04/16/2023
🌺 SPRING FESTIVALS & EVENTS in St. Augustine & St. Johns County! 👉See the full event list here: http://totallystaugustine.com/2023-spring-festivals-in-st-augustine-florida/
🌺 St. Augustine PoetFest
April 14-15: “Beat Poetry: Florida and Beyond” will be the theme of the 2nd Annual St. Augustine PoetFest scheduled for April 14-15. A kickoff open mic will be held the night at 7 PM April 14. Jack Kerouac, a pioneer of the Beat Generation, was living in College Park when he found out that his novel “On the Road” had become a bestseller. A decade later, in 1969, Kerouac died in a St. Petersburg hospital, located in the same city where he owned a home. At press time, Lucas County Poet Laureate Jonie McIntire (Toledo, Ohio) will attend the St. Augustine PoetFest, where she will present a seminar titled “The Feminine Voice.”
Not only did Jonie McIntire act in Toledo, Ohio, for nearly ten years in an annual reader’s theater presentation of “Back to Jack”, written completely from the words and works of Jack Kerouac, but she is not afraid to hit the road to connect the Midwest to the East Coast. “I believe, like Jack did, that the road must eventually lead to the whole world,” said McIntire, about traveling to St. Augustine in April.
Saturday’s day-long festival on the campus of Flagler College will begin at 8 AM with a guided meditation walk at the CEAM labyrinth to get everyone in the “write mood.”
See the full schedule with details here: https://ancientcitypoets.wordpress.com
🌺 JJ Grey & Mofro Blackwater Sol R***e at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
April 14-15: JJ Grey’s Blackwater Sol R***e, a two-day music festival at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre with camping options available at Anastasia State Park, returns to St. Augustine! Presented by St. Johns County Cultural Events Division in partnership with Friends of Anastasia State Park, Blackwater Sol R***e combines soul, rock, and blues in a way that naturally comes together. Lineup Includes: JJ Grey & Mofro, Brothers of a Feather with Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Robert Cray Band, and Jackie Venson. Tickets & Details: https://www.theamp.com/events/detail/bwsr-2023
🌺 Gamble Rogers Folk Festival
April 14-16: The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival and the St. Johns Cultural Council will host the 27th annual festival celebrating the legacy of legendary troubadour Gamble Rogers, whose balladry and storytelling helped shape American folk music. The event will take place April 14-16 at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds — with four stages featuring performers including headliners Iris DeMent, Bill and the Belles, Robin and Linda Williams, Richard Smith, Annie & the Hot Club, and Red and Chris Henry and Their All-Star Band. TICKETS & CAMPING PASSES: gamblerogersfest.org
🌺 LUNAFEST 2023 – Films by Women
April 15: Short films by women will be featured during Lunafest 2023, with a dessert bar and cash bar at the intimate and historic Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, 102 M.L. King Jr Ave., St. Augustine. Doors open at 5:30. Film showing at 6:30. There will be an intermission halfway between the 95 minutes of films. Hosted by the St. Augustine Branch of AAUW (Advancing Gender Equity through Research, Education and Advocacy) will be used toward college scholarships and Tech Trek Science camp scholarships for 8th grade girls. Tickets are $25. Tickets & Details: https://www.lunafest.org/screenings/in-person-aauw-st-augustine-fl-041523
🌺 Riding Into History Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance
April 15: The 23rd Annual Riding into History™ Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance will open at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15 at World Golf Village. AMA Hall of Famer Brian Slark, of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Motogiro d’Italia Hall of Famer Vicki Smith, of Ducati North America will be the Grand Marshals. The ticket price at the gate is $15. This will allow easier entry to the event. Advance tickets are $25 for two. Children under 12 receive free admission with a paying adult. Ticket proceeds go directly to K9s For Warriors. Ticket & Details: ridingintohistory.org
