22 TH ANNUAL NIGHTS OF LIGHTS IN ST. AUGUSTINE FLORIDA

Every Night from Nov. 21, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016

ST. AUGUSTINE’S NIGHTS OF LIGHTS 2014 RETURNS TO FLORIDA’S HISTORIC COAST WITH SURF ILLUMINATION, WINTER WONDERLAND AND FESTIVAL OF TREES.

St. Augustine’s holiday season will sparkle to life November 22 with the beginning of the famedNights of Lights holiday festival. The illumination of millions of white lights throughout the historic district of the nation’s oldest city draws tens of thousands of visitors and holiday revelers each year.

The 22th Annual Nights of Lights celebration runs from November 21, 2015, through January 31, 2016, in St. Augustine, Fla. The festival starts with a countdown with Light Up! Night on November 21, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. in the Plaza de la Constitucion. Holiday music and the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree add to the splendor of one of the world’s greatest holiday light displays.

Nights of Lights can be enjoyed on foot or aboard one of the trains, trolleys, carriages or vintage cars that run every evening from November 21 through end of January.

Nights of Lights continues to gather praise from travel leaders worldwide:

•     For the last two consecutive years, National Geographic Traveler declared St. Augustine one of the Top 10 Places in the World to view holiday lights
•     In 2011, the American Bus Association named the annual spectacle one of the Top 100 Events in the U.S.
•     In 2009, AAA called St. Augustine one of the 12 best places in the U.S. and Canada to experience holiday cheer

Many historic landmarks and locations are beautifully illuminated during Nights of Lights. The waters of Matanzas bay glow from the nightly reflections of lights along the bay walk and the Bridge of Lions. The Plaza de la Constitucion shines from the top of trees and throughout the famous center of St. Augustine’s historic district. The 125-year-old Hotel Ponce de Leon, now the campus of Flagler College, is outlined in lights. And the Lightner Museum, once a resort hotel also built by Flagler, is lit so brilliantly it is a favorite among visitors.

Nights of Lights is inspired by the tradition of marking the holiday season with a single white candle burning in a window at each home during the nearly 250 years when St. Augustine served as the capital of Spanish La Florida. Today, Nights of Lights continues that tradition in a grand style reflecting the city’s 448 years of history. Visitors and residents can also enjoy a wide range of memorable holiday events and activities during Nights of Lights.

Check out these local tours during Nights of Lights.

• Holly Jolly Nights of Lights Trolley
• Ripley’s Red Train Nights of Lights
• Nights of Lights Lovers’ Carriage Tour

Read more: 

http://www.nationsoldestcity.com/2015/11/nights-of-lights-in-st-augustine-fl/

Easter Promenade & Easter Parade 2015 in St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine’s 57th Annual Easter Promenade – Beginning at 12:30 p.m. the St. Augustine Easter Festival will host the 57th Annual Easter Promenade. Wear your best Easter bonnets and boutonnieres to participate.

Prizes will be awarded for the Most Creative Hat, Prettiest Hat, Best Dressed woman, man, boy, girl and pet as well as the largest family and the family from the farthest away. Registration begins at noon.

Easter Parade of the Horse Carriages & Hats – This is a decades old parade of horse carriages and hats on Easter Sunday.  Included this year is the Adjutant General of the Florida National Guard riding in a Humvee.  Features marching bands, floats, drill teams, clowns, the Easter Bunny, and the Royal Family. The parade begins at 3 p.m. at the Old Jail to the Castillo de San Marcos and continues through downtown streets of St. Augustine.   The parade lasts approximately 1.5 hours. 

Trophies will be presented in four categories.

Attractions You Probably Didn’t Know Existed in St. Augustine

St. Augustine, FL is a major US tourist attraction, appealing to travelers all over the world who come to fall in love with its historical character and romantic charm. As America’s oldest town, a wealth of well-preserved buildings provide a glimpse of life in the 18th century, and spectacular white sand beaches stretch for miles, contributing to some of the most pristine coastline Florida has to offer.

Castillo de San Marcos is an impressive Spanish Fort which has stood for the past 500 years, and pedestrians enjoy St George Street which is the focus of the historic district, with heritage museums, shopping galore and an authentic Old Jail.

It’s likely you already knew about highly publicized St. Augustine attractions such as the Colonial Spanish Quarter and the Fountain of Youth. But to limit your visit to only these attractions would be a shame, as St. Augustine has so much more to offer.

Here are the top attractions you probably didn’t know existed in St. Augustine, and note that if you’re looking for ways to get a cheap hotel in St Augustine, go to Hipmunk’s St Augustine Hotels guide page.  There you’ll find out what the average price per hotel is during the season, and whether or not you should tempt fate with lodging at a hostel.

Drive onto St. Augustine Beach

A town boasting a world-class coastline, St. Augustine Beach on Anastasia Island is one of the main tourist attractions in the area. But what many people don’t know is that you can actually drive onto the beach.

Drive onto the beach.

Surprisingly fun, and not as irresponsible as it sounds, beach goers can turn their day into a 4WD adventure and access more exclusive sections of the beach that would otherwise require a decent hike. Vehicle day access is seven dollars per day.

St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum

While the majority of visitors to St. Augustine take in the Old Florida Museum and Old Jail, the Pirate and Treasure Museum also deserves a visit.

Providing a detailed history of piracy through the ages in St. Augustine, the museum boasts the world’s largest exhibition of authentic pirate artifacts. Touch a 400-year-old pirate chest used for the transportation of gold, fire a cannon, or hold actual gold pieces recovered from lost Spanish loot.

Mission of Nombre de Dios

This religious site is the spot that saw the first religious ceremonies after the arrival of the Spanish to St. Augustine.

The Gregorian chapel is quiet and peaceful, and it is completely covered in vivid green moss and vines.

Fragile graves are located onsite, many of which are dedicated to Confederate and Union soldiers.

It forms part of a cemetery full of fragile graves, many of which are dedicated to Confederate and Union soldiers from the Civil War.

Fort Matanzas

Visitors to St. Augustine flock to the gates of Castillo de San Marcos, but did you know that the city plays host to another must-see fort?

Fort Matanzas is a national monument that lies just 15 minutes south of St. Augustine. It boasts an incredible history that is just as fascinating as that of Castillo de San Marcos.

Fort Matanzas. Photo CC by Eccentric Scholar

While it was never used in battle, it was built as a Spanish outpost to guard the inlet from British enemies attacking from the South. It was also the site of a French massacre almost 500 years ago.

Note that your ticket to Castillo de San Marcos will allow you entry to Fort Matanzas, so why not combine both?

http://www.mappingmegan.com/offbeat-attractions-st-augustine/