A BUSY SUMMER AHEAD ON FLORIDA’S HISTORIC COAST
Summer is here, and there are plenty of exciting events taking place on Florida’s Historic Coast. Art, sports, music and fireworks take center stage in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches.
The summer’s biggest event is the city of St. Augustine’s Fireworks Over the Matanzas. The Nation’s Oldest City celebrates the 4th of July in style with one of the largest fireworks displays on the East Coast. Or venture north and enjoy Independence Day 2024 with The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club‘s beach party with an oceanfront cookout, beach games, sandcastle contest, dive-in movie and more.
Art is around every corner and in every form on Florida’s Historic Coast. The Lightner Museum hosts The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Lightner Museum, a major reinterpretation of the museum’s permanent collection, beginning June 7 through the winter. The St. Augustine Art Association has two exhibits opening this summer: the Annual Honors Show, June 7-July 17, and History Through the Lens of Architecture, July 18-August 25. The funky and artistic lines of antique and new Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche will be fully displayed at Summer VolkFest 2024 at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine on June 15. The art of tattooing has a home at the 20th Annual Jacksonville Tattoo Convention, August 23-25.
Live performances are in this summer on Florida’s Historic Coast. Check out the Limelight Theatre‘s summer shows, including the popular 9 to 5 The Musical. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre has the beat with shows from T-Pain, Iration and Pepper, Switchfoot, UB40 and more. The St. Augustine Music Festival makes music accessible to all with a series of six free classical concerts hosted at the historic Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine on June 21-23, and the festival’s 4th Annual Juneteenth Recognition on June 19. For more free entertainment, hit up the St. Augustine Pier every Wednesday for the Music By the Sea Concert Series, West King Wednesdays on the third Wednesday of the month, the Boardwalk Bazaar on the last Friday of the month at Marina Munch, the Fourth Friday Improv Show at Third Space Improv on the fourth Friday of the month and the Uptown St. Augustine Block Party on the last Thursday of the month.
Get active on Florida’s Historic Coast by reeling in big fish and even bigger prizes at the Ancient City Game Fish Association Kingfish Challenge June 28-29. Runners can race past the iconic lion statues at the 40th running of the Bridge of Lions 5K Run on July 13. Triple-threat athletes can flex their muscles at the Game On: St. Augustine Triathlon on July 28 at the Vilano Beach Oceanfront Park. The event includes an Olympic distance Triathlon, Duathlon and Aquabike as well as the Sprint Triathlon and Sprint Duathlon. Spectators can leave it to the pros at the Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am Tournament, August 17-18 at Vilano Beach. The competition features athletes from more than 75 different beaches worldwide.
Getting to Florida’s Historic Coast is a summer breeze. St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches are just off I-95, with multiple exits to choose from. Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is just 50 minutes north of St. Augustine and 30 minutes from Ponte Vedra. Visitors flying into Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) can enjoy the 50-minute drive north by taking the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway.
With extra special offers through July, you can grab a sweet deal on lodging in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches. Use the trip planner to create the perfect itinerary for the ultimate summer escape.
Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, the rural beauty of Hastings, Elkton, St. Johns, and 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches. Visitor Information Centers are located at 10 Castillo Drive, St. Augustine; 200 Solana Rd. Suite B, Ponte Vedra Beach: and at the St. Johns County Beach Pier Park, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach. For advance travel information, call 1.800.653.2489 or go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com.
Leave a Reply