🌺 Love Your Mother Unplugged at Panache St. Augustine - An Aveda Salon & Spa
April 21 : Hosted by Panache at St. Augustine Beach, this exclusive night of fashion, storytelling and community will raise funds for Matanzas Riverkeeper. This intimate event will be held at the Panache location,1089 A1A Beach Boulevard, St. Augustine Beach. General admission is $45 and Reserved seats at $75. Tickets & Details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/love-your-mother-unplugged-tickets-598509697617
🌺 Florida's Birding & Photo Fest
April 19-23: The 20th annual Florida’s Birding & Photo Fest provides opportunities to see some of the world’s best outdoor photographers at work – live, in nature where they share their secrets for taking amazing photos. Plus, their workshops provide in-depth instructions on mastering techniques that transform point-and-shoot photographers into pros. And if you’re more of a birdwatcher or nature lover than a photographer, the festival offers dozens of bird walks along nature trails, kayak trips and boat tours throughout the spectacular outdoors of Florida’s Historic Coast. This year’s edition of the Birding & Photo Fest is headquartered at the new St. Jude Celebration Hall on Anastasia Island. This 22,000-square-foot meeting facility comfortably seats up to 300 and features a state-of-the art sound system for use in workshop presentations. More details at www.floridasbirdingandphotofest.com
🌺 BBQ and Beer at the Barn with HorsePlay Therapy Center
April 20: HorsePlay Therapy Center with hold the 2nd Annual BBQ and Beer at the Barn at 6:30 p.m. April 20, sponsored by the GATE Foundation! Come out to the barn for a night of live music by Travis Hardin, line dancing with Funkytown Fitness, delicious Woodpecker's BBQ, Burkhardt Beer, and more! Tickets & Details at https://horseplay-therapy-center.ticketleap.com/
🌺 Lullaby of the Rivers Festival
April 21-23: The third annual Lullaby of the Rivers Festival takes place on Earth Day weekend, April 21, 22 & 23, 2023. The festival is held in Vilano Beach at North Shores Community Park, 120 Meadow Avenue, St. Augustine. Bob Patterson, well-known activist and legendary in the Florida music community, has lined up some of the region’s most talented musicians to come and play at the Lullaby of the Rivers Festival. Music, storytelling and Open Mics happen throughout the weekend on the outdoor Rivers Stage at North Shores Community Park in Vilano Beach, and the Springs Stage inside the North Shores Community Center, where people can eat while enjoying performances. Food trucks and vendors are located nearby. The Lullaby of the Rivers Festival is an Earth Day event with an Earth Day Fair and an extraordinary lineup of performers playing music and telling stories. TICKETS & DETAILS: www.lullabyoftherivers.com
🌺 Oldest City Surf Celebration by Saint Augustine Historical Society - Oldest House Museum Complex
April 22: The St. Augustine Historical Society and Flagler College Honors Program will present the 2nd Annual Oldest City Surf Celebration from 1-4 PM Saturday, April 22 at the Oldest House Complex, 14 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine. This is a celebration of St. Augustine’s Surf community and culture.
The Oldest City Surf Celebration will feature a surf culture fashion show sponsored by The Surf Station, Where Salt Meets Soul, The Surf Stop, and Mangrove Surf + Supply. In addition, a pop-up shopping vendor village will feature local businesses in the surf community. Big Island Bowls food truck will also be onsite.
Local band Kicking Dandelions will perform. Finally, attendees can explore the surf culture museum exhibition in the Tovar House on the property. The overall goal of this event is to bring the community together to appreciate and bring awareness to the organizations that are responsible for the development and support of our city’s rich surf culture. This family-friendly event has a $10 admission fee.
