Lighthouse Illuminations (20+ themed trees) at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Through January 11: Visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum during Nights of Lights in St. Augustine, Florida to see Lighthouse Illuminations: Tides, Tidings, and Trees. Discover 20+ uniquely decorated trees at this special after-hours event. Explore the Keepers’ House and grounds illuminated by lights and garlands, and enjoy a sensational view of Nights of Lights from the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and the Lighthouse’s Fresnel Lens. Spots fill up quickly with limited availability so please book ahead. TICKETS: https://store.staugustinelighthouse.org/Events.aspx
Saint Augustine Film Festival
January 9-12: 40 films are on screen during the 15th annual Saint Augustine Film Festival at three venues in downtown St. Augustine in walking distance — Lewis Auditorium and Koger-Gamache Theatre at Flagler College and Alcazar Room at City Hall/Lightner Museum. See the film list and get tickets at staugfilmfest.com
Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show
January 11: The biggest BBQ competition in northeast Florida, Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam takes place on Saturday, January 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, 584o State Road 207, in Elkton, Florida. The event features the KCBS BBQ Competition, a Car Show, Cornhole Competition, BBQ Tastings, the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, Live Music (all day), 50+ Local Vendors, Ninja Nation Obstacle Course, Kids Zone, Food Trucks, Cold Beer and Drinks, Raffle and a Chili Cook-off. Cost is $20 per guest, and free for children 10 and younger. Tickets and details at www.jimmyjambbqslam.com
Nights of Pints – EXTENDED THROUGH JAN. 31!
Daily through January 31 31: The 2024 Nights of Pints kicks off November 22 at three craft breweries in St. Augustine, Florida — Dog Rose Brewing Co., Ancient City Brewing, and Jack’s BBQ Brewery. The event coincides with Nights of Lights. Shirts are available through January 31. Beer cards are honored through December 31. Participants will be able to purchase a $35 shirt and punch card good for one free pint at participating breweries. This event benefits area nonprofits.
Nights of Lights
Daily through January 26: Nights of Lights begins November 23, 2024 and continues nightly through January 26, 2025. Nights of Lights has been listed among the top ten holiday light displays in the world by National Geographic, During this festival of lights, downtown St. Augustine glows with holiday magic – from the ground to the rooftops. St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights features millions of tiny white lights that create a magical atmosphere in the Nation’s Oldest City. Admission is free. Tour companies offer tours by trolley, boat, bus, golf cart and more. Details at nightsoflights.com
Old Town Trolley’s Nights of Lights Tour
Daily through January 26: In its 31st year, St. Augustine’s award-winning Nights of Lights is admired by a global audience and is well known as one of the “10 Best Holiday Lighting Displays in the World” by National Geographic Traveler. Take an Old Town Trolley Tour, complete with 3D glasses, to view the lights throughout St. Augustine, Florida. TICKETS: www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine/nights-of-lights
St. Augustine Experiences – History Under the Lights Tour
Riding High Vintage Bicycles at Lightner Museum
Daily: Drawn from the collection of St. Augustine bicycle aficionado Keith Pariani, “Riding High” will feature bicycles chosen by Pariani as examples of pivotal moments in late 19th and early 20th century bicycle design. Lightner Museum is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily and tickets are $19 for adults, $16 for seniors and students and $12 ages 12-17, under 11 are free. 75 King St., St. Augustine. www.lightnermuseum.org
The Night Watchman Ghost Tour
Daily: Stroll the streets on the Southside of town for an interactive ghost tour like no other. The Night Watchman kept watch over the city after everyone else went to sleep. Learn about the frightening things he saw, heard, smelled and felt while keeping the city safe. Stops at The Castillo de San Marcos, Huguenot and Tolomato Cemeteries. Tours leave nightly at 8 p.m. from the Treasure Chest. Tickets are $25. 76 Spanish St., St. Augustine. 407-342-1569 www.seeamericatours.net/Familytour
Nights of Lights boat tours with St. Augustine Eco Tours
Daily through January 26: See Nights of Lights from the water with St. Augustine Eco Tours, departing from the City Marina, 111 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, Florida. The Sunset and Nights of Lights boat seats 12 passengers and provides awesome views of the illuminated City. Tours leave at 4:15 p.m. 904-377-7245 www.staugustineecotours.com
Chocolate exhibit at Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum
January 5-March 31: “Sweet Beginnings: Unwrapping St. Augustine’s Chocolate Legacy” is on view at the Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum, 48 King St, downtown St. Augustine, Florida. This exhibit delves into the rich history of chocolate in St. Augustine, tracing its journey from its arrival in 1641 during the Spanish Colonial period to its enduring cultural significance today. Funded by a Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant, the exhibit is a collaboration between UF’s Historic Preservation Program, UF Historic St. Augustine, Inc., and the George A. Smathers Libraries. Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum is free and open to the public daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. www.govhouse.uflib.ufl.edu
School of the 16th Century – Living History Demonstrations
January 10-11: Hosted by Historic Florida Militia, learn what it was like to live in the 16th century through multiple interactive classes held from noon on Friday, January 10 through 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 11 at the Oldest House Museum Complex, 14 St. Francis Street, downtown St. Augustine, Florida. Learn how to fire a crossbow or musket and find out about the clothing and cooking from that time period. Admission to the 16th century encampment will be free and open to the public on Saturday, January 11. hfm.club/about/school
Free lecture on MLK Day weekend – Mabel Norris Reese: Champion of Racial Justice
January 18: Join The Woman’s Exchange of St. Augustine for a captivating presentation by Joy Wallace Dickinson as she recounts Reese’s remarkable story of courage, persistence, and dedication to racial justice:
🗓️When: 2 PM, Saturday, January 18, 2025
📍Where: The Historic Pena-Peck House Museum and Gift Shop, 143 St. George Street, St. Augustine
✨ FREE EVENT ➡️ Register here to save your space: https://PenaPeckHouseFreeTalk.eventbrite.com
Mabel Norris Reese was a pioneering journalist and a relentless advocate for justice during the Jim Crow era. As editor of the Mount Dora Topic in Florida, she risked her life and career to expose the truth about the Groveland Four, a group of young Black men falsely accused of a heinous crime. Reese’s courageous reporting brought her into collaboration with Thurgood Marshall, the future first African American Supreme Court Justice, whose role in the case is detailed in Gilbert King’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Devil in the Grove.
About Joy Wallace Dickinson
A celebrated researcher and storyteller, Joy Wallace Dickinson penned the Orlando Sentinel’s popular “Florida Flashback” feature from 2000 to 2023, exploring Central Florida’s rich history. She serves as a board member of the Florida Historical Society, a Trustee of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society, a member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and the Orange Preservation Trust.
Among her many accolades are the Historical Society of Central Florida’s Donald A. Cheney Award, the Winter Park Historical Association’s annual service award, and the Florida Historical Society’s Golden Quill Award. Dickinson is also the author of three nonfiction books on Central Florida history, including Orlando: City of Dreams, and the mystery novel Secrets of the Flamingo Café, set in 1940s Orlando.
