Entertainment in St Augustine this week

Barbara Golden, Communications Manager for the St Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau, informed local Historic City News reporters about the following entertaining events for our St Johns County readers.

Nights of Lights

St. Augustine’s famed Nights of Lightsilluminate the nation’s oldest city’s historic district with the gentle glow of more than three million tiny white lights, providing a luminous setting for an exciting agenda of holiday events and fun through January 31. www.NightsofLights.com

Viva Florida Art Exhibit

To commemorate the 500th Anniversary of Ponce De Leon’s naming of La Florida, the St. Augustine Art Association Gallery celebrates the sights and structures, beaches and byways, flora and fauna, history and happenings that are uniquely Florida with a new exhibit. The St. Augustine Art Association Gallery, 22 Marine St., St. Augustine is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 5 p.m. Admission is Free. www.staaa.org

Dressing of the Palms
Complimenting Nights of Lights, the Dressing of the Palms in the Town Center at Vilano Beach features holiday decorations adorning over 200 palm trees along Vilano Road and Coastal Highway in Vilano Beach. Through January. Free. Vilano Beach Town Center 260 Vilano Road, St Augustine Phone: 904-540-0402
www.vilanobeachfl.com

Holly Jolly Holiday Trolley

Explore St. Augustine’s famous Nights of Lights in the cozy comfort of the Holly Jolly Trolleys. Guests of all ages delight at the festive glittering lights throughout St. Augustine’s historic area while enjoying caroling, hot apple cider and homemade cookies. Tours depart from St. Augustine Visitors Information Center, 10 W. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL 32084 www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine/holiday-tour

Small Objects Exhibition

Small objects art on exhibit at the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center, 50 Executive Way. Free to the public. Exhibition hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 904-280-0614. www.ccpvb.org

Friday and Saturday: December 21 & 23

Mini Santa at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Why settle for the same old Santa pictures this year? Instead, visit Ripley’s where you can have Mini Santa sit on your lap for a picture! Mini Santa will be at the St. Augustine Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, 19 San Marco Avenue from 3 to 9 p.m. Visit with Mini Santa are free with the purchase of Ripley’s Sightseeing tickets or Red Train Nights of Lights Tours. 904-824-1606

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: December 21 – 23

A Mark Twain Christmas and Joseph, the Husband of Mary at Fort Menendez
Two giants of the St. Augustine stage, Robert Gill and Lee Weaver, join to present their characterizations on the same Holiday program: “A Mark Twain Christmas” and “Joseph, the Husband of Mary.” Performances are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Pioneer Barn at Fort Menendez, 259 San Marco Avenue. 904-824-8874 www.fortmenendez.com

Saturday: December 22

Holiday in the Woods

Faver-Dykes State Park will host a family-fun holiday arts and crafts program from 4 to 6 p.m. Participants can make a natural wreath, a reindeer boot-jack, or a pine cone ornament to take home. Holiday music will be playing and hot cocoa and s’mores will be provided. Regular park entrance fees apply of $5 per vehicle, with up to eight people, or $4 for an individual occupant. Faver-Dykes State Park is located at 1000 Faver-Dykes Road off I-95 Exit 298 in St. Augustine. 386-446-6783 www.floridastateparks.org

Local Resident Specials

St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to the Oldest House, the Lightner Museum, the Fountain of Youth (special events excluded), the Ximenez-Fatio House, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, Spanish Military Hospital Museum, and the Historic Tours of Flagler College. 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. Also, on the first Monday of each month, St. Johns County residents are admitted free to the Dow Museum of Historic Houses, 246 St. George Street, St. Augustine.