Nights of Lights is one of the most magical times of the St. Augustine year. You can walk anywhere in the city and you’ll find yourself under a canopy of glittering lights and in an atmosphere of unending cheer. But you won’t be alone. For 24 years, Nights of Lights has been one of the city’s most popular yearly attractions, so it can feel like a hassle trying to take advantage of all the event has to offer. To help out, we’ve compiled a list of the key dates, parking information, and insider tips to make your Nights of Lights experience unforgettable.
LIGHT-UP! NIGHT
The fun will begin on Saturday, November 18 when the city will flip the switch on the millions of lights that illuminate St. Augustine every year. The Lighting Ceremony always holds a magical experience to get you feeling festive and in the holiday mood.
The two honorees who will flip the switch and launch the 2017/2018 event are Chef Michael Lugo of Michael’s Tasting Room and Wanda Bray, the city’s Event Administrator.
Light-Up! Night program:
- 4pm – Showtime USA performing in front of City of St. Augustine City Hall (Lightner Building)
- 5:30pm – The All Star Orchestra performing in the Plaza de la Constitución’s Gazebo
- 6:30pm – Lighting ceremony begins from the Gazebo with actual lighting happening ~6:40pm
- 7pm – The All Star Orchestra continues performance until 8pm
PARKING
As this quickly becomes one of our busiest times of the year, parking is always an issue. Though metered parking is free downtown after 5pm, it’s often extremely difficult to find it. So to alleviate some of the congestion, the City of St. Augustine will once again offer a free park and ride shuttle on the peak dates of the Nights of Lights.
Starting on Light-Up! Night, November 18, the opening night of the annual holiday lighting event, the free park and ride shuttle will continue on Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving Weekend (November 24 & 25) and then every Saturday in December.
The shuttle, first launched during last year’s Nights of Lights, will operate from 1-11pm and from two parking locations north of the downtown: the St. Johns County Health Department at 200 San Sebastian View, and the San Marco Lot at 301 San Marco Avenue.
On Light Up! Night, the shuttle will be offered at three locations. From 4-11pm, the shuttle runs from the following locations to the east end of the Bridge of Lions:
- Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South
- St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340- C A1A South
- R.B. Hunt Elementary, 125 Magnolia Drive
In its inaugural run a year ago, the service provided free parking for 3,723 cars and transportation to the downtown for approximately 11,000 passengers. The shuttle’s goal is to offer the public an alternative to traffic congestion by reducing the number of cars in the downtown and to eliminate their need to seek out and pay for parking.
NIGHTS OF LIGHTS TOURS
Florida Water Tours
November 18-January 31
floridawatertour.com/activities/nights-of-lights/
Schooner Freedom
November 18-January 27, Fridays and Saturdays
www.schoonerfreedom.com/nights-of-lights-full-moon-sail/
Atlantic Water Tours
November 18-January 31
www.atlanticwatertours.com/Boat-Tours.html
Gold Tours
November 19-January 12, No Saturdays
staugustinegoldtours.com/nights-of-lights-tours.html
Red Trains
November 19-January 6
www.ripleys.com/redtrains/nights-of-lights/
Old Town Trolley
November 19-January 31
www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine/nights-of-lights
Rockin’ Red Roadster Tour
November 18-January 31
www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine/nights-of-lights
For more information on St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights 2017, visit www.NightsofLights.com. Image via Florida’s Historic Coast.
To find more events in St. Augustine, visit our online calendar of events!
