"We're gathering to oppose all this ridiculous spending," organizer Allison Golan says. "The government is actually trying to take over our lives and is not playing the role our Founding Fathers thought it should."

First Coast Tea Party chose July 2 for its "Freedom Rally" for a specific reason. While the nation celebrates Independence Day on July 4, it was actually July 2, 1776 that the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Britain.

Golan says the 5:30 p.m. rally will focus primarily on national headlines and oppose the Climate Change bill and health care reform. She also says the tactic will be a bit different than the April 15th rally which featured a symbolic "tea dump" in the St. Johns River.

"We'll actually have big boxes that demonstrate the national debt and maybe we'll throw some of those boxes overboard," she said.

This afternoon's rally is the first in a series of Independence Day weekend events planned by local anti-tax crowds.

An Orange Park Tea Party is scheduled for noon at the Town Park near City Hall on U.S. 17 and Kingsley. The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine will host a Tea Party from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. on July 5.

Golan expects more rallies in the near future aimed at slowing down rising taxes and fees locally.

"Our local taxes are rising also and between our local taxes going up and our national taxes going up, we will be taxed to death," she said.