THE MAZE AT SYKES FAMILY FARMS
Oct. 5-27: Nine acres of a local farm becomes The Maze each year — with live music, the maze, games such as a corn cannon, live animals and more at 5995 Brough Road in Elkton, just off State Road 207.
From the website: With over 50 years of farming experience, Sykes Family Farms continues to grow. Providing folks of all ages with a FARMtastic family tradition that they can look forward to each Fall. Since 2010, Sykes Family Farms has been providing folks of all ages with “Agritainment”! You may wonder what this means… We combine a 9-acre corn maze full of “cornfusing” twists and turns.. Mix it all together and you have “Agritainment!”
- 9-acre maze
- Animals
- Hayride
- Play Area
- Cow Milking
- and more!
TICKETS & DETIALS: www.sycofarms.com
GREEK FESTIVAL
Oct. 11-13: The 22nd Annual St. Augustine Greek Festival celebrates all things Greek — food, music, dancing and heritage. The annual event is held at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive, downtown St. Augustine. Live music will be on stage throughout the weekend, with dance performances, a dance floor for the public, an outdoor marketplace, children’s activities and more. Admission is $5 for adults, and children age 14 and younger are admitted free with paying adults. Free admission for active military and first responders. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13. Go to stauggreekfest.com for more details.
CHILDREN’S ARTS FESTIVAL
Oct. 13: Friends of the St. Augustine Amphitheatre (FOSAA) will host the Children’s Arts Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, October 13 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. This is a free event that will take place rain or shine. Two thousand people attended the last Festival where children of all ages participated in a myriad of art, music, dance, theatre and historic activities. Admission is FREE.
ST. AMBROSE FALL FESTIVAL
Oct. 13: The annual St. Ambrose Fall Fair will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 6070 Church Road, in Elkton, from State Road 207. The most popular item at the fair is the Minorcan clam chowder, prepared by Mary Ellen Masters and her chowder crew, which features the famous Datil pepper and a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. More than 100 gallons are made for each fair in the spring and in the fall — and it all sells out every time! Hay rides, children’s games, tours of the historic church (built in 1907), live music by The Red River Band, face painting, a bake sale, a yard sale, a 50/50 drawing, and silent auction also are part of the event. Other menu items include barbecue pork dinners, barbecue pork sandwiches, sausage dogs, hot dogs, French fries, boiled peanuts, ice cream, soda, water, and beer. Admission is FREE.
ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE 145th ANNIVERSARY
Oct. 15: The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum celebrates 145 years of maritime history in the current historic, lighthouse tower. The second lighthouse at St. Augustine was built from 1871 to 1874 and topped by the first-order Fresnel lens from Paris, France. The first lighting was by Keeper William Russell on October 15, 1874. The oldest brick structure in St. Augustine, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the St. Augustine Lighthouse beacon is a private, but active aid-to-navigation, with the original lens shining kept shining through the efforts of the Museum’s staff and corps of 270 volunteers. To mark the 145th anniversary, the Museum will celebrate with the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2019. St. Johns County Residents are free that day if they mention the passcode “JSL.”
ST. BENEDICT BLUES FESTIVAL
Oct. 18-19: The 7th Annual St. Benedict Blues Festival at Saint Benedict the Moor Catholic Church, 86 M L King Jr Ave., in downtown St. Augustine. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18; and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. Admission is $5 and includes parking. Food such as New Orlean’s gumbo, pulled pork, ribs, and desserts. Beverages include water, soda, and beer from ANCIENT CITY BREWING. Lots of parking available on the grounds. Folding chairs are available but you are more than welcome to bring your own lawn chairs. Details and schedule at stbensbluesfest.com/schedule/
THE MUSIC
Ken Jensen Blues Ensemble
Amy Alysia and the Soul Connection
Str8 Up
Parish Singers
The Warehouse Blues Band (Willie Dixon)
The Brent Byrd Band
The Snacks Blues Band
Duffy Bishop Band
JW Gilmore & The Blues Authority
THE GREAT AMERICAN SCARECROW FESTIVAL
Oct. 19: The Great American Scarecrow Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at Simple Gestures, 4 E. White St., off Anastasia Blvd., on the island. The community is invited to make their own scarecrows … bring your own clothing, or used donated items. Pumpkin painting, apple bobbing, food, drinks, live music, and other activities take place throughout the day. Donations go to Pie in the Sky, a local nonprofit organization that helps senior citizens in need.
FALL FESTIVAL AT SHORES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Oct. 19: The annual Fall Festival at Shores United Methodist Church, 724 Shores Blvd. is Saturday, Oct. 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. with free food, face painting, games, hayrides and more for the entire family to enjoy! The festival is held on the main campus with plenty of free parking. A Trunk or Treat will take place on Thursday, Oct. 31 in the church parking lot from 5 to 7 p.m. This is a fun safe place to bring children for trick and treating. Call 904-797-4416 or go to www.shoresumc.org.
