St. Augustine: The 450th Celebration

Hard to imagine a city in the USA being 450 years old but it has happened.  This event was to celebrate the 450th founding of St. Augustine FL, Sept 8, 1565 and to commemorator the continuous occupation of the city since that time.  Yes, the event was a big deal to history buffs, locals, the party-hardy crowd, and merchants.  Fortunately, we were in town for the event!

450 Year Birthday Cake
with "Royal Family"

For you trivia fans, I was a participant in the 400th celebration in 1965.  Let me add a bit more trivia about the 1965 celebration before launching into the 2015 event.  The historical commentary is complements of a St. Augustine tourist site and can be found at: http://augustine.com/history/modern-st-augustine.php

First Day Post Card 1965
My grandmother, Dora Chauvin, purchased several!

Despite the previous year’s civil rights turmoil and negative publicity, city leaders organized and presented a spectacular 400th birthday party for St. Augustine. The oldest city’s culture and history were presented in a week long celebration featuring parades, re-enactments, concerts and speeches. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre was opened that year on Anastasia Island. Located on the grounds of the old quarries that provided the coquina for building the city, the amphitheatre became the permanent home of the drama “Cross and Sword”. Written by noted playwright Paul Green, the play tells the story of Menendez and the founding of St. Augustine. It was named as Florida’s official drama.

The foundation stone for the Great Cross was also unveiled during the birthday celebration. Located on the grounds of the Mission Nombre de Dios where Menendez landed on September 8, 1565, the steel cross is 208 feet tall and weighs 70 tons. It is the second tallest free-standing cross in the western hemisphere. Many local residents note that St. Augustine has not been hit by a major hurricane since the Great Cross was erected.

So, back to the 450th celebration. Planning for the event started several years earlier.  Some people probably started just after the 400th anniversary but that is another story.

Main Stage, strategically placed at the foot of the bridge
Bridge of Lyons

St. Augustine has always been a popular tourist destination but the event planners wanted to maximize the crowds and revenue so the events were advertised far and wide.  

People came from everywhere to celebrate

Over the years, the area has become a quick get-away for folks from Jacksonville, a short 30-45 miles away.  Additionally the population has ballooned so this event would be much different from the 1965 celebration. 

Festive mood in the old city
Historic Village walls were chalked

One concern was traffic, parking, and transportation during the Music and Street Festival which was Sept 4-6.  Luckily there are several tour companies, Red Train and Old Town Trolley, in the area which can provide transportation in the city.  

Ghost Tours of St. Augustine are highly popular
I have a few ghost stories of my own!

For those coming outside the area, chartered buses and longer distance tour companies provided the service.  We opted to ride the trolley from Anastasia State Park, which was the Old Town Trolley.  It proved to be a fun and expedient adventure.

Riding the Old Town Trolley to the event

The trolley stop was on the east side of the historic Bridge of Lions.  After that only foot travel was allowed in the down town area so we took the lovely stroll across the bridge to find crowds were gathering for the nightly music performances.

Bayfront crowds on Saturday
enjoying the weather and the music

As mentioned earlier, there were three days of music, Friday Sept 4 through Sunday Sept 6th.  And it was well attended.  The main stage was on the Bayfront at the foot of the bridge and operated in the evening.

Friday evening before the crowds gathered
waiting for the night's entertainment

During the day and late into Saturday night there were performances on smaller stages which was a wonderful opportunity to tour the town, locate dinner, and enjoy a bit of music.

Serving the 450th cake

Tuesday was the official birthday but the birthday cake was cut on Monday Sept 7th as there were too many other events on Sept 8th.  Having the day free on Monday we opted to stop by the plaza for the cake cutting.  Actually, Bill met a friend for lunch and I stopped by after helping a friend with a chore.

The crowds at the plaza stage were amazing

It was a beautiful day so folks didn't mind waiting in line for the tempting cake after singing Happy Birthday and listening to the speeches.

Long lines for a piece of cake

It was a successful birthday week which seemed to achieve the commission's goals.  The event attracted tourists from around the globe, achieved a smooth traffic flow, and left folks with a wonderful impression of St. Augustine, FL.  

Chalked wall in the Historic Area

Yes, as the slogan...

"Party Like it is 1565"