REMINDER: Fort Walton Beach gives City Hall an extended pause for Independence Day week, normal city business is scheduled to resume July 7
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – For Fort Walton Beach residents, the Fourth of July holiday will come with a longer pause at City Hall this year.
City offices and facilities will close from Thursday, July 2, through Monday, July 6, 2026, as the city joins the state in recognizing America’s 250th anniversary. The extended closure adds two extra days around the Independence Day holiday and follows the same schedule announced for state offices by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The timing gives city employees a five-day holiday window tied to the nation’s semiquincentennial, a milestone marking 250 years since America’s founding. City operations will return to their regular schedule on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
“As Florida leads the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration, I am pleased to provide state employees additional time to celebrate our country’s founding, participate in America 250 events, and spend time with family and friends honoring the blessings of liberty that generations of Americans have fought to preserve,” said Gov. DeSantis.
Fort Walton Beach’s closure will include Thursday, July 2; Friday, July 3, which will serve as the observed July 4 holiday; and Monday, July 6. While many city offices and facilities will be closed, not every service will stop.
Read also: City proclamation honors St. Simon’s deep roots in Fort Walton Beach community life
The Fort Walton Beach Golf Club will keep normal operating hours during the holiday period. Commercial and residential garbage collection and curbside recycling will also continue on the regular schedule, helping avoid major disruption for households and businesses during the long weekend.
There will be one important sanitation change: yard waste and bulk waste will not be picked up on Thursday, July 2, or Friday, July 3. Residents who normally rely on those services will need to plan around the holiday closure.
Public safety services will remain active. Police and Fire Department emergency responses will not change during the closure. Anyone facing an emergency should still call 911.
Residents who experience a water or sewer emergency while city offices are closed should contact the Fort Walton Beach Police Department Communications Office directly at 850-833-9546.
The extended holiday closure gives the city a rare pause during a historic national anniversary, but essential services will continue where they matter most. Normal city business is scheduled to resume Tuesday, July 7.