FALL FESTIVAL AT OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL
Oct. 20: A Fall Festival is set for Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel, 5950 State Road 16. Hayrides, games and inflatables, Filipino and festival food, a car show, a sports tent, a country store and entertainment. Proceeds benefit the church’s ministries. A pumpkin patch at the church opens on Oct. 13, hours are 2-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 904-295-9199, email olgcpumpkins@gmail.com, go to olgc-church.org
ANCIENT CITY KIDS DAY
Oct. 26: The 21st Annual Ancient City Kids Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at Francis Field , 29 W. Castillo Drive, downtown St. Augustine. The event is FREE for the public, and will include over 40 youth service agencies offering carnival style games and activities, arts and crafts, contests for kids, and live entertainment all day. Information about community resources will be available for parents. The only cost to the public will be for food or drinks. The event is a community outreach for Epic Behavioral Healthcare of St. Augustine. Go to epicbh.org
NOCTOBERFEST
Oct. 26-27: There’s a new fall festival called Noctoberfest that will take place October 26-27, 2019 in the Nocatee community, just north of St. Augustine in Ponte Vedra! And the band Sister Hazel will headline on Saturday, October 26! From noctoberfest.org: NOCtoberfest is an Oktoberfest style event being held in Nocatee (Ponte Vedra) Florida. Live music, with headliner Sister Hazel, will take place during the entire festival. The festival will have several German cities with different selections of German beer. There will be 10+ food trucks, 40 vendors, a kids’ zone with inflatables, bounce houses, rock climbing walls and a 110 foot ferris wheel. Also taking place, a Stein Hoisting Competition, a Cornhole Tournament, and other fun activities. The complete music lineup will be announced soon. Tickets and details at noctoberfest.org
GREAT CHOWDER DEBATE
Nov. 3: The 36th Annual Great Chowder Debate will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 at the Conch House Marina, 57 Comares Ave., on Anastasia Island. The event will features more than 30 restaurants from the St. Augustine area that will compete for the claim that their Chowder is king! All proceeds benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Johns County. Free admission and live entertainment.
NIGHTS OF LIGHTS
Nov. 23-Jan. 31: The 25th Annual Nights of Lights opens on Saturday, Nov. 17 during Light-Up Night, an event that includes live music in the Plaza de la Constitucion, between King Street and Cathedral Place in downtown St. Augustine. The music will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the lighting ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. Each year, former St. Augustine mayors gather to flip the switch during Light Up Night. The City of St. Augustine’s giant tree in the Plaza is lit first, then all the lights come on surrounding the area. Many families start the holiday season with this tradition — going to dinner downtown and and then watching as the lights are turned on. Nights of Lights, which includes more than 2 million lights on city buildings and businesses, continues through Jan. 31, 2020. Go to nightsoflights.com
FALL ART & CRAFT FESTIVAL
Nov. 30-Dec.1: The 54th Annual Fall Art & Craft Festival, hosted by the St. Augustine Art Association, features more than 150 artists offering painting, pottery, jewelry, glassware, sculpture, fiber art, photography and mixed media. The even takes place at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive, downtown St. Augustine. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30; and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1. Go to staugustineartfestival.com for more details.
LUMINARY NIGHT AT THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE
Dec. 4: The 22nd Annual Luminary Night at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is a family-friendly tradition during St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights celebration. On the evening of Wednesday, December 4, 2019, the Museum grounds will open for an evening celebration that will delight both young and old. This popular event is a wonderful opportunity for visitors to get a taste of the holidays, St. Augustine style. The event takes place from 6 PM to 9 PM. This event is free and open to the public with a suggested donation of a non-perishable food item, which will be donated to a local food pantry. Holiday music, Santa visits, seasonal treats, and other activities are planned. Stay updated in this Facebook event.
WINTER CROC FEST AT THE ALLIGATOR FARM
Dec. 7: Winter CrocFest 2019 will take place from 1-9 p.m. December 7, 2019 at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. Funds raised will support research and conservation projects for the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Belize, Guatemala, Colombia and Costa Rica. All of the projects aim to preserve in-country C. acutus, and propose various means by which to minimize or avoid human-crocodile conflict. Join the rest of the Florida-based crocodile, reptile and conservation community as we gather together to enjoy visiting the sensational exhibits at The Farm. Take advantage of special up-close opportunities and marvel at the abilities of the crocodile (and other) inhabitants there. After dinner, you won’t want to miss the evening finale – a rousing live auction. Whether you bid or just look on, you will be amazed at how our croc-centric attendees come together to support crocodile conservation. Go to alligatorfarm.com
