The St. Pete Pier is the Place to Be for a 3-Day 4th of July Celebration
2020 was not a great year for many things – including fireworks.
Fortunately, The St. Pete Pier is making up for it in a big way with a three-day event dubbed, simply, “The Fourth.” The calendar has cooperated, too: July 4th falls on a Sunday this year, with most people getting Monday off. That means there’s no reason not to turn out for this incredible celebration!
Along with a dazzling fireworks display, The Fourth will also feature the inaugural St. Pete Pier Run, lots of live music and plenty of other fun things to see and do.
Here’s a rundown of a full weekend’s worth of events:
Friday, July 2nd
The party starts at 5:00 p.m. when Food Truck Alley at Pier Point and the Gulp Coast Beer Garden at Family Park open. Musicians and other performers will be showing off their talents in the Busker & Entertainer Zone at Pier Plaza. A Karaoke/Open Mic Night gets things rocking on the Great Lawn at Pier Point.
At 6:00, Family Park hosts a Silent Disco where you can don your headphones or earbuds and dance to the songs of your choice. The party will pick up even more as it gets dark and the dancing continues under the lights of the Bending Arc sculpture. Even if you’re not the dancing type, stop by and have a look. A crowd of people dancing to the beat of their own drummers makes for excellent people-watching.
At 8:30, the Tilted Lawn becomes an open-air movie theater for Movies at the Pier, which features a showing of – what else? – Independence Day, the 1996 hit film starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox and Bill Pullman. Malevolent forces try to destroy the world over the Fourth of July weekend. But with Will Smith on the job, you know that’s not happening.
Saturday, July 3rd
The Visit St. Pete/Clearwater main stage opens at noon with live music running until 10:00 p.m. on the large grass expanse of Spa Beach Park. Also at noon, The Busker & Entertainer Zone and the Gulp Coast Beer Garden pick up from Friday.
Likewise, Karaoke/Open Mic and Food Truck Alley open at 5:00, and at 6:00, the Silent Disco resumes its quiet dance party.
St. Pete Pier Run participants can pick up their packets from noon to 6:00 p.m. at Spa Beach Park. And for some extra kicks, there will be a 40-yard dash tournament and a pie-eating contest. Make sure and stroll through the Expo at Spa Beach.
Movies on the Pier at 8:30 features Independence Day: Resurgence, a sequel released 20 years after the original. This time, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman fight alongside Liam Hemsworth.
All Saturday festivities take place at the same Pier venues that they did on Friday.
Sunday, July 4th
Happy 245th Birthday, America!
The Fourth gets going early with the St. Pete Pier Run, which follows a four-mile course that heads south from The Pier, goes by the Dali Museum and other landmarks, and ends back where it all began. Wave 1 — runners only — goes off at 6:30 a.m. Wave 2 — for more leisurely runners and walkers — heads out at 7:30. Click here for detailed information on the race and how to participate.
Physical fun continues at 10:00 a.m. with Pilates on the Pier, a free class conducted by Rare Body Studio at Spa Beach Park (bring your own mat, towels and water). That’s followed at 11:00 with PE on the Pier, presented by Rare Body Kids and featuring agility courses, races and other events. (Don’t forget water for the young ones.)
The Busker & Entertainer Zone, Food Truck Alley and Gulp Coast Beer Garden open shop again at noon. The Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Main Stage picks up with live music starting at 2:00, and the Silent Disco and Karaoke/Open Mic start up again at 5:00.
Then, at 9:00 p.m., it’s time for the main attraction. An epic fireworks show returns to The ‘Burg for the first time in two years! If you’ve seen past shows on the St. Petersburg waterfront, you know the city doesn’t skimp. The first shots go up at dark and the blasts last a good while, with a grand finale that will take your breath away. The fireworks are easily visible throughout downtown, but we can’t think of a better place to witness them than the St. Pete Pier, which juts out into Tampa Bay and offers terrific views.
So join us for a celebration you’ll never forget! If you want to do some planning for your Fourth festivities, visit this page to view a map of the event.