Chocolate tour among weekend of entertainment

St. Augustine Visitors and Convention Bureau Communications Director Jay Humphreys has advised local Historic City News reporters that this weekend holds many entertaining and enjoyable activities — including St. Augustine’s Original Chocolate Tour.

Friday: December 17

NANCY LOPEZ EXHIBIT AT THE WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME
Come see the opening of a new exhibit dedicated to of one of the true legends in golf history, Nancy Lopez. The new exhibit, Nancy Lopez: Pride, Passion & Personality, features over 150 pieces of memorabilia from her electric career, including LPGA Championship trophies, her trophy she won as part of the victorious U.S. Team in the inaugural Solheim Cup and even the legendary Ray Cook putter she used to win so many of her 48 LPGA titles. The exhibit will be on display through December 31. The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at One World Golf Place in the World Golf Village at exit 323 off I-95 in St. Augustine. The World Golf Hall of Fame is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $19.50 for adults and $18.50 for seniors, military and students. For more information, visit www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org.
Friday, Saturday & Sunday: December 17-19

ST. AUGUSTINE COMMUNITY BALLET PRESENTS NUTCRACKER
Enjoy a holiday classic filled with spectacular scenery, beautiful Sugar Plum Fairies, falling snow, dancing mice, fighting soldiers and of course, the Nutcracker. The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Flagler College Auditorium, 14 Granada Street, St. Augustine. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for preferred seating. For more information, call 904.810.5670 or visit www.saintaugustinecommunityballet.com.

G.I. HOLIDAY JUKEBOX AT LIMELIGHT THEATRE
Set during Christmas in World War II, four fictitious Hollywood stars put together a string of 1940s hits to entertain the boys at the front. The show takes place at Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Avenue in St. Augustine. Show times thru January 9 are Wednesday through Saturday, 7:30 p. m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $20 for students and military. For more information, call 904.825.1164 or visit www.limelight-theatre.org .

THE PLATTERS, THE COASTERS, THE DRIFTERS AND THE TEMPTATIONS SALUTE
Be among the first to experience this exciting musical salute to The Platters, The Coasters, The Drifters and the Temptations at Fort Menendez in St. Augustine. Performed by Myles Savage, former lead singer for The Platters, and Ira Greig of The Drifters, this salute features the all time classic songs of these immortal groups. Performances are at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. each weekend through 2011. For the holidays, additional shows will be held every day at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. from Sunday December 26 through Sunday January 2. There will be no performances Saturday December 25. Tickets are $40.00. Reservations are required. BUY ONE GET ONE FREE LIMITED TIME TICKET OFFER. To purchase tickets, CALL Fort Menendez at Old Florida Museum at 904-824-8874 Regular priced tickets are sold at the door as availability permits. Funds will be raised for the St. Augustine Record’s “Empty Stocking Fund” from December 17 through December 19, 2010

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY: 1864
Visit the 17th Connecticut Infantry Regiment as they wait for furloughs and news from home during the Civil War. This re-enactment of Christmas during the War Between the States features candlelight tours of camp and traditional music. The 17th Regiment will be camped at the Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 Old Kings Road in Palm Coast. Their encampment is open to the public on Friday, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is $8 per person; free for children under five. For more information, call 386.446.7630.

SANTA’S FAMILY FUN HOLIDAY VILLAGE
Visit Santa’s Village and Toy Workshop for holiday family fun in St. Augustine. Children will get to visit Santa’s workshop to make his / her own ornament, enjoy holiday treats and visit with the jolly old elf himself – Santa! Fun for kids of all ages, admission is $3 per or free with the purchase of a Red Sightseeing Nights of Lights Train ticket. Santa’s Village takes place nightly through December 23 at the Sightseeing Trains Depot on the corner of Orange Ave, and Cordova Street. For more information, call 904.829.6545 or visit www.redtrains.com
Saturday and Sunday: December 18 & 19

TOUR MARKLAND HOUSE
Take a holiday tour of St. Augustine’s historic Markland House, former home of Dr. Anderson, Henry Flagler’s personal physician. These rare tours feature the grandeur of this historic home as well as background on the residence and its importance in St. Augustine’s rich history. Tour times are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day. Tours are limited to 25 participants so reservations are a must. Tickets are $15 each. A Legacy Tour of Flagler’s Ponce de Leon Hotel is available for an additional $7. To make reservations for the Markland House tour, call Flagler’s Legacy at (904) 823-3378.

