For details on beach access, policies, safe driving tips and conditions, go tosjcfl.us/departments/beaches. For guidance on beach safety, go to sjcfl.us/beach-safety.
- St. Marys, Ga. — 7 to 8 a.m. runs, 10 a.m. parade, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. vendors, live entertaiment and activities including watermelon eating and seed spitting and cornhole tournament, 9:15 p.m. fireworks. Info: visitstmarys.com/independence-day-festival-1
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
