Most people associate St. Augustine with a rich and vibrant history. What some do not realize is the St. Augustine plays host to a unique line up of local festivals. These festivals range from the smaller arts and crafts festivals to larger music festivals. Whether you’re looking for food, history, art, music, or rides, these festivals promise fun for the entire family. This is why the St. Augustine festivals attract locals as well as temporary visitors to the “Nation’s Oldest City.” The Spring season, the biggest for festivals but you can find many great ones throughout the year.
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Arts and Crafts Festival
January 13, 2024 - January 14, 2024
This festival is perfect for the art enthusiasts out there. You can find handmade items such as ceramics, stained glass, photography, soaps and more.
Flight to Freedom
Dates: February 1, 2024 - February 3, 2024
Join living history actors as they take you back to the year 1738, along the wooded Freedom Trail, the original “Underground Railroad”. You’re drawn into a dangerous world where men, women and children flee from enslavement on British plantations, and toward the free Black community of Fort Mose.
Old City Pirate Fest
February 3, 2024
For one weekend everyone in St. Augustine becomes a pirate. Hosted by the St. Augustine Swashbucklers, this festival includes all things pirate including live entertainment, a lively kids area with games and prizes, a vendors row with tons of pirate merchandise, black powder and sword demonstrations, and a Trolley ride. Pirate garb is encouraged.
Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series
February 8, 2024 - February 17, 2024
To honor the history and celebrate the cultural significance of Fort Mose, the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States, the annual Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series welcomes renowned jazz and blues performances onsite at Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine, Florida.
Proceeds of this series will support the construction of an on-site fort representation and development of additional interpretive resources. The original fort was destroyed during the Battle of Bloody Mose in 1740.
Cathedral Parish Festival
February 23, 2024 -, February 25, 2024
The Cathedral Festival is a Saint Augustine tradition for families everywhere. Held on the grounds of the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission of Nombre de Dios, the festival has something for everyone including rides, games, raffles, food and art vendors and fireworks.
Celtic Festival
March 8, 2024 - March 10, 2024
Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day is the Celtic Festival. This festival features high-quality performances on two stages, Highland Games athletic competitions, Celtic artisans and food, and kids’ games. There's something different every hour. Saturday morning the festival hosts the Original St Patrick Parade established in 1601!
St. Ambrose Spring Fair
March 10, 2024
This is a festival tradition that is 140 years old. A great place for the whole family to have some spring time, country fun including kids' games, live music, a wide variety of vendors, a garage sale, a bake sale, and a country store. With raffle auctions and a wide variety of food, plan to spend the whole afternoon.
St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival
April 6, 2024 - April 7, 2024
Good Food. Good Times. Good Cause. Now We’re Having Fun
This fundraiser has an arts & crafts village, live music, family shows, rides, kid zone with face painting, balloon acts, and of course SEAFOOD!
There is truly too much to do to list here. This is one of the biggest festivals of the year and should not be missed.
Gamble Rogers Folk Festival
April 12, 2024 -April 14, 2024
Dedicated to commemorating the life and music of Gamble Rogers, this festival is a favorite among those with a passion for balladry, storytelling, and the oral tradition that has shaped American folk music. Bring chairs, blankets, etc. and enjoy some American Folk Music among the outdoor setting of the St. Johns County Fairgrounds. You can even bring your camper!
Taste of St. Augustine
April 28, 2024
St. Augustine has a wide variety of fabulous restaurants. If you want more information on local area restaurants take a look at our previous blog The Top 50 Restaurants in St. Augustine, FL
If you don’t have time to travel to each of these restaurants, the Taste of St. Augustine is for you. You get to sample the signature dishes of some of St. Augustine’s most delicious restaurants! Come to the Taste and enjoy the best that St. Augustine offers!
Latin American Festival
May 4, 2024
For just one day, everyone are Latinos. The Latin American Festival allows you to experience the spirit of Latin American culture with some of the best international, local and regional musical groups around. Enjoy a day of live music, food, dance, and fun for the whole family
St. Augustine History Festival
May 8, 2024
This festival is designed to generate excitement about the history of St. Augustine. Many local venues participate to tell the story and history of the nation’s oldest city from the founding in 1565 up through modern day. “American history began here, and no one tells our story better than we do.”
St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival
May 8, 2024 - May 12, 2024
This festival was recently named “One of the Top 10 Food and Wine Festivals in Florida” by USA Today. See a showcase of culinary, beverage and culture that highlights celebrity guest chefs, celebrity winemakers/ proprietors, local chefs, artisans and local craft spirits/beers. The festival offers a wide variety of events for all tastebuds, from wine dinners and tasting events, to master classes and more.
As If! The 90’s Fest
May 18, 2024
Dedicated to the decade that was ALL THAT and a Bag of Chips! Family-oriented, action-packed with live music, games and food! All the trappings of the '90s will be part of the festival. There will be a selfie station, a slime zone, iconic '90s music, and games. Food trucks will be on hand, and there will be plenty of snacks and beverages to purchase.
Fourth of July Fireworks
Jul 3, 2024
The event takes place in the heart of St. Augustine's Historic District, beginning with a two-hour live music concert, featuring the All Star Orchestra, in the Plaza de la Constitución. At 9:30 p.m. the sky lights up with a spectacular fireworks display over the historic bayfront and the Castillo de San Marcos. "Fireworks Over the Matanzas" is one of the biggest and best fireworks displays on the East Coast, featuring 5,000 individual shells exploding as high as 2,000 feet and as low as 100 feet.
St. Augustine Greek Festival
TBD (Usually held in October)
For one weekend, surround yourself with the sounds of Greek music, enjoy live performances and participate in traditional Greek folk dancing. Visitors will also have the opportunity to shop handcrafted items created by local artists, artisans and makers. And, you can even take a guided church tour and attend Sunday morning liturgy.
Historic Lincolnville Festival
TBD (Usually held in November)
The historic festival started in 1979 on Labor Day weekend. Originally called the Washington Street Festival, the Lincolnville Festival celebrates the Lincolnville neighborhood, its history, and the people who live there. The festival is presented by the Lincolnville Historic Preservation and Restoration Society, which strives to stimulate preservation and community activism in the Lincolnville Historic District while maintaining the integrity of its structures and history.
St. Augustine Nights of Lights
TBD (Usually starts the week before Thanksgiving)
Rated one of the top 10 Holiday events by National Geographic, the best time to experience downtown St. Augustine is during Nights of Lights. Many shops, restaurants, and businesses are adorned with millions of tiny white lights setting downtown St. Augustine aglow. There are several ways to experience this annual event including a special sightseeing train tour, carriage ride, water tour, luxury golf cart tour, or tour by air. Or you can stroll along the streets taking in the magic of it all.
Regatta of Lights
TBD (Usually held in December)
The annual Regatta of Lights takes St. Augustine's world-famous Nights of Lights onto the water. Organized by the St. Augustine Yacht Club, sail, power, and paddle vessels of all sizes are decorated with colorful lights to create a dazzling sight for spectators along the bayfront. The best viewing is between the Bridge of Lions and the Castillo de San Marcos.
The agents at First Coast Realty strive not just to be your agent for the sale but your agent for life. We do not leave you after the sale is concluded. We can be relied upon to help you with many things including local area expertise. We hope you enjoyed this list of local area events and festivals. Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
*Note: we did our best to provide links with the most updated information. Some of these events are over a year away and as such only has limited information available. We will update links as more information becomes available.
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