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    Nights of Lights

    2.9 (86 reviews)

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    Ralph S.

    During our Uber ride back to the St Augustine KOA we were treated to a small part of the "Nights of Lights" kick off celebration located in and around St Augustine. Nights of Lights is an annual holiday lighting display in St. Augustine, Florida, featuring over three million white lights that illuminate the historic district from November 15, 2025, to January 11, 2026. The event is inspired by the Spanish tradition of displaying a single light in a window, and it is best experienced by walking through the historic streets or taking a themed tour on a trolley, boat, or even a horse-drawn carriage.

    Nicole S.

    I have spent time in St. Augustine nearly every year of my childhood and many years as an adult. I have been there in the months of April-October, but I had never been there for the Nights of Lights. I always wanted to go, and I finally got my chance. We loved it. As if St. Augustine isn't beautiful enough, add a warm Christmas feel with lights decorating the entire town, horse drawn carriages, the typical good food and drinks you get here, and friendly locals. It lived up to everything I had seen for years. I feel very fortunate to have gotten this opportunity. If you get the chance, don't miss out.

    Jose G.

    A beautiful evening filled with holiday cheer! Saint Augustine was packed with people from all over the world site seeing, shopping and enjoying the great trolley tours. My family and I arrived early and enjoyed the tour by Old Town Trolley! Great customer service and fun filled tour with lots of holiday cheer and singing! Highly recommended and hope you enjoy your visit to Nights of Lights!

    Astrida M.

    Our trip to St Augustine for the Nights of Lights was on our bucket list and it did not disappoint! To me, it was a magical time. I love neon lights. We went 4 nights in a row and drove past all of the participating businesses including Plaza de la Constitución from one end to the other end. Twice we took a trolley and twice we drove in our own car. We fiund street parking later in the evening. Traffic is bumper to bumper in your own car and that's why we took the trolley because they were able to get around the traffic better. We drove in our car around 10pm when the traffic had died down and we were able to get better photos. Pedestrian traffic was still in high gear though because the bars and restaurants were still open. I wiuld definitely go back again. This trip was awesome! I highly recommend it.

    Lisa S.

    Not sure what all the hype was for this activity but I did not think it was worth the price. You buy tickets online which gives you a row. There were only two of us so it was $102 with tax and fees. We had the last row of the car so we could see behind us easily - that was a good choice. The train takes off and you basically drive in circles to see the nearby parks and businesses that have put up holiday lights. It's pretty but in walking around downtown, we pretty much saw everything on foot and didn't need the train. Was hoping it would take us farther out to see something unique. They handed out these unique glasses that turned all light into snowflakes. Tried to take a pic to show the effect. The atmosphere is great. The holiday music is blaring and people are singing and waving at us. It was NYE, so lots of shouts for a Happy New Year. When you exit, you get a cup of hot cider and a cookie. The people working were very nice. Overall, it just wasn't worth the steep price.

    Warming up with a yummy hot chocolate from Kookaburra Cafe - highly recommend!
    Laura S.

    Such a beautiful evening at St. Augustine's Nights of Lights! I have heard about this wonderful holiday activity ever since I moved to Orlando over 20 years ago and I finally had the chance to check it out, and I will say I was not disappointed. I was able to do a pedi cab tour of the lights on the very first evening of the event which was absolutely beautiful. It was a bit chilly but our driver provided us with cozy blankets so we were nice and warm. Since it was opening night of the event, it was extremely crowded but that is to be expected at such a popular event. I definitely hope to come back in future years to enjoy what this event has to offer more times!

    Lyn B.

