St. Augustine has a music obsession. But don’t worry. It’s a completely healthy obsession and it means that throughout the summer awesome local music is readily available for your listening pleasure (and who doesn’t want that?). The summer music fest begins Thursday, June 2 with the 26th season of Concerts in the Plaza, a weekly free celebration of the St. Augustine sound.
The 26th season of Concerts in the Plaza, St. Augustine’s summer-long, free music series, kicks off at 7:00pm, Thursday, June 2, in the Plaza de la Constitución’s Gazebo and continues every Thursday through Labor Day weekend. The 2016 season’s opening performance features The Driftwoods.
The series is known for showcasing the best in regional musical talent including bluegrass and blues, jazz and country, swing and folk, old time and popular rock; there’s something for everyone. Concerts in the Plaza has been called “the best way to spend a Thursday night in St. Augustine,” and it’s easy to understand why when enjoying quality musical entertainment while sitting under the majestic oaks of the Plaza, a gathering place for the people of St. Augustine for well over four centuries.
The Plaza is located in the heart of St. Augustine between Cathedral Pl. and King St., just west of the Bridge of Lions. Each week performers entertain from The Gazebo, a fixture in the center of the Plaza for nearly a century. There is no permanent seating in the Plaza so attendees should bring lounge chairs. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the Plaza de la Constitución, but picnic dinners are welcome.
On street parking and public parking lots are free after 5:00pm. Parking is also available in the Historic Downtown Parking Facility, located at the St. Augustine Visitors Information Center, 10 S. Castillo Dr. just a 10-minute walk to the Plaza. The cost for parking in the HDPF is $12 per entry or $3 with a ParkNow card.
Because Florida’s summer rain showers are usually brief, even when heavy, it is rare for a performance to be cancelled in advance. As is often said: “The only way you’ll know if a concert is cancelled is to be there.” Performances may be postponed if the rain seems brief, but cancelled only if the weather prohibits the performance from continuing. If a concert is cancelled in advance, every effort will be made to notify the public through the local media.
The Schedule
June 2 — The Driftwoods
June 9 — Florida Brass Quintet
June 16 — Mike Hart’s Decoy
June 23 — The Rick Arcusa Band
June 30 — Mid-Life Crisis
July 7 — Bob & Joline and the Friends of Mine Band
July 14 — Ancient City Slickers
July 21 — The Falling Bones
July 28 — The Dunehoppers
August 4 — Triple Rock Blues Band
August 6 — Mike Hart’s Decoy
August 11 — Big Pineapple
August 18 — The Grapes of Roth
August 25 — Rob Ellis Peck & Friends
September 1 — Lonesome Bert & The Skinny Lizards
Concerts in the Plaza is a free cultural enhancement for both residents and visitors produced by the City of St. Augustine. For complete information about the series and a printable schedule, visit www.ConcertsInThePlaza.com.