The schedule of the event is as follows:
• 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM: Fashion Show
• 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Kicking Dandelions
• 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Big Island Bowls
🌺 The Tasting Tours, LLC Wine & Spice Pairing Workshop
April 22: In collaboration with The Spice & Tea Exchange of St. Augustine, The Tasting Tours will hold a Wine & Spice Pairing Workshop at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 22 in the all-new Tasting Suite in the Treasury Building. Cost is $75 per guest and includes tastings, wine, and incredible views of St. Augustine. Details and tickets: www.thetastingtours.com/suite-events.html
🌺 Roscolusa Songwriters Festival
April 22: The 11th Annual Roscolusa Songwriters Festival will be held on Saturday, April 22 in Ponte Vedra Beach at 232 Nocatee Center Way. Hear songwriters perform hit songs that they have written for famous recording artists. The event features a cozy, living room-style atmosphere outdoors, with food trucks and vendors. The event benefits the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, helping families tackle childhood cancer. Tickets & Details: www.roscolusa.com
🌺 Romanza Festivale of the Arts by Romanza St. Augustine
April 28-May 14: St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of music and the arts is two weeks of daily events featuring dozens concerts, shows, exhibits and much more at locations throughout the city. Showcasing productions by dozens of St. Augustine’s talented Arts and Cultural nonprofit organizations. Most events are free. Details at www.romanzafestivale.com
🌺 Marjorine Kinnan Rawlings Conference - St. Johns Cultural Council
April 28-30: The St. Johns Cultural Council, the organization that promotes arts, culture and heritage in St. Augustine, has announced that the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society’s 34th Annual Conference will be held in St. Augustine on April 28-30, 2023. The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society honors the memory and celebrates the life and work of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author through annual meetings throughout Florida in locations relevant to Rawlings’ literature and locale. Rawlings owned a second home in Crescent Beach and she, along with her husband Norton Sanford Baskin, owned the Castle Warden Hotel in St. Augustine. The weekend kicks off with presentations on Rawlings’ life, including a lecture on her life in St. Augustine, and a trolley tour of the residences of writers who called St. Augustine home led by historian David Nolan. A wine and cheese reception followed by a banquet, featuring historian Gary Mormino as the keynote speaker on his latest books and studies of Florida, will be held Friday evening. Saturday’s events will include a discussion led by four-time Emmy-award winning journalist Bob Kealing, who will give a presentation about The Beatles in 1960s Florida. Saturday will conclude with a scenic river cruise of the Matanzas River. The weekend will also offer visitors a chance to see a production of the never-before produced short play Color Struck, writtenby Rawlings’ friend and fellow author Zora Neale Hurston. The play, partially set in St. Augustine, will be performed at the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets to the weekend’s events, visit www.rawlingssociety.org/conferences-upcoming. For more information, visit www.historiccoastculture.com
🌺 The Trailblazer Country Music & Craft Beer Festival
April 28-30:The Trailblazer Country Music & Craft Beer Festival will take place April 28-20 at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds in Elkton. This event will feature more than 30 hours of country music, the St. Augustine Craft Beer Festival, a BBQ Showdown, and 200 Arts & Craft vendors, glamping and camping, a kids corner, and free parking. DETAILS & TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trailblazer-country-music-festival-tickets-403703446877
🌺 The Taste of St. Augustine
April 30: The 26th Annual Taste of St. Augustine will take place Sunday, April 30 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The popular event features samples from some of St. Augustine’s best and most favorite restaurants. The event is a major fundraiser for EPIC Behavioral Healthcare. Guests can enjoy great food and live music … and vote for their favorite vendor to win the People’s Choice Award! Proceeds from the Taste allow EPIC to continue offering mental health and substance use counseling in our community.
