• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2022
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

July 4 Celebration and Fireworks Will Be a Joint Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and County Production This Year

May 8, 2023 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

july 4 independence day fireworks flagler county flagler beach palm coast
July 4 traffic used to be all one way into the island at sundown, back when the city had its iconic fireworks show off the pier. This year, the city will have its daytime events on July 4, but traffic will be one way in the other direction, toward the county airport, for the fireworks. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County, Flagler Beach and Palm Coast are projecting Independence Day celebrations and July 4 fireworks as a unified cross-county series of events this year, all taking place on July 4, a Tuesday. That’s in contrast with pre-Covid years when Palm Coast and Flagler Beach each conducted their own events separately, on successive days, and the county was left to pay for fireworks at both ends.

Still, but for the fireworks off the Flagler Beach pier, which have not taken place since 2020 and will likely not take place until the pier is rebuilt, several years from now, the day’s events will follow pretty much the same script, with a few variations.




This year the Tourist Development Council, which underwrote some $25,000 worth of fireworks for each of the two cities with revenue drawn from the tourism sales surtax, will not be doing so. Nor will Fireworks by Santore, the long-time provider and Palm Coast-based fireworks company. “They overcommitted so we had to do with someone else, but still somebody who’ll put on a great show, same type of shells,” Brittany Kershaw, Palm Coast’s communications director, said today.

Palm Coast bid out the contract. It was awarded for $30,000 to My Three Sons Fireworks, a two-year-old company based on Boynton Beach Company and owned by Josh Hite. Flagler Beach is contributing $10,000 toward that amount. The fireworks will be set off over the runways at Flagler County Executive Airport at 9 p.m. July 4, an event that last year drew some 10,000 people, with a few glitches.

Last year spectators could park their cars on parts of the tarmac at the airport, as well as on Fin Way at the south end of the airport, and at Flagler Palm Coast High School, where they could hop a shuttle to the airport. This year, runway parking will not be provided. Parking will be provided only on Fin Way and at FPC. But there will be no shuttles, because last year the shuttles got stuck in traffic and the traffic flow was a bit of a mess. Those parking at FPC will have a half-mile hike to the viewing area.




The day will begin in Flagler Beach with a 5-K over the bridge, starting at 6 a.m. The Flagler Beach Rotary will host the traditional 10 a.m. Independence Day Parade down State Road A1A starting at 10 a.m.. Since this is not an election year, spectators will be spared the garish spectacle of pandering candidates, while the Rotary has attempted to limit the number of floats anyway, so the parade doesn’t stretch toward noon.

DJ Vern of 97.3 FM, the Flagler Beach radio station, will host Music in the Park at veterans Park in Flagler Beach from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. As the sun nears the horizon, attention will shift toward the county airport, where gates will open at 5 p.m. Local elected officials will read the Declaration of Independence at 7 p.m. The fireworks will go off at 9.

A Palm Coast release states that there is no charge for entry, parking, or participation. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from a variety of food vendors. No glass bottles are permitted. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will maintain traffic control, crosswalks, and parking along with assistance from the Palm Coast Public Works Department.

The three governments, along with Bunnell, Beverly Beach and Marineland, are purposefully trying to show a united front to counter the impression that the day’s events are fragmented over the landscape. The county bought a website with a url to reflect the approach: unitedflagler4th.com, though for now it’s just one page with schedule of events and the different governments’ logos. Kershaw said it hasn’t been optimized for mobile phones, so it’s a bit unwieldy there. But that’s in the works. In coming weeks the website will include parking and mapping information.

“This is what a community celebration should look like,” Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is quoted as saying in the release. “This is a unique opportunity for everyone in our city and our community to unite and commemorate our great nation’s history and celebrate our freedoms together. We hope to see you there!”




The fact that Flagler Beach is contributing to the joint effort is not opening the door to the fireworks permanently shifting away from the island. “Not at all,” says Scott Spradley, the Flagler Beach city commissioner who more than a year ago chaired the city’s commission-appointed July 4 re-evaluation committee. There’d been talk of perhaps doing away with them and letting palm Coast have the show. That committee’s conclusion was to stick with the fireworks in the future. There were to be fireworks last July but for a major flub that ended up contributing to the woes that led to the firing of the city manager.

“It was always contemplated that fireworks will resume and nothing has happened to change that,” Spradley said. “So we’re still in that gap of time where we don’t have a launch platform, with the pier being closed, and at least two more July 4th without that platform.”

