Weekend full of local entertainment

Historic City News reporters received a long list of entertainment choices this week from St. Augustine Visitors and Convention Bureau Communications Director Jay Humphreys.

Friday: July 29

TALES FROM THE DEEP
See what 10-12-year old participants learned at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum when campers present their exhibit Tales From the Deep. The exhibit emphasizes the camp’s concentration on finding and interpreting shipwrecks. Campers will present the exhibit and answer questions from 2-3 p.m. in the upstairs gallery. For more information, call 904.829.0745.

EMERGENT OPENS AT THE CULTURAL CENTER AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH
Come by the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach to see the opening of the new exhibit Emergent, featuring abstract works by Troy Eittreim, Mark Moran, and Lance Vickery. The opening is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The Cultural Center is located at 50 Executive Way in Ponte Vedra Beach. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and every third Saturday of the month from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 904.280.0614 or visit www.ccpvb.org

Friday and Saturday: July 29-30

MAGIC AND COMEDY
Laugh ’til you cry when Magician/Comedian Mark Alan performs on the Pioneer Barn stage at the Old Florida Museum, 259 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine. Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and tickets are only $5. For more information, call 904.824.8874.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: July 29-31

El CONQUISTADOR THRILL RIDE
Go for a thrilling, high-speed, one-hour ride across Matanzas Bay aboard El Conquistador, St. Augustine’s newest thrill ride. Narrated tour features history, speed and fun aboard this powerful speedboat. El Conquistador departs from the City Marina’s Slip 73. Tickets are $39.50 for adults and $29.50 for children (ages 4-12). Free for active duty military. Special rates for groups of eight or more. For safety reasons, children under four and pregnant women are not allowed onboard. For information and reservations, go to www.elconspeedboat.com or call 904.738.4695.

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATER
Experience the first theater on St. Augustine’s St. George Street since a terrible fire destroyed the Genovar Opera House in 1914. The St. Augustine Murder Mystery Theatre features a great meal and great live entertainment daily with a matinee at 2:30 p.m. and an evening show at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $43.15 each. For more information, call 904.671.2508 or go to www.StAugustineMurderMysteryDinnerTheater.com.

YACHT OF FUN
Have a captain and a fun-equipped 22-foot boat at your service from dawn to dusk! Yacht of Fun takes up to six people on a full day of whatever passengers prefer – fishing, swimming, stopping at waterfront restaurants, sunning – you name it. The boat leaves from St. Augustine and offers the perfect way to spend a day. The rate is $60 per person for a party of six. For more information, go to www.yachtoffun.net or call Cap’n Mike at 352.246.3836

MUSIC AT SARA’S CREPES CAFE
Enjoy delicious crepes in an Old World setting while experiencing great live music all weekend. Friday from 7-11 p.m., it’s jazz, blues and rock from Douglas Mcrae; Saturday from 7-11 p.m. enjoy the smooth vocals, guitar and harmonica of Wendy Kissinger; and Sunday it’s the Groov Band from 5-9 p.m. Sara’s Crepes Café is located at 100 St. George Street on the corner of Hypolita and Spanish streets in St. Augustine. For more information, call 904.810.5800.

BEACH HORSEBACK RIDING
Experience the fun and excitement of horseback riding at the edge of the sea. Country Carriages offer daily one-hour rides (weather and tides permitting) from Surfside Park on Vilano Beach. The cost is $75 per person. For reservations (a must) and more information, call 904.826.1982.

Saturday and Sunday: July 30 & 31

EXPLORE THE MATANZAS RIVER
Hop on a research boat for a mid-morning journey into the waters of the Matanzas River. The 11am-12:30pm trip leaves time for lunch afterwards in picturesque downtown St. Augustine. Recent sightings include leaping manta rays & baby dolphins! $35/adults, $30/kids 3-12, $15/infants-2. Call St. Augustine Eco Tours at 904-377-7245 to make reservations or visit www.staugustineecotours.com to learn more.

