Historic City News says move over Jamestown, this weekend it is St Augustine, Florida who celebrates our claim to be the oldest, continuously occupied settlement of European origin in what is now the United States.
450-years of unbroken history makes St Augustine, the territorial capitol of East Florida and authentic site of the landing of Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, the rightful, historically accurate location of America’s Oldest City.
This anniversary will be celebrated with a four-day Labor Day weekend of activities, beginning Friday and continuing through Monday, then on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, the actual day of the Spanish landing at the authentic landing site, re-enactors from Florida Living History will portray the landing party along the marsh of The Mission Nombre de Dios and Shrine with an extended Founder’s Day ceremony.
Friday, Sept. 4, 2015
Music & Street Festival: Kick-Off Concert
This event features a kick-off concert for St. Augustine’s Celebrate 450! Festivities.
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015
Music & Street Festival
The festival includes national, regional and local music and historical and cultural performances on multiple downtown stages.
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015
Music & Street Festival
The festival continues with national, regional and local music and historical and cultural performances on multiple downtown stages.
EMMA Concert Association Spanish Music and Dance Performance
This performance at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre provides an evening of entertainment that showcases St. Augustine’s Spanish heritage.
- 3 p.m. – Gates open
- 3 to 4:30 p.m. – Local performing arts organizations will produce the first performance (St. Augustine Orchestra, St. Augustine Community Chorus, First Coast Opera & Limelight Theatre). This performance will be free to the public and produced by Artistic Director Gary Cadwallader.
- 4:30 to 6 p.m. – On the grounds, The St. Augustine Textile Guild, Heritage (re-enactors) organizations, and The Art Association will provide hands-on activities and demonstrations geared toward family involvement.*
- 7 p.m. – Evening Concert: Ensemble Espanol – The ensemble will perform all styles of Spanish dance – Flamenco, Classical Spanish Dance “Estilizatión, Folklore, 18th Century Dances, Ballet (Classical Dance) and Castanets.
City of St Augustine Fireworks Show
This will be a spectacular fireworks show over the Matanzas Bay.
Monday, Sept. 7, 2015
Music & Street Festival with Cake Cutting & Proclamation
The festival continues with national, regional and local music and historical and cultural performances on multiple downtown stages as well as a cake cutting and proclamation in front of the Lightner Museum.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015
Countdown Clock Ceremony, Menéndez Landing Re-Enactment, Procession & Commemorative Mass
450 years to the day of St. Augustine’s founding is an authentic, historical re-enactment of Pedro Menéndez’s landing at the Mission Nombre de Dios. A procession takes spectators to The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine for a Commemorative Mass.
- 8 a.m. – Countdown clock ceremony at the Visitor Information Center
- 9 a.m. – Menéndez landing re-enactment at the Mission Nombre de Dios
- 10 a.m. – Procession to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
- 11 a.m. – Commemorative Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
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