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Weekend Events: Candlelight Tour, Winter Wonderland, The Nutcracker Ballet, and more!

Weekend Events: Candlelight Tour, Winter Wonderland, The Nutcracker Ballet, and more! 3 VillaZoraydaCandlelight1 St. Francis Inn St. Augustine Bed and Breakfast

Friday and Saturday: December 16 & 17
CANDLE LIGHT TOURS OF VILLA ZORAYDA
Explore the beautiful Villa Zorayda, decorated for the Holiday season, featuring a Christmas tree in the “Court of Lions”, decorated in the Villa’s traditional red and gold and a beautiful crèche nativity scene that that has been a Villa tradition since the 1930s.  On Friday at 6 p.m., enjoy refreshments of cookies and punch. Candles are aglow throughout the museum as the docent led candlelight tour begins at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, enjoy refreshments at 5:30 and tour at 6 p.m. Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for children 7 -12, children 4 -6 are free (not recommended for children under 3).  Villa Zorayda is located at 83 King Street in St. Augustine. Reservations are suggested. For more information, visit www.villaZoryada.com or call 904.829.9887.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: December 16-18

WINTER WONDERLAND AT ST. AUGUSTINE AMPHITHEATRE
Bring the whole family to enjoy St. Augustine’s Winter Wonderland which features a real ice skating rink, ice slide, Elf Express train rides, The Elf Village, sleigh rides and SNOW!  There are even scheduled visits from Santa.  Adults are welcome to relax and enjoy refreshments in the Igloo Lounge (21 and up only). St. Augustine Amphitheatre is located at 1340 A1A St. Augustine. Hours are November 26 through December 16, Monday through Friday 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 10 p.m..; and December 17 through January 1 from 2 to 10 p.m. daily except Christmas Day (5 – 10 p.m.) and New Year’s Eve (noon to 5 p.m.) Admission is free with activity participation fees.   For more information, call 904.209.0367 or visit www.WinterWonderlandFlorida.com.

ST. AUGUSTINE BALLET PERFORMS THE NUTCRACKER
Bring the children along to enjoy this delightful traditional holiday ballet. The performances will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Performances are at the Flagler College Auditorium, located at 14 Granada Street in St. Augustine. Tickets are $20, $25 and $30. For more information, visit www.saintaugustineballet.com or call 904-810-5670.

FANTASTIC FLORIDA ART EXHIBIT
Stop in to the St. Augustine Art Association Gallery to view artistic impressions at one of the Association’s most popular shows that exhibits celebrates the sights and structures, beaches and byways, flora and fauna that make Florida fantastic. The show runs through December 30. The gallery is located at 22 Marine Street in St. Augustine. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 904.824.2310 or visit www.staaa.org.  
FREEDOM SUNSET SAIL
Board the beautiful Schooner Freedom for a sailing adventure that includes a gorgeous sunset and the Oldest City aglow in Nights of Lights splendor.  The schooner departs daily at 4:15 p.m. from the St. Augustine City Marina.  Soda, beer, wine and blankets are provided — passengers are more that welcome to bring a picnic basket or a thermos of hot chocolate.  Tickets for the two-hour tour are $45 per adult; kids 2-12 are $35 each; children under 2 sail free.  For reservations, call 90.810.1010.  

   

LIMELIGHT THEATRE: DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL
Enjoy this family-friendly performance about two bumbling duck hunters in the Alabama swamp manage to shoot an angel and are then pursued by the tabloid media. This hilarious tale interweaves a love story, race relations, and cultural stereotypes as the chase to find the angel builds to a crescendo. Performance times through December 30 are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the Limelight Theatre, located at 11 Old Mission Avenue in St. Augustine. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $20 for students and military. For more information, call 904.825.1164 or visit www.limelight-theatre.org.   
Saturday:  December 17

BEACH PHOTOS WITH SANTA

Join Santa in the dunes just north of the St. Augustine Beach Pier for a tremendous holiday photo opportunity. Sponsored by the St. Augustine Lifesaving Association, it’s a great way to feature the whole family, including the pets, in a memorable photo with Santa in a beach setting. A 5×7 photo in a holiday folder is only $10 – or you can bring your own camera and get each pose for $5. All proceeds benefit the county’s lifeguard service. Photos will be taken from 9 a.m. to noon today.  Access via Pope Road. 904.484.4514  
KAYAK ST. AUGUSTINE
Grab breakfast and then depart from downtown St. Augustine for an amazing 10 a.m.-noon kayak adventure. Great way to see the salt marsh up close and discover the treasures it holds. Call 904.377-7245 for reservations. Special holiday prices – $35/adult; $30 ages 6-12. www.staugustineecotours.com

   

A DAY IN THE COLONIAL MARKET
Visit A Day in the Colonial Market in the St. Augustine Colonial Spanish Quarter located at 29 St. George Street. Take a step back in time and browse the wares of artisans who will be demonstrating and selling colonial crafts. There will also be food, music and theatre troupes recreating life in a colonial Spanish market. The Market is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and just a short walk from the Visitors Information Center and The Downtown Parking facility. For more information, call 904-825-6830.

 NAVIDAD EN EL VIEJO SAN AGUSTIN/CHRISTMAS IN OLD ST. AUGUSTINE
Celebrate Christmas 16th Century style. From 7 to 9 p.m. Alondra, La Compañía de Santiago, Theater with a Mission, and Los Compañeros de la Cocina, will be presenting Christmas music and customs of 16th-century St. Augustine and colonial Spanish Florida at the Mission Nombre de Dios on San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine. Admission is free. For more information, call 1-877-352-4478 or visithttp://www.FloridaLivingHistory.org or http://www.missionandshrine.org.  
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Witness twilight time in colonial St. Augustine as soldiers guarding the town are dismissed for the night, and their replacements arrive to take over guarding Government House. The commander of the new watch puts the replacement soldiers through a rigorous drill before they take over their posts. The retiring soldiers are ordered to clear their weapons with the command of “Disparen!” The resounding blast of musket fire assures 18th century St. Augustine that the changing of the guard has taken place and the town is safe for the night. This traditional Spanish military parade travels along St. George Street from City Gates at 5:30 p.m. The Changing of the Guard takes place at 6 p.m. in front of St. Augustine’s Government House at the Plaza de la Constitucion. The event is free. For more information, call 904.808.1999.   
Sunday: December 18
PHOTO SAFARI AT GTM RESERVE
Go on a one-of-a-kind photo safari through Guana Reserve’s rich and varied natural resources. Led by expert local photographers, this three-hour tour is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate photographers who are ready to discover new places and new skills.  From 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Sundays learn more during the photo walk about the techniques they use to capture nature at its best:  Proper camera settings, composition, macro photography, landscape photography, HDR (High Dynamic Range) imagery, and post-processing software tips. Cost is $69 per person with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Friends of the GTM Reserve.  There is a $3/per vehicle parking fee.  Space is limited. The GTM Research Reserve is located at 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, (904) 823-4500 ort www.photosherpas.com   
     
LINCOLNVILLE FARMER’S MARKET
Get fresh produce, arts, crafts, jewelry, delicious lunch selections and family fun at downtown St. Augustine’s new Lincolnville Farmer’s Market.  Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — turn south on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and follow it to the market behind the Galimore Center.  

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