On a street that appeared on a map as early as 1586, history has a way of feeling close at hand. This September, Aviles Street will invite residents and visitors to experience that connection through music, art, food, storytelling and a few surprises tucked into its historic storefronts.
The third annual Aviles Street Festival, co-hosted by the Aviles Street Merchants Association and the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, will take place Saturday, September 5, from noon to 9 p.m. The celebration honors St. Augustine’s Spanish heritage just days before the city marks its 461st anniversary on September 8.
Known to Spanish settlers as Calle del Hospital, Aviles Street has long been one of the city’s most distinctive corridors. Today, its narrow route is home to galleries, museums, restaurants and cultural landmarks, making it a natural setting for a festival built around discovery.
Visitors can spend the day following a festival BINGO card through participating merchant locations, with the chance to win a gift basket filled with items from Aviles Street businesses. Mini-tours led by St. Augustine Experiences will offer another way to see the street, meeting at The Bart on Aviles at noon and at additional times throughout the afternoon.
The schedule moves easily between hands-on activities and live performances. At Trinity House Goldsmith, guests can sift for Spanish treasure from noon to 4 p.m., while Ximenez-Fatio House Museum will host live painting by plein air artist Martha Ferguson from noon to 9 p.m. Acacia Tree Gallery will welcome nationally awarded plein air painter Linda Sperruzzi from 1 to 4 p.m.
As evening arrives, the festival leans into performance and pageantry. ZaZa Flamenca will appear at The Bart from 3 to 6 p.m., followed by appearances from St. Augustine’s Royal Family at 5 p.m. Flamenco De La Costa will perform twice in the Ximenez-Fatio courtyard, at 6:15 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Re-enactors from the Spanish Military Hospital Museum will stage sword dueling from 6:30 to 7 p.m., and Flagler College students will present programs at the museum from 7 to 8 p.m.
An artisan market at the Ximenez-Fatio House, open from 4 to 9 p.m., will bring additional local creativity to the street. Other participating merchants include Nonna’s Trattoria, Forgotten Tonic, Peace Pie, Plum Gallery, Bouvier Maps & Prints, D.R. Abbott Gallery, Jensen Pottery, the Father Miguel O’Reilly House and Gardens, and the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library.
The festival’s appeal is in that mix: an afternoon that can be shaped around a museum stop, a gallery visit, a cocktail, a dance performance or an unhurried walk along one of St. Augustine’s oldest surviving streets. For one day in September, Aviles Street’s layered past will be especially visible—and lively.
