Our StoryThe Plaza Experience is focused on strengthening the fabric of downtown. We want residents to see the Plaza as a place to dine, hear music, discovery art, reconnect with the community around them and make a night of downtown.
The Plaza Experience is a collaborative effort between 17 King American Bistro & La Casa Studios.
Tactile Art Show
This exhibit hosted by the St. Augustine Art Association invites viewers to do something most art exhibits prohibit - touch the artwork. Sponsored in part by The Eye Center of St. Augustine and hosting with the Florida Deafblind Association and the Florida Deaf and Blind School, the Tactile Art Show is a free exhibit, with entrance available from 12:00PM - 4:00PM Tuesdays through Sundays from October 2 to November 4. Visit the St. Augustine Art Association here.
Mortality and Mourning: Women in Black
A candlelight tour about mourning, grief, and how women were vital to the process how households navigated death in the 1800s. Tours are 6:30PM and 7:30PM every Friday and Saturday from October 2nd until October 31st. You can find more information here.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
First Friday Art Walk
On the first Friday of every month, galleries around downtown St. Augustine are open extended hours inviting locals and tourists alike to explore St. Augustine’s many beautiful galleries! The galleries include many different mediums, from oil paintings and photography to sculptures and ceramics! Some galleries also offer free wine to guests, and some galleries feature artists who are on display!
Galleries include La Casa Studios, Butterfield Art Garage, Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, and Sea Spirits Gallery and Gifts! Find more information about participating galleries and parking information on the VisitStAugustine website!
Perspectives Art Exhibit
A free exhibit in the St. Augustine Art Association. Opening night is November 6 during First Friday Artwalk. For more information, check the St. Augustine Art Association website.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
ARTistine Art & Food Festival
A free-entry festival at Francis Field featuring local 200 vendors, from artists and crafters to authors and performers, bakers and food trucks to goods and gifts! Come enjoy the 2nd Annual ARTistine Art & Food Festival! You can find additional information here.
Veterans Day Events
Veterans Day in St. Augustine starts in the Anastasia Baptist Church. The Veterans Council of St. Augustine in association with the Military Officers Association of America, is hosting an event of remembrance featuring veterans from WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and veterans that were involved in operations in Afghanistan and Iran. Throughout the day, certain attractions are free for veterans and their families, like the Old Town Trolley, Potter’s Wax Museum, and the Castillo De San Marcos. You can see more information about events and attractions here.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
Light Up! Night
Nights of Lights starts with Light Up! Night. It starts at 4:00PM in the Parque De Menendez in front of the Lightner Museum with a routine from Showtime USA welcoming the holiday season. At 5:30PM, local band All-Star Orchestra plays holiday songs to further welcome the season in the Plaza de la Constitución in the Gazebo. At 6:30PM, the lighting ceremony starts, with three million lights illuminating the city after it concludes. Lights will turn on every evening at dusk and turn off every morning at dawn. You can find more information and where to park on the VisitStAugustine website.
Nights of Lights Tours
Instead of taking it by foot, you can see Nights of Lights with any of St. Augustine’s many tours! Take a trip during the night in an Old Town Trolley train or a Red Train by Ripley’s! Other tours include horse-drawn carriages and tours in electric vehicles from Gold Tours, GhostAugustine, and First Coast Tours! You can also book a tour on the water with Scenic Cruises or Black Raven Adventures. For more information and other tours available, visit the VisitStAugustine website.
Nights of Lights
Historic downtown St. Augustine will be lit up with three million lights, including whole streets, businesses, the Plaza de la Constitución, and the Bridge of Lions from dusk til dawn. Explore the town on foot, or take one of many trolley or vehicle tours, you can even take a tour of the lights on the water!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
Villa Zorayda Holiday and Candlelight Tours
Villa Zorayda is offering after hours tours on select dates! Check out their Candlelight Tours page for tickets for the audio tour exploring the former home filled with Christmas decor! For a self-guided tour, see their Holiday Tours page!
Susanna Barasch: The Art of Song
Singer Susanna Barasch is stopping by St. Augustine as part of her 2026-2027 Art of Song recital tour! The soprano performs opera, art songs, and vocal repertoire, including performances of Broadway pieces and contemporary songs. Tickets are on sale now, with early bird tickets available until October 31. The performance starts at 7:00PM at La Casa Studios, located next to the Plaza de la Constitución. Find tickets and more information here.
Lightner Museum After Hours & Holiday Market
Lightner Museum’s 5th annual Holiday Market features local artists and vendors offering original artwork, handcrafted jewelry, home décor, holidays goods, and more! The Holiday Market also features vendors offering holiday themed food! The Holiday Market will take place in the museum’s Radzinski Gardens and the historic Alcazar swimming pool.
Fantastic Florida Art Exhibit
St. Augustine Art Association presents the annual Fantastic Florida art exhibit from Friday, December 4, 2026 to Sunday, January 31, 2027, from 12:00PM to 4:00PM Tuesday through Sunday!
This exhibit celebrates Florida’s fauna, flora, residents, and waterscapes through the eyes of many different local and regional Florida artists!
The gallery is also available to see online through the St. Augustine Art Association while the exhibit is on.
