In a warm September 8 in the year 1565, 800 Spaniards gathered on the shores of a Florida saltmarsh at the site of a large Native American village known as Seloy. Soldiers and sailors were joined by more than 100 civilians. Married men and women, artisans, tradesmen and children waited in anticipation until at last, Captain General don Pedro Menéndez de Aviles stepped ashore from his longboat. Kneeling and kissing the cross carried by Father Lopez, Menéndez and his officers swore allegiance to God and King and proclaimed this place as “St. Augustine.”
That day marked the beginning of 450 years of people living, working and raising families in what is today the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States.
Happy 450th!!
You only turn 450 years old once, and the City of St. Augustine will be celebrating with a year of special events along Florida’s Historic Coast including art exhibits, cultural and religious activities, historical re-enactments and music festivals. Here is the Septyember 2015 Commemorative Event schedule:
Now through September 20, 2015 – Tapestry: The Cultural Threads of First America
An exhibition that illustrates the coming together of three intertwining cultures – Hispanics, Africans and Native Americans – to create the blended society of St. Augustine and the foundation of American culture. Located at the St. Augustine Visitors Information Center. www.StAugustine-450.com
Friday – Sunday, Sept. 4 -6, 2015
Celebrate 450! Music & Street Festival
This a free, celebration of the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine features national, regional and local music and historical and cultural performances on multiple stages throughout the city. The main stage will feature performances by Aaron Neville & Mavis Staples in Friday; Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, JJ Grey & Mofro, and Justin Townes Earle and many more on Saturday. Also on Saturday night there will be a spectacular fireworks show over the Matanzas River.
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015 EMMA Concert Association presents a 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
4 to 5:30 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.*
5:30 to 7 p.m. – On the grounds, The St. Augustine Textile Guild, Heritage (re-enactors) organizations, and representatives from the Castillo and St. George Street Players. The Art Association will provide hands-on activities and demonstrations geared toward family involvement.*
7:30 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.
Monday, Sept. 7, 2015 Cake Cutting &
Proclamation Reading
A cake cutting, local music and reading of a proclamation will take place on this day in the Gazebo in the Plaza de la Constitución.
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.
7:45 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
Sept. 9 – 12, 2015 St. Augustine Spanish Wine Festival
A festival of Spanish wines that features five events in four days.
September 18 – 20, 2015 U.S. Spain Council International Summit
An economic development summit with discussion among world leaders. The King and Queen of Spain have been invited to attend.
Location?
Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra and 42 miles of pristine, Atlantic beaches.
More Information…
For more information on events, activities, holiday getaway and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com, or call 1.800.653.2489.