GUANA FAMILY KAYAK TOURS
Experience a thrilling family outing in kayaks at Guana Preserve. Get up close and personal to crabs, jellyfish, pelicans and Dolphins on a Family Kayak Tour, geared to the more inquisitive younger minds. A percentage of tours proceeds goes directly to the “Friends of the GTM NERR” to assist with their conservation efforts. $55 for adults and $45 for children ages 6 to 15. Tours are by reservation and take place from 9 to 11 a.m. For more information, call 904.347.1565 or visit www.KayakGuana.com.

PGA TOUR GOLF ACADEMY CLINICS

The PGA TOUR Golf Academy at World Golf Village is offering one-hour clinics for $20 to focus on the building blocks of a consistent swing. Cost is $20 per person. For more information, call 904.940.3600 or visit www.touracademy.com.

Saturday: July 30

BEACH WALK AT THE GUANA
Join GTM Research Reserve Volunteers Rick and Roz Edwards for this “Beaches 101” experience; an informative and fun walk and learn about the sand, the importance of the dunes, and the animals that call the beach their home. The walk departs from the Guana South Beach Parking Lot, approximately 2 miles north of the Guana Preserve main entrance on A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach. The walk is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and reservations are required. Admission is $3 parking fee. Be sure to dress for the weather conditions and bring water. For more information, call 904.823.4500 or visit www.floridadep.org/gtm/calendar/beach_walk.htm .

LOS PRESIDALES AT FORT MOSE
Meet the 18th century residents of St. Augustine, Los Presidiales, during demonstrations conducted by authentic colonial Spanish re-enactors. The demonstrations take place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Fort Mose State Park located at 15 Fort Mose Trail in St. Augustine. Admission is $4 per vehicle or $2 for pedestrians or bicyclists. For more information, call 904.823.2232.

HASTINGS GALLERY OPENS
Take a short drive in the country and be there for the grand opening of the Backus Murals Gallery in Hastings, Florida. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., see the works of Joe Taylor, Eddie White and Sue Burdan – artists who embrace the magnificent Northeast Florida landscapes that are the heart and soul of Florida. The event celebrates the newly-formed Early Florida Arts Preservation Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to saving the gallery’s murals, quite possibly the only surviving murals painted in Florida by A.E. Backus – an American artist famous for his vivid Florida landscapes. The Backus Murals Gallery is located at 301 Main Street in Hastings, on SR 207 approximately 16 miles west of I-95 exit 311.

UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT
From 5 to 9 p.m. experience live music, refreshments, new exhibits, book signings and much more at the galleries, antique stores and unique shops on St. Augustine’s San Marco Avenue between Ripley’s Museum and the Mission Nombre de Dios. The Mission Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING. For more information, call 904.823.9263.

SUNDAY: July 31

MURDER IN THE OLDE CITY
St. Augustine’s Raintree Restaurant and the Limelight Theatre are teaming up to bring patrons the acclaimed murder mystery, “Murder in the Olde City”! Set in 1880’s St. Augustine, this powerful tale of murder, scandal, love, and deceit is presented in an entertaining ‘you are there’ style of staging. Based on a true story of love, hate, and revenge in the year 1886, and told with a seamless combination of history, theatre, and storytelling, the audience becomes the jury! Featuring a sumptuous sit-down dinner and professional performers in full period attire, this promises to be the hit of the season! Tickets are $35 per person all inclusive, with adult beverages also served separately. Dinner will be served at the Raintree Restaurant (102 San Marco Avenue) at 7 p.m. with the show to follow at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Limelight Theatre (11 Old Mission Avenue). Please call 904.825.1164 for reservations, or 904.347.5103 for more information.

NOTE: St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to the Lightner Museum, the Fountain of Youth (special events excluded), the Ximenez-Fatio House, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, and the Spanish Military Hospital 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 Pena-Peck House, the Father Miguel O’Reilly Museum and the Mission Nombre de Dios Museum.

For more information on events and activities, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com or call 1.800.653.2489.
Jay Humphreys, Communications Director
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau
29 Old Mission Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32084