🇺🇸 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY 2020 ! ! 🇺🇸
🎆 🎉 🏖️ To the land of the free and the home of the brave, long may our star-spangled banner wave!
Enjoy a safe and sparkling Independence Day!
What are your plans to celebrate this July 4th holiday? ⛵ 🍔 🌭 🥂 🎇
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This July 4th Independence Day Celebrations will be a little more relaxed and subdued compared to prior years, but there are still plenty of things to do and virtual events presented by our cities!
Be Still and Enjoy the holidays. Enjoy vacation time. Enjoy time with family and friends. Enjoy time doing nothing.
Follow my Monthly What’s New in South Florida and the Treasure Coast Markets Luxury Homes and Lifestyles – July 2020 post
- Stay up to date on what’s happening each month in the South Florida Market and my website – also visit the What’s New Blog Category for prior posts.
City of Boca Raton July 4th Weekend Events
Follow my Boca Raton Facebook page (left) – Boca Raton Luxury Homes and Lifestyle for posts on country clubs, neighborhoods, and local news and events.
Link to Recorded Video of Week of Red, White and Blue Activities in Boca Raton including Virtual Concert performers. Fireworks and Boca Raton comments are in the last 6 minutes – they miss everyone. There was no embed code so I just posted the link below:
Link to Boca Raton July 4th Celebration Video
July City Connection Newsletter with links to July 4th weekend events plus other news for the month of July
Enjoy a Virtual 4th of July Celebration with “Red, White, & Blue in Boca”
Downtown Boca Raton
Downtown Boca Raton is a prime destination for all visitors and residents for shopping, restaurants and some more recently built downtown luxury condos. There were no specific July 4th activities planned but it’s a great place to visit and walk around.
Here is a link to the DowntownBoca.org website and their Downtown Area map – if you click on the map you can download it as a pdf file. It’s from 2018 so might not be totally up to date but it’s a great reference. Stay up to date on their Downtown Boca Facebook page as well.
It’s Legal Now to Shoot Fireworks on 3 Days in the Year
🎆 It’s now legal in Florida to shoot off fireworks on three days of the year: Jan. 1, July 4 and Dec. 31. 🎆
But cities remind residents to please use caution before blasting off legal consumer fireworks to celebrate America’s birthday. 🇺🇸
Palm Beach County COVID-19 Update: What’s Open and What’s Closed
Posted on County website on Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Updated July 2, 2020 for the July 4th Holiday Weekend:
MANY OF THE OUTDOOR VENUES LISTED BELOW ARE OPEN WITH PRACTICING SOCIAL DISTANCING, MOST INDOOR AREAS AND GROUPS LARGER THAN 10 ARE PROHIBITED. THESE ARE PROBABLY THE GENERAL GUIDELINES EXCEPT FOR THE TEMPORARY BEACHES THIS WEEKEND.
View the Current facility/activity status list on the Parks and Recreation website for details on facility/activity restrictions and what is still closed at this time.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Palm Beach County parks are open sunrise to sunset for one-way walking, running and biking, equestrian riding, picnicking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and use of lakes while practicing social distancing.
- Park visitors must practice social distancing—remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible. The following is also expected of park visitors: follow CDC’s guidelines on personal hygiene prior to visiting parks or trails; do not use parks or trails if exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19; be prepared for limited access to public restrooms or water fountains; share the trail and warn other trail users of your presence as you pass.
- TEMPORARY CLOSURES ARE BASICALLY BEACHES OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND:
- Palm Beach County beaches, including beach parks and related amenities, except for boat ramps, will be closed from 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2020 until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2020. (See Palm Beach County Emergency Order 13)
- Playgrounds, campgrounds, fitness zones, and splashparks ARE CLOSED
- Any INDOOR BUILDINGS AND CLOSE CONTACT VENUES ARE CLOSED
- OTHER OPEN FACILITIES:
- Boat Ramps, canoe and kayak concessions are open
- County Public golf courses are open
- Nature Centers and Trails are open, but not the indoor buildings
- Tennis and basketball, etc courts are open
- Sports fields / open green spaces are open for play
- Morikami Park and Japanese Gardens are open
- Regarding Boca and Delray Private Golf Courses – they are open as well for golfing and tennis with Covid restrictions. The clubs vary on other parts of the club that are open and operating. Some have limited dining rooms open, and spa and fitness. They all offer dining takeout with special weekend and holiday themes. I’m going to do a post on the various clubs but their status could change from week to week.