Saturday: December 18

ETIQUETTE FOR CHILDREN
Give your kids the lasting gift of good manners in this theatre-inspired class presented by Veddy Theatre Group. Children ages 6 to 14 learn everything from table manners to cell phone etiquette while engaged in role-playing in the comfort of a private room at the beautiful and sophisticated Casa Monica Hotel, 95 Cordova Street in downtown St. Augustine. The class is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes a supervised 3-course lunch. Registration is $49. For questions preferably please email info@veddytheatre.org, call 904-806-2423 or visit www.veddytheatre.org and join Veddy Theatre Group on Facebook

FAMILY PHOTO WITH MARINELAND DOLPHIN
Include one of Marineland’s beautiful and fun-loving dolphins in a holiday family photo! This special will take place at 10:15 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Reservations are suggested as there are limited opportunities per time period. Santa hats will be available for purchase if desired or bring your own props. (No pets allowed.) You will receive one 8 x 10 photo and a CD with the image(s) taken for a charge of $25 plus tax. General Admission is required. Reservations can be made by calling 904-471-1111 Ext 116 or go directly to the reservations page of the website www.marineland.net.

BRIDGE OF LIONS BOOK SIGNING
Join author Beth Bowen at the Oldest House Museum, 14 St. Francis Street in St. Augustine from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a book signing and conversation. Her latest book, A Bridge to a Dream, commissioned by the St. Augustine Historical Society will be the topic. A Bridge to a Dream is the story of the building of the Bridge of Lions and Davis Shores in the 1920s. Photos taken before and during construction show the amazing transformation of marshland into a platted subdivision as only photos can illustrate. These beautiful hardbound books sell for $29.95 and can be purchased at the Oldest House Museum Store. Call 904-824-2872 today to reserve your copy or order online at www.thesahs.org .

ST. AUGUSTINE’S ORIGINAL CHOCOLATE TOUR
Learn the history of chocolate and chocolate formation while sampling truffles, pastries and gooey delights from the finest chocolatiers on this exciting tour presented by Old Town Trolleys. The tours depart from the Old Town Trolley Welcome Center located at 27 San Marco Avenue at 1:30 p.m. Tickets for this 2-hour tour are $60 per person. The tour includes stops and samples at Raintree Restaurant, Hilton Bayfront Aviles Restaurant, Casa Monica Hotel, Claude’s Chocolates, Peterbrooke’s Chocolates, and St. Augustine’s original chocolatier, Whetstone’s Chocolates. For more information and reservations, call 904.829.3800 or visit www.TrolleyTours.com/st-augustine/tour-chocolate.asp.

GUIDED KAYAK TOURS
Paddle on a guided kayak tour on seldom seen waters along the northern border of the Florida Agricultural Museum. This adventure provides the history and ecology of one of the best-preserved floodplains in all of Florida. The tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Florida Agricultural Museum is located off US 1 South in Palm Coast. Admission is $60 and includes all equipment, and photos taken by the guide. For more information, call 904.347.1565.

GUANA RIVER SUNSET KAYAK TOUR
Enjoy the sounds of birds and waves crashing on the beach paddling with the rhythms of nature while watching the sun set over the preserve. A certified Master Naturalist Instructor interprets the abundance of wildlife in one or Northeast Florida’s most natural wonders. The tour is from 4 to 6 p.m. and the cost is $55 per person. The tours depart form GTM Research Reserve, located on A1A North, between St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra. For more information, call 904.347.1565.

CANDLE LIGHT TOURS OF VILLA ZORAYDA
Explore the beautiful Villa Zorayda, decorated for the Holiday season, featuring a live Christmas tree in the “Court of Lions”, decorated in the Villa’s traditional Red and Gold Colors and a beautiful crèche nativity scene that that has been a Villa tradition since the 1930s. Starting at 6:30 p.m., enjoy refreshments of cookies and punch. Then the guided candlelight tour begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children 7 -12, children 4 -6 are free (not recommended for children under 3). Villa Zorayda is located at 83 King Street in St. Augustine. For more information, visit www.villaZoryada.com or call 904.829.9887.

Sunday: December 19

THE WIVES AND LIVES OF HENRY FLAGLER
Enjoy dinner and a lively production of this theatrical portrayal of the Flagler legacy. Following a specially prepared dinner by the chefs at Raintree Restaurant, this Limelight Theatre production cast of theatre veterans, Margaret Kaler, Dianne Jacoby, Darlene Jacobs, and Robert Gill, take the stage for what promises to be a stellar performance. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $39.95. It all takes place at Raintree Restaurant, located at 102 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine. For more information and tickets, call 904.825.1164