March will offer entertaining activities at the price of overcrowding

The City of St Augustine reminds us, as if Historic City News readers could forget, that this weekend begins the overcrowded spring season when residents can expect to be inconvenienced almost every weekend.

The public affairs department suggests “a little planning” for those of us who will want to avoid traffic congestion caused by a burgeoning calendar of festivals, pageants, re-enactments, parades, and almost every outdoor activity known to man.

There is no place better to start than the beginning — this weekend.

Lions Seafood Festival, March 4-6
Traffic in the vicinity of Francis Field is likely to be congested this weekend, Friday-Sunday, March 4-6 because of the Annual Lions Seafood Festival. The popular event will affect traffic along US-1 near Castillo Dr. and will increase the number of pedestrians in the area, so planning and caution is urged.

For more details, including the hours of the event, visit its website at www.lionsfestival.com.

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Searle’s Raid, Saturday, March 5
The reenactment of the 1668 Sack of St. Augustine (Searle’s Raid) will necessitate some brief traffic interruptions on Saturday, March 5. Starting at 4:30pm, a procession will depart from the corner of Aviles St. and Artillery Ln. and continue north on Aviles, across King St. and the Plaza de la Constitution to Government House for a brief reenactment. The procession will then continue north on St. George St. to Orange St., then west on Orange St. to its conclusion at the Santo Domingo Redoubt. Vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the Plaza and the Redoubt will be briefly affected.

For more information on the activities, visit Historic Florida Militia web site.

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Lighthouse 5K Run, Saturday, March 5
The Junior Service League of St. Augustine’s Lighthouse 5K & Fun Run, held in conjunction with the annual St. Augustine Lighthouse Festival, will affect traffic in the Lighthouse and Davis Shores Neighborhoods. The event is set for Saturday, March 5, starting at 4:30 p.m. Traffic will be detoured or momentarily interrupted during the race, so drivers in the affected areas are asked to use caution and expect brief inconveniences. The route winds through the Lighthouse Park and North Davis Shores Neighborhoods and is expected to be concluded by 7:00 p.m.

A map and detailed information is available at lighthouse5krun.com.

Residents of the neighborhoods immediately north and south of Francis Field remind the public that event parking is prohibited in those areas. Please don’t ignore the signs that will be posted at the entrances informing you of such. And, of course, the residents hope you will understand that their yards are not trash receptacles or urinals for eventgoers.

For those who will be attending downtown events, the first choice for ease of parking is the city’s Historic Downtown Parking Facility located adjacent to the Visitors Information Center and Francis Field.

There are other parking options with many private lots around the city making space available for weekend parking. For a list and locations of the near dozen available lots, visit www.ParkStAug.com.