First Friday Art Walk
On the first Friday of every month, galleries around downtown St. Augustine are open extended hours inviting locals and tourists alike to explore St. Augustine’s many beautiful galleries! The galleries include many different mediums, from oil paintings and photography to sculptures and ceramics! Some galleries also offer free wine to guests, and some galleries feature artists who are on display!
Galleries include La Casa Studios, Butterfield Art Garage, Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, and Sea Spirits Gallery and Gifts! Find more information about participating galleries and parking information on the VisitStAugustine website!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
Christmas Parade
One of Northeast Florida’s largest parades, the St. Augustine Annual Christmas Parade features floats and festivities with organizations and neighborhoods alike joining in the fun with cars, dogs, costumes, and holiday themed marches!
The annual Christmas Parade starts at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission of Nombre de Dios. The parade proceeds through San Marco Avenue, Cathedral Place, and Cordova Street, and finishes behind the Visitor Information Center. After the parade concludes, Santa stops by the Plaza de la Constitución for photos for kids of all ages!
Colonial Night Watch
The torchlight parade beings at the Visitor Information Center at 7:00PM and march to the City Gates, then down St. George Street to the Governor’s House and finishes at the Plaza de la Constitución.
This living history event recreates the security protocols of historic garrison towns: after the city gates locked for the night, citizens out on the streets were required to carry a light so the Colonial Night Watch could identify them.
Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour
12 beautifully decorated historic inn are featured for St. Augustine' Historic Inns’ annual Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour! The theme for this year’s event is “12 Days of Christmas.” Tickets are on sale now! Click here for ticket information and more!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
Regatta of Lights
This dazzling Matanzas River bayfront show organized by the St. Augustine Yacht Club features boats of all shapes, sizes, and occupations, from yacths to shrimp boats, with competitors trying to outshine one another in one of four categories: best theme, most colorful, best in class, and best overall. The best place to watch this is between the Bridge of Lions and the Castillo de San Marcos.
Garden Club Holiday Tour of Homes
The Garden Club of St. Augustine invites guests to walk six beautifully decorated homes around St. Augustine’s historic downtown area! In typical Nights of Lights fashion, the spaces combine the theme of the holiday season with the city’s historic charm, while also showcasing the creativity and craftsmanship that has been the heart of the mission of the Garden Club’s mission.
You can find more information here and tickets for the event on the Garden Club website.
EMMA Holiday Pops: Ocala Symphony Orchestra
The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents Holiday Pops! A concert of popular and traditional holiday songs that invite concert goers to sing along! Tickets and information can be found on the EMMA Concert Association website.
The concert will take place at Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium on 14 Granada Street.
St. Augustine Ballet Presents: The Nutcracker
St. Augustine Ballet presents the 18th annual Nutcracker performance at Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium!
Friday’s performance starts at 7:00PM, Saturday’s performances start at 1:30PM and 7:00PM, and Sunday’s performance begins at 2:00PM. Tickets can be found here and information can be found on the VisitStAugustine website.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night on Saturday!
First Coast Opera: The Elixir of Love
First Coast Opera presents two performances of The Elixir of Love, an opera by Gaetano Donizetti first debuting in 1832, about a beautiful farm owner and the poor young man hopelessly in love with her.
The first performance is December 31st, 2026 and starts at 7:30PM, and the second performance is January 2nd, 2027 and starts at 2:00PM. The performances take place at Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium on 14 Granada Street. Tickets and more information can be found on the First Coast Opera website.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17th Annual St. Augustine Film Festival
From Wednesday, January 6th through Sunday, January 10th, the St. Augustine Film Festival presents more than 40 films playing throughout three different venues: Lewis Auditorium, Gamache-Koger Theatre in the Flagler’s Ringhaver Student Center, and the Virginia Room in Flagler’s Ringhaver Student Center.
See tickets, locations, and film schedule on the St. Augustine Film Festival website and VisitStAugustine.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
Halloween Trick-or-Treat Festival
The Ximenez-Fatio House is hosting a safe Trick-or-Treat Festival on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Wear your costumes, play fun games, win prizes, and trick-or-treat on the museum grounds. This family-friendly afternoon is free. Stop by and enjoy the fun activities for all ages!
Ancient City Kids Day
Ancient City Kids Day is a free event hosted by EPIC Behavioral Healthcare at Francis Field! It features games, giveaways, arts and crafts, and live entertainment! Family friendly food and drinks are also available at the event. More than 50 youth service organizations from the community provide activities and games for kids and their families. The organizations also offer resource materials for parents about community programs and services.
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night every Friday and Saturday!
17 King After Dark
Join 17 King for their debut of their new 17 King After Dark Program: keeping the doors open past the usual closing time until midnight, with a new late-night menu, cocktails, and local French jazz legend Zaza Flamenca providing cool atmospheric music the whole night.
Music in the Garden at Lightner Museum
Hosted in the back of Lightner Museum in the Radzinski Garden, Music in the Garden is a free event featuring the St. Augustine Bluegrass Unit. Gates open at 5:50PM. While some seating in available, it is encouraged to bring a folding chair. For more information, visit the Lightner Museum website here.
Thank you
The Plaza Experience is a collaborative effort between 17 King American Bistro & La Casa Studios to strengthen the fabric of downtown. We want residents to see the Plaza as a place to dine, hear music, discovery art, reconnect with the community around them and make a night of downtown.
