BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SET FOR NATION’S OLDEST CITY
St. Augustine Turns 442!
St. Augustine, Fla. (June 26) — Historical re-enactments and entertainment, educational presentations and a Thanksgiving Feast will be among the highlights of the City of St. Augustine’s 442nd birthday party. Scheduled for August 28-September 2, this annual event celebrates St. Augustine’s unique status as the Nation’s oldest city and provides a colorful look at life when Florida was an important part of the Spanish Empire.
St. Augustine has set a remarkable record for endurance that is unmatched in American history. Despite hurricanes, wars, plagues and countless pirate raids, the city has survived and flourished continuously since that Saturday in September 1565 when its birth was proclaimed by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles. This year’s birthday celebration will focus attention on the religious leaders, Native Americans, and women who were there on the first day of the city’s existence.
August 28 (Tuesday)
On this date in 1565, the Spanish fleet arrived offshore and in recognition of the fact that it was the feast day of St. Augustine, Admiral Menendez named the area after the celebrated Bishop of Hippo. In recognition of the Christian beginning of the city, re-enactors portraying Franciscan monks and their Native American converts will be present throughout the city. At 6:30 p.m., celebrate Vespers at the St. Augustine Basilica and witness a solemn liturgical procession to the Bishop Baker Center at 259 St. George Street where a special theological presentation will take place. Admission is free.
August 29 (Wednesday)
The Spaniards were not the first to think of the St. Augustine area as “homeâ€. Native Americans known as the Timucua had been living there for at least 500 years. In fact, from the first moments of their arrival, the Spaniards encountered the residents of Seloy – a large Timucuan village located at the present site of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park. As part of the birthday celebration, the Park will feature demonstrations of Timucuan culture and lifestyles. Admission to the demonstrations, held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., will be free of charge.
August 30 (Thursday)
Unlike the English settlement of Jamestown more than 40 years later, women and children were among the 800 Spaniards who arrived on the first day of St. Augustine’s existence. From 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., St. Augustine women in authentic period clothing will demonstrate hand-dyeing, weaving and other 16th century skills. Visitors will be invited to participate! The demonstrations will be held at Government House on the Plaza de la Constitucion and will include a presentation on the role of women in the Spanish colony. Admission is free.
August 31 (Friday)
16th century entertainers, including jugglers, madrigal singers, and actors presenting authentic skits and comedies, will present free performances from 5 to 8 p.m. on the grounds of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum located at 19 San Marco Avenue.
September 1 (Saturday)
The Birthday celebration continues at 9 a.m. with a reenactment of the landing by the city’s founder, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, at the Mission of Nombre de Dios – the exact landing point of the Spanish colonists in 1565. The landing reenactment will be followed, as it was 442 years ago, with a celebration of Mass. Members of Los Floridanos, current citizens who trace their ancestry to the original founding fathers, will present a program. The Colonial Spanish Quarter, located on St. George Street, will have a birthday celebration from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. featuring authentic Colonial crafters, the Spanish Royal Family and free birthday cake for all. At noon, the First Thanksgiving, held on the day of the city’s founding, will be remembered with a cooking contest featuring authentic 16th century foods and recipes. Local restaurants will team with re-enactors to present authentic great cuisine in amateur and professional classes. The contest will take place at a special historical encampment on the grounds of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park. Admission is free
September 2 (Sunday)
From its first day of existence, Africans played a major role in the settlement of St. Augustine. They both served in and commanded Spanish military forces, they worked as laborers and slaves – they were fully integrated into the everyday life of the city. Two hundred years later, in 1740, the first legally-sanctioned black community in what is now the United States was established just north of St. Augustine at Fort Mose. Recently designated as a State Park, Fort Mose will offer living history presentations throughout the day to teach visitors of the vital role played by St. Augustine’s black residents during the days of the Spanish Empire in Florida. Fort Mose is located just off US 1 at the northern city limits of St. Augustine.
For more information on events and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, contact the Visitors and Convention Bureau at 1.800.653.2489 or go online to www.getaway4florida.com .