Include Lighthouse and Museum this weekend

Communications Director Jay Humphreys with the St. Augustine Visitors and Convention Bureau reported to Historic City News that through October 31st, St. Johns County residents will receive free admission to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. Residents of Duval, Flagler, Putnam and Clay counties receive half-price admission.

Friday: September 25

BLACK RAVEN ADVENTURE CRUISE
Get shanghaied and join the piratical crew of the Black Raven for a fun cruise beneath the stars. Sing along with the pirates, listen to tall tales of piracy, sip a grog created just for the evening and be entertained by pirate magician Master William Mayhem. This special 21+Club cruise departs the St. Augustine City Marina at 8:15 p.m. and returns at 10 p.m. Tickets are $28.50 for adults and $27 for seniors. Adults Only. For reservations, call 877.578.5050

Friday and Saturday: September 25-26

WILD DREAMS – DISCOVERING HENRY FLAGLER

See Henry Flagler brought to life in this critically-acclaimed performance by Paul Jellinek. In Wild Dreams, Henry Flagler tells the story of his development of St. Augustine as a world class resort destination, his work with John D. Rockefeller, the expansion of his empire to the Keys – even the story of his three marriages. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. at the San Marco Theater across from Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in St. Augustine. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 children -for more information, call 904.429.0280.

Saturday: September 26

GTM RESEARCH RESERVE HOSTS “LEAVE NO TRACE” WORKSHOP
Join Janet Herrick, Leave No Trace Master Educator, at 9 a.m. to learn how to enjoy the great outdoors without negatively impacting it. Meet at the Guana Dam Trailhead Pavilion. Guana Preserve is located on Guana River Road off A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach. There is a $3/per vehicle parking fee. Registration is required, call 904.823.4500.

UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT
A favorite end-of-the-month event, Uptown Saturday Night takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. the last Saturday of every month in the Uptown San Marco Shopping District, St. Augustine. Galleries, antique stores and unique shops between Ripley’s Museum and the Mission of Nombre de Dios remain open during this special time. Meet the artists, book signings, live music, refreshments and other events contribute to the party-like atmosphere. The Mission of Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING for Uptown Saturday Night. Appetizers are provided by the St Augustine Independent Restaurant Association (SAiRA). The event is sponsored by the San Marco Avenue Merchants Association. Please call 904.824.3152 for more information.

SOUNDS OF ST. AUGUSTINE
Enjoy local musicians, artists, merchants, food, wine and much more at this gala fundraiser for the Junior Service League. Mayor Joe Boles will be the master of ceremonies for this fun evening from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Lightner Museum. Great prizes and giveaways — including a 30-minute swim with the dolphins at Marineland – will be featured. Free admission. For more information, call LuLi’s Cupcakes at 904.392.6231.

FREE ADMISSION TO WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME
Get free admission to the World Golf Hall of Fame with the presentation of a Museum Day admission card (which can be found in the September 2009 issue of Smithsonian Magazine or at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday). The offer is good for two people and is only valid for the World Golf Hall of Fame (excludes the Putting Course and IMAX Theater).The World Golf Hall of Fame, which honors the greatest players and contributors to the game of golf through exhibits and demonstrations, is located off I-95 at exit 323 in St. Augustine.

FREE ADMISSION TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE AND SPANISH QUARTER
In recognition of Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day, the City of St. Augustine’s Government House Museum and Spanish Colonial Quarter Museum will offer free admission to all Museum Day card holders. Government House is the site of the Spanish Royal Capitol of La Florida. It’s extensive museum documents and displays a large collection of artifacts from nearly 250 years of Spanish rule. The Colonial Spanish Quarter is an outdoor, living-history presentation of life in 1740 in St. Augustine. Museum Cards, each good for free admission for two people, one card per household, can be downloaded from the Smithsonian’s website www.smithsonian.com/museumday . For more information about Government House and the Spanish Quarter, call 904.825.5088.

FLORIDA’S BLACK COWBOYS EXHIBIT AND FREE ADMISSION TO FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM
See a fascinating exhibit devoted to Florida’s Black Cowboys – for free! The Florida Agricultural Museum is offering free admission as part of Smithsonian’s nationwide Museum Day – and the new Florida’s Black Cowboys exhibit is among the many interesting and informative presentations at the museum. The exhibit documents black cowboys from the present all the way back to the earliest days of Spanish colonial Florida. Two free admissions are provided to everyone with a Museum Day card available at: www.smithsonian.com/museumday . The Florida Agricultural Museum is located at 7900 Old Kings Road, just off U.S. 1 across the Flagler County line in Palm Coast. For more information, call 386.446.7630.

Saturday and Sunday: September 26 & 27

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH JAZZ FEST

Jazz it up at this seaside musical extravaganza in St. Augustine Beach. Local and regional jazz musicians will perform at the Pavilion at the Beach from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and on Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. There will be lots of food, music and fun. Saturday’s performances feature The Bob Fraioli Group (3 p.m.); The Eddie Trester ET Swing’s The Thing Band (5 p.m.) and internationally-known Bill Prince (7 p.m.). Sunday’s lineup includes the St. Augustine High Jazz Combo (1 p.m.); The Rolland Fleming Connection (2 p.m.); Jazz Personified (4 p.m.); and a local Jam Session at 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 904.819.1944.

SUNSET KAYAK TOUR
Paddle into the sunset while enjoying beautiful panoramas of Pellicer Creek, Princess Place Preserve and Faver-Dykes State Park. The tours depart at 5:30 p.m. from Whitney Lab docks at Marineland, 15 miles south of St. Augustine on A1A. There is no previous experience required. The cost is $50 per person and includes kayak tour with photos and admission into the Marineland Dolphin Conservation Center. For more information or to make reservations, call 904.347.1565

St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to: Government House Museum, the Lightner Museum, the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, the Fountain of Youth, the Ximenez-Fatio House, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, and the Spanish Military Hospital Museum and the Father Miguel O’Reilly Museum. The daily tours and wine tastings at the San Sebastian Winery are free to everyone. Also, admission is free to everyone at the Authentic Old Drug Store, Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Photios Chapel, the Peña-Peck House and the Father Miguel O’Reilly Museum.