    We had an AMAZING time!!! First of all, St. Augustine is absolutely wonderful. This place is a must see whether you are vacationing or a local. You MUST also take a special visit to the "Nights of Lights" from November 23rd to January 26th. All of downtown is lit up including the boats in the river. Everyone parks and tours throughout the city. You can also tour via car, trolley, golf cart or horse and carriage (my favorite). There are guided tours throughout. Talk about rows and rows of streets filled with great music, dining and dancing. Thousands of unique shops are open for business. NOW, we made a "SPECIAL" this time because of our anniversary. My husband surprised me with (one of the many) Scavenger hunts there have. (Year round I might add) We had a BLAST! You don't have to be young, fast or timed if you don't want to. I'm 70 and too tired to work up a sweat if I don't have to. BLAAH, (my running days are over) So, for the hunt, you go to one of many apps. and you can start/finish anytime you like. Just so you know you don't have to visit just for the holiday season. (We have the pleasure of living 20 minutes outside the city) There are Pirate tours, Ghost tours, 2 Castle tours The Castillo de San Marcos right in town, and Castle Otttis. You can also visit the light house and the Maritime museum. Just some of the MANY wonderful places to go.

    Tree
    Stephanie C.

    This event was pretty overhyped. I was really excited to go because I saw that the Nights of Lights in Saint Augustine made top 10 lists for places to see Christmas lights not only on the East Coast and the USA. Let me just say.... It does not live up to the hype. Do not book a special flight or travel more than 1-2 hours by car for this event. It's just not worth it. We came for the opening night, so at least there were free music performaces which saved the evening for me. The musicians were very talented and they played classic Christmas songs. We were there for the lights to officially light at 6:30pm and it was fun but pretty disappointing as only about 5 trees lit up. The rest of the buildings in the city have the roofs or some edges lined with lights but there's not very many given the size of the buildings. I've seen more impressive Christmas decor put on by individuals within their own neighborhoods. The events also drew big crowds like other reviews have said and you have to wait to get into any of the bars or restaurants in town.

    Mindy P.

    I love Christmas time!! Experiencing the holiday lights downtown in historic Saint Augustine is a magical experience. I've been on the night of lights trolley ride, as well as walked around on foot. Both are an amazing experience! The trolley takes you all around the city, so you get to cover a lot. You get special glasses to wear that make the lights twinkle in 3D. There is Christmas music playing in the trolley & my family & I loved singing together! Our trolley driver was very cheeky & fun! They serve hot cider & a cookie after. When you walk, it's perfect to start around the fort (or the parking garage) & go south down Castillo Drive until you hit King Street & then cross the street and go back north on the other side of Castillo Drive. Then you can see the lights from a different perspective! If you are walking, make sure you go past the Hilton and walk up into that area, it's one of my favorite parts! Parking can definitely be tricky, but we usually park in the parking garage or in the lot by the fort. It's a lovely holiday tradition!! Lights are free to experience, you only have to pay for parking. You can also pay extra for a trolley ride, carriage ride, or even a boat ride from the bay!

    Welcome center
    Kristina C.

    Free park and right to avoid the crazy traffic! Great event in St Augustine beautiful city decorated for Christmas! Very fun and festive great for families and couples for a fun date!

    Marialuisa M.

    Fun adventure. Be prepared to walk and stay close to your kids. Tons of people by the dreads. Lots of restaurants, trees, and light posts, covered in lights. It's free to come and walk around. There was beautiful caroling in the center of the park, many shops to look inside and shop for souvenirs, and plenty of restaurants to eat. Give it a go, very nice family atmosphere.

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    Virna L.

    We went on the RUDEE ride where you can BYOB but they had warm chocolate drink to share in this cold December night. We just had dinner at the King Fish Grill and the pick-up line was just by the round about. I purchased our tickets online. I had to change my ride dates twice and they were gracious enough to respond almost immediately and took care of me. Finally got there and saw their office. Went and checked in. I didn't have to show my email confirmation. The overall vibe of the Captain and hosts were Just right, not aggressive, not passive. TIP TIP TIP, they're wonderful.

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    Ask the Community - Nights of Lights

    Review Highlights - Nights of Lights

    Saint Augustine was packed with people from all over the world site seeing, shopping and enjoying the great trolley tours.

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    St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival - The old wooden schoolhouse.

