Letter: Romanza Festivale of the Arts

Letter: Romanza Festivale of the Arts

Albert Syeles, President
Romanza St Augustine, FL

Dear Editor:

Join in the ten-day celebration our City’s vibrant living culture: music, dance, theater, art, cuisine, heritage and romance with “St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of the Arts” going on May 9-18, 2014 at locations around St Augustine and St Johns County.

This year St. Augustine honors the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and its historical significance for our City. In its third year, the Festivale joins those 2014 commemorations with two powerful tributes to the music that helped inspire “the Movement”: Ray Charles, the father of soul music, and spirit–lifting Gospel music from Grammy nominee Troy Sneed.

In addition to these two powerful not-to-be-missed headline shows, you can choose from over 80 other shows, exhibits and tours. Over three dozen St. Augustine groups and businesses collaborate to present an amazing 10-day-long cornucopia of street fairs, parades, concerts, plays, re-enactments, exhibits, tours and much more.

The Festivale’s diverse offerings have something for everyone, young, old, families, couples, individuals, male, female, multiple faiths and ethnicities. Romanza Festivale promotes art and culture in public places by enticing audiences to walk around between shows and exhibits. You will enjoy all the beauty, wonder and creative energy of our unique city.

FEATURED SHOWS

Friday May 9 Opening Ceremony
• Changing of the Guard – Historic Florida Militia
• followed by Florida National Guard 13th Army Band

Saturday May 10 Romanza St George Street Procession
Saturday May 10 Ray Charles Tribute

Free Concerts May 11-16
• Gazebo
• Colonial Quarter
• Beach Pier

Saturday May 17 Troy Sneed’s “All is Well” tour

MUSIC
DOS Coffee – Island Duet
First Coast Opera – “A Gershwin Evening”
Linda Wills & Kathleen Vande Berg
North Florida Women’s Chorale
Romanza – “A Little Night Music” free weekday evening concerts
St. Augustine Beach Civic Assn
St. Augustine Community Chorus
St. Augustine Orchestra – “Fiesta”
St. Augustine Youth Chorus – “Where in the World”
St. Cyprian’s Church – “Jazz Vespers”
Sterry Piano Company

DANCE
Blue Lotus Belly Dancers
Flamenco Perspective (from Ponte Vedra)

CUISINE
Amistad Wine Tasting and Poetry Reading
Anne O’Malley’s Pub (music, food and libations)
Raintree and Fresh Produce
HAWKE at the Alligator Farm
Maritime Heritage Foundation
St. Augustine Beach Civic Assn.

THEATRE
A Classic Theatre – “Alice in Wonderland ”
“Comedia” by the St. George Players
Lee Weaver’s One Person Shows – “The Secret”
Movies by the Bay – “Ray”
Ripley’s Movies by the Bay at the Marina
St George Players at the Colonial Quarter

ART
Amistad fair trade store
St. Augustine Beach
Art Galleries of St. Augustine – “Art Walk Festivale”
St. Augustine Art Association
Aviles Street galleries, restaurants and shops
Cuna Street’s art festival

HERITAGE
Boules de Leon – Petanque (European game)
Florida Living History / Historic FL Militia
UFHSA Government House
Lincolnville Farmers Market
Maritime Heritage Foundation
St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine Historic Walking Tours
St. Augustine Beach Pier Market

Romanza events range from small to very large, and depend on the generosity of our community’s volunteers, collaborators, sponsors, advertisers and donors. Our annual St. Augustine Celtic Music and Heritage Festival and St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March deploy over 100 volunteers. Our main event “St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of the Arts” is the result of dozens of community organizations collaborating each May to produce over 80 shows. Each Romanza Member organization encourages the help and creativity of volunteers to produce these wonderful shows and exhibits.

Romanza is a nonprofit grass-roots community arts and culture organization. Its mission is to promote and produce events that showcase St. Augustine’s vibrant living culture, that enhance the quality of life for residents, and that create a positive, lasting impression of the nation’s most romantic city for visitors.

You can help St. Augustine’s living culture grow: Join Romanza. RomanzaStAugustine.org