Per Palm Beach County Emergency Order 12, facial coverings are required in public spaces, including any outdoor areas that are open and regularly accessible, where social distancing in accordance with CDC guidelines is not possible or not being practiced. Individuals are not required to wear facial coverings when actively engaging in exercise and maintaining social distancing in accordance with CDC guidelines.
July is Park and Recreation Month
Boca Raton and all of Palm Beach County Beaches are Closed this July 4th weekend
Palm Beach County has issued an Emergency Order closing all public, municipal and private beaches. This includes all beach parks in Palm Beach County, as well as those in the City of Boca Raton. Closures are from Friday, July 3 at 12:01 am through Sunday, July 5 at 11:59 pm.
🛑 There will be NO PARKING along A1A or pedestrian beach access once the beaches close. www.myboca.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=645
What to Do in 772 Treasure Coast Area on July 4th weekend
Follow my Port St Lucie Facebook page (left) – Port St Lucie Homes and Lifestyle for posts on country clubs, neighborhoods, and local news and events.
Two of the most popular things to do on this holiday weekend – beaches and fireworks – aren’t going to be the same this year because they are canceled or restricted because of the coronovirus pandemic. The Treasure Coast has some other outdoor activities where you can be safe and practice social distancing – boating, fishing and hiking – SEE BELOW.
Even for those who attend Independence Day house parties and backyard barbecues, officials recommended to practicing social distancing and wearing face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Tune into Port St Lucie virtual fireworks display this 4th of July
https://www.cityofpsl.com/Home/Components/News/News/4743/1747
- view on City of PSL youtube channel
Port St Lucie Independence Day Virtual Celebration, July 4th at 9 pm
Here are some other options for Outdoor Activities in the Treasure Coast:
BEACHES
Only Indian River County and Vero Beach residents can go to the beach, as well as those with private beach access in Martin and St. Lucie counties.
Access to beaches in Vero Beach will be restricted to city and Indian River County residents. However, Indian River County beaches will remain open this weekend.
Martin County beaches will be closed from 6 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Monday. St. Lucie County and Fort Pierce beaches, as well as the Fort Pierce Inlet and Avalon state parks, will be closed from Friday through Sunday. County beaches with gates will be locked at sundown Thursday while beaches without gates will have barricades in place by Friday morning. Fort Pierce beaches, including South Causeway Park and Jaycee Park, will be closed from 7 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Tuesday.
BOATING
All boat ramps and sandbars across the Treasure Coast remain open.
You still can use the public boat ramps in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties to take your vessel out in the Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie River, Manatee Pocket or Atlantic Ocean through one of the area’s three inlets. This applies to all types of vessels, from personal watercraft and sailboats to kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.
Pack a cooler with your quarantine crew and head to The Cove along the Fort Pierce Inlet or the Stuart Sandbar to party next to other boats — or go spoil-island hopping.
FISHING
If you don’t have access to a boat but want to go fishing, drop a line at one of the following spots:
- Sebastian Inlet State Park
- Wabasso Causeway Bridge
- Cole Coppola Memorial Fishing Pier in Vero Beach
- South Jetty Park in Fort Pierce
- South Causeway Bridge in Fort Pierce
- Melody Lane Fishing Pier in Fort Pierce
- Wildcat Cove Preserve in Fort Pierce
- D.J. Wilcox Preserve in Fort Pierce
- Vitolo Family Preserve in Fort Pierce
- Jensen Beach Causeway
- Indian RiverSide Park in Jensen Beach
- Twin River Park in Port Salerno
- Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart
- Palm City Bridge
You still need a fishing license to fish from land if you’re between ages 16 and 65, but it’s free. Get it online through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at myfwc.com.
HIKING
It’s typically too hot in Florida to hike or bike during the summertime.
Your best bet to beat the heat is to get out on the trails early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the humidity. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Many local parks and preserves have interpretive trails filled with history and interesting facts. In Port St. Lucie, Spruce Bluff Preserve is 97 acres of marsh and scrub sandwiched between houses off Southbend Boulevard along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. It has two self-guided interpretive trails that teach us how the land was previously occupied by the Ais tribe and a pioneer settlement.
Other fun hikes include Round Island Riverside Park south of Vero Beach and George LeStrange Preserve in Fort Pierce. Blowing Rocks Preserve on Jupiter Island remains temporarily closed. To see a full list of hiking trails, go to your local city or county parks department’s website.