Entertainment this week in the Historic City

There is always something entertaining to visit or participate in when you are in St Augustine; and, as a service to our readers, in conjunction with the St Johns County Visitors Convention Bureau, Historic City News publishes free and low cost activities for your consideration.

Tuesday through Sunday: January 22 – 27

Nights of Lights – St. Augustine’s famed Nights of Lights illuminate 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

2013 Annual Figure & Portrait Show – Expressions of the human form and face lend personality to this exhibit. Artworks may include gesture drawings, academic figure studies, formal portraits or busts and people in groups rendered in any style or material. 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

Celebrate Art: 6th Annual Juried Artist Member Exhibition – Thirty-five of the area’s finest artists will present their juried works in this popular members’ exhibition on display through February 15. The galleries are free and open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra, 50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach. 904-280-0614 www.ccpvb.org

Dressing of the Palms – Complementing 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

Hotel Ponce De Leon Carrere & Hastings Blueprint Exhibit – In commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Ponce de Leon Hotel, historically and culturally significant ephemera relating to the construction and early years of the Hotel Ponce de Leon will be on display through February 22. This exhibit includes original Carrere and Hastings and McGuire drawings and blueprints, photographs, a copy of an 1885 map, and construction documents. Additionally, the exhibit highlights a group of artists who made the Hotel Ponce de Leon their seasonal home during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Original artwork and other artifacts related to their time in Saint Augustine will also be displayed at Flagler College’s Crisp – Ellert Art Museum, located at 48 Sevilla St., St. Augustine. The museum is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free. www.ponce125.com 904-829-6481

Tuesday: January 22

Hotel Ponce de Leon 125th Anniversary Community Lecture – A presentation by Dr. Tom Graham titled “Life and Leisure in Flagler’s St. Augustine.” This presentation is part of the commemorative events celebrating The 125th Anniversary of the opening of the Hotel Ponce de Leon. Takes place at 10 a.m. in the Flagler Room at the former Hotel Ponce De Leon, 74 King St., St. Augustine. Admission to the program is free. www.ponce125.com

Wednesday: January 23

Discover First America Series – Juan Ponce de Leon Finds La Florida – Theories and fascinating evidence of the landing of Ponce de León will be explored while re-enactors bring to life the moment when Old World and New World cultures collided. The program will take place at 7 p.m. at the Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada St. Admission is free. www.StAugustine-450.com

Thursday: January 24

Evenings at Whitney: Marine “Jelly Balls” – An evening lecture series about current science topics or on-going research at the Whitney Lab. This lecture about jelly balls, a part of our complex ecosystem, will be presented by Dr. Mark Martindale, Professor of Biology, University of Florida. The lecture takes place at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. The Center for Marine Studies at Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience is located at 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., St. Augustine (Marineland). 904-461-4000
Friday: January 25

We Got It Covered – Meet many of St. Augustine’s influential, and at times notorious, celebrities who have appeared on the cover of Old City Life Magazine during the magazine’s first seven years. The free event takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the 233 West King Art Gallery in St. Augustine. Live entertainment, hors d’oeuvres from Culinary Outfitters and a wine tasting included! The gallery is located at 233 West King Street. 904-217-7470

Friday and Saturday: January 25 & 26

New Year’s Rockin Trolley Tour – Take a musical journey back in time aboard the New Year’s Rockin’ Trolley. Featuring the most popular songs of each decade since the 1920’s, the trolley tours through the historic St. Augustine amid the dazzling Nights of Lights holiday display. The Pink Lady hostess and leather-jacketed conductor, characters straight out of Grease, lead guests in singing and dancing their way through musical history. The 35-minute tours depart at 6 and 7 p.m. from St. Augustine Visitors Information Center, 10 W. Castillo Drive. Tickets are $9 adults and $4 children ages 6-12. 904-829-3800

Saturday: January 26

Matanzas 5000 33rd Annual 5K & Fun Run – The 33rd Annual Matanzas 5K begins at 9 a.m. and the Fun Run begins at 10:15 a.m. from Swing Park at Francis Field, located on Castillo Dr. in St. Augustine, and continues downtown along the historic bayfront. The awards ceremony follows the race. Registration is $20 in advance through January 12th, $25 January 13th – January 25; $30 the day of the race. 904-461-1615 www.ancientcityrr.org www.matanzas5k.com

Living History Days at Fort Mose – From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., volunteers in period clothing offer visitors a fascinating glimpse into the past at the site of the first, legally-sanctioned, free black community in the United States. Program is weather permitting. Fort Mose State Park is located at 15 Fort Mose Trail in St. Augustine. Admission is $4 per vehicle or $2 for pedestrians or bicyclists. Info: 904-823-2232 www.floridastateparks.org/fortmose

Uptown Saturday Night – From 5 – 9 p.m. on the last Saturday of each month, 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. 904-823-9263.

Torchlight Tours at Fort Matanzas National Monument – Spanish reenactors conduct spectacular nighttime firings of two six-pounder reproduction cannons. Tours will depart the Fort Matanzas Visitor Center dock at 6:00, 6:45, 7:30 and 8:15 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be available beginning January 13th only at the Fort Matanzas Visitor Center. The cost is $7 per person and children 3 and under are free. Fort Matanzas National Monument is located at 8635 A1A at the south end of Anastasia Island approximately 15 miles south of St. Augustine. 904-471-0116 www.nps.gov/foma

Sunday: January 27

Royal Family Transfer of Office
Colorful transfer of royal duties from the 2012 Royal Family to the 2013 Royal Family composed of heritage residents representing Queen Marianna, King Juan Carlos and Princess Margarita Maria — the Spanish Royal Family of 1672, the year in which work began on the Castillo de San Marcos. The event begins at 2 p.m. at the Isabella Gardens located at the corner of Hypolita and St. George Streets in St. Augustine. 904-829-2333