St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights A Dazzling Christmas Display!

By Carla Marie Rupp and Jason Rupp

When dreaming of a Christmassy getaway in the USA, we recommend Florida’s spectacular Saint Augustine. Founded in 1565, as a European settlement, its famous Nights of Lights celebration make this city on Florida’s Historic Coast, extra special during the holidays.You feel as if you’ve stepped into an Old World Christmas scene with historic streets and Spanish colonial architecture colorfully lit up for visitors to enjoy..

You have to experience the free, award-winning Nights of Lights to believe it! No tickets are required. We’ve never seen anything like it and highly recommend a trip to St. Augustine, FL, for a festive Christmas experience. Visitors can enjoy the Plaza, sing carols, visit the big Christmas tree, and see the smiles of happy shoppers in the glowing streets.

Tours (for a fee) are offered, some by boat or trolley, to enjoy the beautiful sights. But strolling is fine, too. In fact the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau stresses that this is not a drive-through event. It is best enjoyed by using the free park-and-ride shuttles and then exploring the sights and festivities on foot or with a tour.

Nights of Lights, illuminates downtown St Augustine annually from mid-November until mid-January. Millions of tiny white lights decorate the city, its buildings and the tops of the trees Those who prefer not to walk can choose from dozens of tours including Old Town Trolley’s Nights of Lights Tour, Ripley’s Red Train Nights of Lights Tour, Very Un-Merry Grinchmas Ride with Tasting Tours, Pinkmas Nights of Lights Tour (a Barbie-inspired Holiday Adventure), St. Augustine Eco Tours and Scenic Cruise, Florida Water Tours.

For us, being with loved ones was magical when we attended Light-Up! Night with three generations. We huddled together to take pictures of the illuminated Lightner Museum, Castillo de San Marco, Cedar House Inn and the breathtaking Bridge of Lions among the many sparkling attractions.After experiencing the memorable sights, we stopped for Mexican food at Little Sombrero, one of the many kinds of cuisines offered in the city.

A Christmas itinerary in St. Augustine can also include a Holly Jolly Shopping Spree, the Christmas Market of St. Augustine, its Christmas Parade, and the Holiday Regatta of Lights. Most people find that they can easily walk everywhere, whether downtown, uptown, or at the beach. You can sense the history. Get your picture taken with an oversized pirate figure. Take a Spanish cooking class,or stroll through the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. This is a tribute to the famous explorer Ponce de Leon and his legendary quest for youth. A spot where the explorer is said to have landed in 1513 while searching for a mythical “fountain of youth.” Visitors can drink water from a spring amongst reenactors portraying the people of the past..

St. Augustine also has a lot of art galleries where local artists get inspiration from the Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone street and sunsets over the fort. We also recommend stopping at Peace Pie to try the delicious ice cream sandwiches.They take two homemade cookies, put a scoop of ice cream and pie filling into the middle. With over 30 delicious flavors including peanut brownie, pecan pie, and of course key lime a local favourite at this colorful, 60s style shop There are also tours available of the San Sebastian Winery.It has a rooftop bar, offering wine, food, and live jazz at sunset.

Nearby, the Saint Augustine Distillery also has tastings, and tours featuring the history of bourbon. For a cozy outdoor meal,we also recommend 57 Casa de Vino which offers a great atmosphere and exceptional charcuterie with cheeses, fruits, olives, nuts, and aged meats. We’ve been to St. Augustine a number of times. On our first visit we parked our rental car and bought our tickets from Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine where you can get 1 or 2 day get on get off tickets, A highlight of our tour was the St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. We not only saw alligators, but also lemurs, sloths, and a lovely bird sanctuary. Those brave enough can even go ziplining over the alligators but you have to be brave and fit for that!

While dazzling Nights of Lights is a wonderful time to go to Saint Augustine, the city is well worth a visit at any time of year. Located between Northeast and East Central Florida, it is an easy trip from Orlando, Daytona, or Jacksonville and has been named one of the top 10 small cities in America by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

Check out the websites: NightsofLights.com FloridasHistoricCoast.com or go to the Facebook.com/OfficialStAugustine. for tips on what to do in this area. Carla Marie Rupp and Jason Rupp are freelance journalists and are reached at their emails of [email protected] and [email protected].