Alternative launch pads have not panned out. In late February, City Clerk Penny Overstreet revealed that the former city manager had asked her to gather bids for possible fireworks, laser and drone shows. The city still had $25,000 set aside for fireworks. Overstreet proposed contributing $10,000 of that to the airport fireworks show, enabling Flagler Beach to be on the promotional material. That’s what the commission eventually agreed to.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
You and your neighbors collectively read our articles about 25,000 times each day (that's not a typo) with up to 65,000 daily reads during emergencies like hurricanes. Flagler County residents rely on FlaglerLive for essential, bold and analytical journalism that cannot be found anywhere else. But we depend on your support. Please join our December fund drive! If you donate the cost of a scoop of ice cream, you will be helping us continue to provide comprehensive local news and honest, serious journalism for our community. If you can donate more or become a monthly donor, even better. Donations are tax deductible since FlaglerLive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donate by clicking anywhere in this box. Think of it as buying a scoop, in every sense of the term!  
All donors' identities are kept confidential and anonymous.
   

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. S. Peters says

    May 8, 2023 at 6:30 pm

    Independence, what an interesting word. Somehow under the thumb of DeSantis there’s not enough independence. Fascism will do that I suppose. Just not feeling it.

    Reply
    • A Concerned Patriot says

      May 11, 2023 at 9:07 am

      You can always move to Venezuela to get a feel for what you’re fighting for…

      Reply
  2. tulip says

    May 9, 2023 at 8:22 am

    How many cars can park on Fin Way? The only other place is FPC, according to this article. That means a half mile walk to get to the fireworks. Not very good for people with handicaps, people. people with kids.

    Reply
    • BigPapa says

      May 10, 2023 at 7:29 am

      Also not great to have hundreds of people crossing SR 100

      Reply
  3. Doug says

    May 9, 2023 at 9:04 am

    The best fireworks have always been a tradition at the Flagler Beach pier. Having lived through the July 4th excitement in the late 70s and early 80’s when we would park one of many vehicles in a prime location at the pier the night before for the daylong celebration. We would bring a keg of beer, food, friends, and party all day that day. Unfortunately, some wouldn’t see the fireworks from their overindulgence in alcohol—memories from a sleepy beach town that will never be the same.

    Reply
  4. James says

    May 9, 2023 at 11:52 am

    ‘… “This is what a community celebration should look like,” Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is quoted as saying in the release. “This is a unique opportunity for everyone in our city and our community to unite and commemorate our great nation’s history and celebrate our freedoms together…’ – Alfin

    Yup, and glad I thought of it.

    Mentioned here in a comment a year or two ago that Alfin and the Major of Flagler Beach (being together at an LGBTQ pride celebration in “Central Park” a few months prior to that years July 4th celebration) should have considered discussing moving the Palm Coast fireworks display to the pier. At the time it seemed still possible to me, and what better way to show true “togetherness” among the two municipalities.

    Of course such an undertaking now, has lost some of it’s authentic symbolism in my opinion… especially now that the old pier is gone.

    Thanks, but no thanks. Just my opinion.

    Reply
  5. BigPapa says

    May 10, 2023 at 5:53 pm

    My suggestion for next.
    Close down the bridge, have a barge set off the fireworks. People can watch from the bridge and surrounding areas. Have the walk way blocked off along the north part of the bridge along with the bike lane on the south side. This was done last year (everything but the bridge being closed) Those who saw it know it was an amazing show.

    Reply
  • Flagler Radio food-a-thon
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • grand living realty
  • Flagler Radio food-a-thon
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Gina Weiss on Hang 8 Dog Surfing Brings Out Throng of a Thousand in Flagler Beach’s Zaniest Contest Yet
  • Not Wrong on School Board’s Sally Hunt Feels Unsafe in Workshops and Asks for Permanent Deputy Security
  • Laurel on DeSantis Will Announce His Presidential Bid From Dunedin
  • Laurel on DeSantis Will Announce His Presidential Bid From Dunedin
  • Laurel on Debt Default Would Be Far Worse Than a Government Shutdown. Here’s How.
  • Evelyn Palmeri on Hang 8 Dog Surfing Brings Out Throng of a Thousand in Flagler Beach’s Zaniest Contest Yet
  • Steve on Palm Coast’s Population at 98,411 in Latest Census Estimate, 18th-Fastest Growing in U.S.
  • Concerned Community Member on School Board’s Sally Hunt Feels Unsafe in Workshops and Asks for Permanent Deputy Security
  • Skibum on Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody Wants Supreme Court to Kill Recreational Pot Initiative
  • The Sour Kraut on A Tattoo Studio Is Approved Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, But Outdated Stigmas Endure
  • Angela Smith on 2023 Sheriff’s Gala Raises $130,000 for Employee Assistance as Attorney General Ashley Moody Headlines
  • Celia Pugliese on 240-Unit Apartment Complex Planned Next to BJ’s Wholesale Club on State Road 100 in Palm Coast
  • Frustrated with no internet on Metronet’s Ultra-Speed Broadband Now Available in 4 Palm Coast Neighborhoods
  • Not a fan of the Peacock on School Board’s Sally Hunt Feels Unsafe in Workshops and Asks for Permanent Deputy Security
  • Jeff on School Board’s Sally Hunt Feels Unsafe in Workshops and Asks for Permanent Deputy Security
  • DaleL on Debt Default Would Be Far Worse Than a Government Shutdown. Here’s How.

Log in