    St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival

    2.5(11 reviews)
    0.8 km

    the reason the parking is free is so you can come in and spend an arm and a leg on the nasty food…read more I ate at "gyros" and 2 crab cakes with a salad was $25 i asked if i could just have one crab cake and of course they did but did not want to adjust the price at all. We also got some shrimp mac and cheese ($20) that was cold and at the end of the day just kept me in the bathroom. Stay FAR AWAY from this event and spend your money literally anywhere else to eat and get a 10x better deal and won't get sick. There was even a vendor the got featured on food network in 2007 (almost 20 years ago) and wants $45-$50 for everything like if your not standing in dirt eating on a paper plate. Big scam festival and hope they don't come back.

    4 of us friends took a bus trip (Lamers) to this festival…read more There were many food tents that had quite long lines. Prices were reasonable to somewhat high. Tents for shopping were plentiful with a huge variety of items to choose from. There were tents with items to buy in a large field as well as many along the streets in the main area of town. The old wooden schoolhouse is still an interesting attraction. Pirates were everywhere which were fun to see...the most handsome pirate looked a lot like Jack Sparrow. He was very handsome, polite and kind enough to let me take a few photos of him.

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    St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival
    St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival - Paula, Ellen & Betty ready for shopping

    Paula, Ellen & Betty ready for shopping

    St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival - The most handsome pirate.

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    The most handsome pirate.

    Taste of Saint Augustine

    Taste of Saint Augustine

    4.3(4 reviews)
    7.6 km
    $$

    Oh yeah! Yes, yes, yes! Great food, friends, food & friends!!!! Come one, come all! What else can b…read moresaid, delicious samples. We have only spent about $20-30 per person app far and have all tasted lots of fantastic yummyness! That tuna tartare was great! But why aren't more people dancing? Let's get this party goin'! This will be an annual event for our bunch!we are having a blast, so are our husbands!we heard the next band RedRiver Band will be even better than "The Committee" which is playing now. Lots of covers. Not bad band but the atmosphere! Awesome! But this is ST AUGUSTINE people! Lots of deaf people but no interpreters at all are working this event. Not even for a the band. Come on!

    I love when towns have "A Taste of..."! It's such a great opportunity to try a nice variety of the…read morelocal culinary scene. A "Taste of St. Augustine" was no different. As I drove to the amphitheater, my taste buds were in full force. Upon arriving, I was struck by how small the parking lot was and the swarm of cars that were looking for a spot. Folks were hungry! After spending about 45 minutes looking for parking, I was finally ready to check out the vendors. About 30 food establishment booths were set up on the concourse with food ranging from corn dogs to Spanish pork. I bought some tickets and I was ready to taste. I started with the coconut curry shrimp from The Reef, then on to Luli's Cupcakes for a red velvet mini cupcake. Then, I picked up a piece of chocolate cake from The Fudge Lady, a steak and stout pie from Meehan's Irish Pub and Backyard, followed by a sweet tea to wash all the food down from Fusion Tide Tea. I needed to take a break from eating so we went to listen to the bands play for a bit and bask in the sun. After an enjoyable hiatus, I was ready to tackle the tight quarters of the concourse and the crowd to sample a few more things. I grabbed a piece of pizza and I picked up the crab chowder from Crispers and the banana-strawberry delight from Barnacle Bills Seafood House. The small portions for varying numbers of tickets, which were each a dollar, were perfect for tasting some of the best dishes that the restaurants had to offer. After a few hours, I was spent! Good food, good music and good company made for a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

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    Taste of Saint Augustine - My vote!!! Oh my gutttness

    My vote!!! Oh my gutttness

    Taste of Saint Augustine
    Taste of Saint Augustine

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    Bacon Nation Food Festival - Bacon trick all sold out

    Bacon Nation Food Festival

    1.0(6 reviews)
    0.9 km

    I'm basically just echoing what Brian S. said because he is absolutely correct. On Saturday (the…read morefirst day), they were out of bacon within just a few hours. Never got any the rest of the day. The festival opened again on Sunday with absolutely no bacon. Ridiculous. The was the First Annual Bacon Festival in St. Augustine and I truly hope they never do it again. If they do, I most definitely will not be in attendance! We ended up going to Les Petit Pleasures http://www.yelp.com/biz/les-petits-pleasures-st-augustine?hrid=eZmkzXiQwoiofqYrP2xKNA and having an amazing BLT. Then we just bummed around Saint George Street the rest of the day.

