Construction fencing has closed the boards at 350 A1A Beach Boulevard since May 13. Under the pier, the area has been off limits, and swimmers and surfers have been asked to stay 500 feet back while crews work on the pilings. On the land side, the Pier Gift Shop still sells hot coffee and ice cream, and the Wednesday market still sets up on the lawn. St. Johns County still expects the repair to be done by the end of November 2026.
When it reopens, the pier joins a park schedule that kept going all year without it. The four acres around the pier run the holiday season at St. Augustine Beach, and the schedule for the next seven weeks was set up to work whether or not the pier was open.
The repair started with a beach renourishment
This project goes back further than most people remember. In late August 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was renourishing the beach, and the work exposed support pillars that normally sit underwater. St. Johns County Facilities Maintenance workers saw what looked like decay on several of them. The county brought in a structural engineering firm, and on its advice closed the last 100 feet of the pier, both on the deck and underneath.
Here is how the project has moved since then:
- August 30, 2024. The county closes the final 100 feet for a pillar assessment. The rest of the pier stays open for sightseeing.
- January 2025. First Coast News reported that the pier reopened to paid fishing while the end stayed closed for maintenance review.
- May 13, 2026. The whole pier closes so the pilings can be repaired and strengthened. The St. Augustine Record reported a closure window of May 13 to November 30, along with the loss of the northern beach access.
- End of November 2026. This is the county's expected completion date, and it is still the date on the county beaches page as of mid-October.
The timing drew complaints when the closure began. In First Coast News coverage of reactions to the closure, St. Augustine resident Luciane Timoteo said, "It would have been better when the tourists aren't trying to get up here." In the same story, Alex Salvatore said he had been going to the pier for about 20 years and called the repair "awesome," adding, "It's been a while since something has been done to it." If the work finishes on schedule, the summer season Timoteo was worried about will be over and the pier will come back just before the park's busiest weeks of the year.
Most of the park never closed
The county planned the closure around the parts of the park that stayed open. Its notice says permitted events at Ocean Pier Park would not be affected, the Pier Gift Shop would stay open, and the effect on parking near the pavilion would be minor. Those open spaces are what the holiday events are built around.
According to the county's fishing piers page, the four-acre park includes:
- Free parking
- A splash park and playground
- Picnic tables, restrooms and outdoor showers
- Lighted beach volleyball courts
- Beach access and a covered pavilion
- The Pier Gift Shop, which rents beach chairs, umbrellas and fishing poles and sells bait, tackle, refreshments and ice cream
Beach access still has one change until the work is done. The northern beach access point is closed for the whole project, and the south entrance is the way onto the sand.
Wednesday mornings carry the park through December
The farmers market is the park's longest-running weekly event, and it kept its schedule all through the closure. The Wednesday Pier Farmers Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon at Ocean Pier Park. According to Florida's Historic Coast, about 60 to 80 vendors sell produce, baked goods, prepared food, arts and crafts, and admission is free. The market is held in the park and not on the pier, which explains why the closure did not affect it.
For anyone reading this on November 12, the market has seven Wednesdays left in 2026:
- November 18 and November 25
- December 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
The December 23 and December 30 markets fall on the last two Wednesdays before Christmas and before New Year's Eve. For vendor questions, the county points people to the market's own site.
The park's next-door neighbor also has a date on the calendar before then. Harvest & Reel, the restaurant at Embassy Suites at 300 A1A Beach Boulevard, is serving Thanksgiving dinner on November 26 from 5 to 9 p.m., and reservations are required.
December 12 fills the park from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The second Saturday in December shows best how much the park can take on without the pier. Two separate organizations have booked the same address for the same day, and their events run back to back.
| Time | Event | Host | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Dec. 11, 3 to 7 p.m. | Packet pickup for the 5K | St. Augustine Youth Services | At ROAR Training Center, 2085 A1A S |
| Saturday, Dec. 12, 8 a.m. | 14th Annual Santa Suits on the Loose 5K | St. Augustine Youth Services, presented by Herbie Wiles Insurance | Starts at the pier; flat course through St. Augustine Beach neighborhoods; $30 registration |
| After the race | Post-race party | Same | Face painting, live music and "snow" |
| Saturday, Dec. 12, 3 to 7 p.m. | 7th Annual Holiday Market | City of St. Augustine Beach | Free; local makers, food, holiday gifts, Santa and the Grinch |
Visit St. Augustine's event page says the first 75 people to register can pick either a Santa suit or a t-shirt, later registrants get a Santa-themed shirt, and every finisher gets a medal. Race proceeds go to St. Augustine Youth Services, which runs family-style group homes and offers counseling, care and coaching for at-risk youth. Registration is on RunSignup.
The afternoon belongs to the city. The city calendar lists the Holiday Market at 350 A1A Beach Boulevard on December 12 from 3 to 7 p.m. According to Florida's Historic Coast, local artists, makers, small businesses and food vendors will sell handmade items, art and holiday gifts, Santa and the Grinch will be there for photos, and admission is free. Visit St. Augustine's listing also mentions food trucks and warns that the Grinch "may be seen lurking around corners." This is the seventh year of the market, so its organizers have been working the park lawn and pavilion since well before anyone was inspecting pilings.
The St. Augustine Christmas Parade is the Saturday before, December 5, and it runs through Historic Downtown from the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche to the Visitor Information Center. The island's own holiday weekend is December 12.
What the pier will cost when it reopens
The fee schedule will matter again once the fencing is gone. The county's posted rates give county residents a clear discount:
| Pass | St. Johns County resident | Nonresident | Military or handicapped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily fishing | $5 | $8 | $3 |
| 12-month fishing pass | $50 | $80 | $30 |
| Sightseeing | $3 | $3 | $3 |
Fishing is free for children under 6 and for county residents over 60. A $60 family sightseeing pass covers up to six family members. At these prices, a county resident who fishes ten times in a year would pay $50 in daily fees, the same as the annual pass. The pass is cheaper for anyone who fishes more than that, and it covers all the months the pier was closed for anyone who plans to make up for them.
The surf zone goes back to its normal rule when the pier reopens. During construction, swimmers and surfers have been asked to stay 500 feet away. The standing rule bans swimming and surfing within 400 feet of the pier.
December 31 ends the year at the pier
The city's last event of 2026 uses the pier as one of its viewing spots. The New Year's Eve beach fireworks start at 8:30 p.m. on December 31, and the event listing names three places to watch: the pier, A Street and 10th Street. It also mentions shuttle service and several parking options. There is no festival at the pier this year, so the night is just the fireworks.
If the county finishes on schedule, New Year's Eve will be the first big night on the reopened pier, about 33 days after its expected completion date. If the work runs late, A Street and 10th Street are still open, and the park lawn will have hosted seven more Wednesday markets, a 5K and a holiday market by then.
If you're thinking about how close you want to live to the pier, the Wednesday market or the A Street beach access, Eric Womack Properties knows St. Augustine Beach block by block and can help you sort out which streets fit your weekly routine. Let's Connect.