🌺 EPIC Race to the Taste 5K
April 30: The 13th annual Race to the Taste 5K begins and ends at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. A 5K race for runners and walkers, is a scenic course through the beautiful Anastasia State Park and surrounding neighborhoods. All proceeds benefit EPIC Behavioral Healthcare, allowing us to continue helping people on their recovery journey and those dealing with the disease of addiction. Call 904-829-3295 or more information or register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/StAugustine/RacetotheTaste5K
🌺 St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival
May 3-7: The St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival is a culinary celebration taking place in one of the country’s most beautiful and historic cities. 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. Tickets & Details at staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com
🌺 Fiesta De Mayo — Sangria Workshop by The Tasting Tours, LLC
May 5: In collaboration with Chef Angela, The Tasting Tours will hold a Sangria Workshop at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 in the all-new Tasting Suite in the Treasury Building. Cost is $75 per guest and includes Sangria, food pairings and incredible views of St. Augustine. Details and tickets: www.thetastingtours.com/suite-events.html
🌺 Unidos en la Musica: A Latin America Festival
May 6: Unidos en la Música will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine. Unidos en la Música is an event of Latin Community Services Inc. — a non-profit organization dedicated to promote education and change the conversation while fighting stigmas within the Latin American Community. Live music, food, dancing, culture exhibits, vendors and more will be available throughout the day, with amazing headliners. Tickets & Details: unidosenlamusica.com
🌺 STA Brewers' Fest — SOLD OUT
May 6: The 4th annual STA Brewers’ Festival will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 6, 2023 at the beautiful Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, 11 Magnolia Ave. The festival will include free tastings from 25+ regional breweries, local food trucks, face painting and live music — all while enjoying one of St. Augustine’s most scenic and historical locations. Tickets will be available starting March 1 at stabrewersfest.com
🌺 St. Augustine History Festival
May 10-14: The St. Augustine History Festival was created and conceived the University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. and the Lastinger Family Foundation to showcase the history of America’s oldest city. The goal is to showcase every era of St. Augustine’s long and storied past, from the founding in 1565 to the most advanced technology available in 2023 to research and study every year in-between. American history began here, and no one tells our story better than we do – come out and enjoy our city! Tour 20+ historic properties in St. Augustine, Florida from May 10-14, 2023 — many of which will showcase special events. Learn more at staugustinehistoryfestival.com
🌺 Take 3 — Where Rock meets Bach by EMMA Concert Association
May 6: In conjunction with the Romanza Festivale of the Arts, Take 3: Where ROCK meets BACH! will take place on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College. Take3 lives at the intersection where pop, rock and classical fusion collide. Described by audience-goers as a mini-Trans Siberian Orchestra experience, Take3 is nothing short of exhilarating. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students/children. TICKETS: https://emmaconcerts.myboxoffice.us/
🌺 Snow White by Saint Augustine Ballet
May 13: Snow White, an all-new ballet, will be staged May 13 by Saint Augustine Ballet. A magic mirror and a malicious queen makes Snow White one of the most famous stories of all time. Journey with these classic characters as they prove that real beauty comes from within, and that belonging can be found in surprising places. The performance will include local dance students and professional ballet dancers. Snow White is a perfect introduction to ballet for younger audiences. Little ones will love the animal characters and the hilarious Seven Dwarfs! Show times are 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 13 in Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada St., downtown St. Augustine. Tickets are $35 and $45, with a $10 discount for children/students available at saintaugustineballet.com
🌺 Tomato Festival at Wesley Wells Farms
May 13-14: The Tomato Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 13; and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 14 at Wesley Wells Farm, 2680 Ada Arnold Rd, St. Augustine. The event will feature family activities, food trucks, kid zone, a salsa tasting contest, u-pick flowers and veggies, live entertainment, a handmade market, a best homegrown contest and more. Tickets & Details: wesleywellsfarm.com
🌺 As If 90s Fest with headliners Vanilla Ice & Spin Doctors
May 20: The 3rd Annual AS IF! The 90’s Fest features a full-day concert lineup with national acts, local and regional musicians, vendors, food trucks, a water slide, ‘fly’ photo booth, and more. The event will be from 1 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20 at Francis Field in St. Augustine. The Headliner for the event is Grammy-nominated performer, Vanilla Ice, who exploded on the Rap/Pop music scene in the 1990s with hits like “Ice Ice Baby, “Play That Funky Music,”
and “Baby Got Back.” Another main act will be American alternative rock band, Spin Doctors, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong.” Proceeds benefit ACE Alliance, a nonprofit designated to assist locals who dedicate their craft and livelihood to the culture of tourism, entertainment, and hospitality throughout Northeast Florida. Attendees will also have the chance to attend exclusive events, including the As If! 90’s Fest afterparty, as well as celebrity Meet & Greets. TICKETS: www.asifthe90sfest.com
🌺 Wine & Charcuterie Styling Workshop by The Tasting Tours, LLC
May 20: In collaboration with Ancient City Brunch Bar/Ancient City Cooking Experience, The Tasting Tours will hold a Wine & Charcuterie Styling Workshop at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 20 in the all-new Tasting Suite in the Treasury Building. Cost is $85 per guest and includes wine, charcuterie and incredible views of St. Augustine. Details and tickets: www.thetastingtours.com/suite-events.html
Photo by