    What do you call a Bacon Festival without bacon? A gathering…read moreof food trucks. Until the Jaguars draft completes, there is a huge chance that this 1st annual Bacon Nation Food Festival will retain the exalted position of being my lowlight of 2014. On the one hand I was very proud and happy to support this inaugural festival and wish them every success with next year's event, but on the other hand this was a bit of a shambles. After teasing everyone at work about the Bacon Festival in Chicago being almost worth hitchhiking to, someone sent around an email alerting everyone to the Bacon Festival in St. Augustine. Instantly the office was a mass of hugging, cheering and dancing employees. A lottery win couldn't have elicited a more joyful environment. The words Bacon and Festival are two of the most magical, powerful combinations in the English language. Running on Sat 26th and Sunday 27th of April from 11:00am until 8:00pm, this 1st annual Bacon Nation Food Festival promised a variety of bacon-related foods, activities for the children, new culinary experiences and was a collection of some of the best vendors in Northeast and Central Florida, with "...more than 20 food trucks offering everything from dessert to authentic Hawaiian hotdogs." Everyone at work was going to be showing up at different time over the weekend, and as it so happened The Hublet and I managed to get the bulk of our weekend tasks completed early and rocked up to the Bacon Festival at about 11:30am on Saturday. Instantly impressed by the size of the queue waiting to get in, although the ATM near the entrance lead me believe that not everyone read the 'cash only' stipulation on their website. Entry tickets were $4 per person, with children aged 13 and under getting in free. Although I'm a bit of a grouch at having to pay to enter an event that gives you nothing in return for free and where I'll have to pay for everything I choose to do, I was honestly happy to pump some money into the 1st Bacon Festival in the hope that it would make them more inclined to return next year. While queuing we were struck with how empty the field looked, with a limited row of food trucks to the right, children's activities and games to the left and a small row of handicraft tents in the center. The Hublet and I wandered around the field, wanting to preview our options before committing to a bacon-related item...and were amazed at how few food trucks offered a standalone bacon item. Sure, you could pay $1-2 extra to add bacon to an existing food truck item, but there were no food items that existed simply to celebrate the wonder of bacon. No bacon ice-cream, no bacon beer, no bacon doughnuts or cupcakes, no bacon wrapped bacon stuffed with bacon (just some of the food fantasies that my colleagues and I had decided in the week leading up to the Festival that we were hoping to find). One truck, I can't remember the name...an orange truck...actually had the only queue of people in the entire field, and all because they were the sole truck who stepped up and made bacon their focal point with bacon brownies and so on. They had embraced the concept of the Bacon Festival and come armed with a menu that paid homage to bacon. The only things we ended up paying for were a glass of homemade lemonade and $2 for 2x tiny strips of bacon dipped in chocolate, which were a disappointment as it seemed to be the wrong choice of chocolate as it didn't work with the bacon at all However, for me one of the worst things about the event was the taunting guy on the microphone caged up in the kiddy area at one of the ball games...his annoying, overly loud commentary was amazingly irritating and added to the overall dismal feeling of annoyance - a live band, inviting a local radio station to commentate or even some background music would have been a great alternative. With a huge queue of people still lining up at the entrance to pay to enter, we were a bit sad at the letdown they were in for but I maintain that although the actual event was a huge disappointment, I'm very happy that I financially contributed and supported the first Bacon Festival in the area because I would love to see it return annually, albeit hugely improved.

    Photos
    Bacon Nation Food Festival
    Bacon Nation Food Festival
    Bacon Nation Food Festival - I love food trucks.

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    I love food trucks.

    Nights of Lights - festivals - Updated May 2026

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