This page is designed to give both the first time visitor to St. Augustine- and the veteran visitor- some useful information about visiting the British Night Watch
The British Night Watch is a weekend long event commemorating the British Period of St. Augustine, 1763 to 1783. The main feature of the event is the Grande Illumination~British Night Watch Parade, which is a reenactment of the ceremony used on special occasions and Holidays. Every night, the town was secured by guards marching by lantern light to lock the gates, but on special occasions, it was made festive by involving the entire population in a candle or lantern lit parade that ended with volleys of muskets, singing, and much merriment. For a history of this event, click on the History tab to the left.
Downtown St. Augustine Florida. Various locations are identified in the Schedule of Event Activities. Those locations include Francis Field, The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the Colonial St. Augustine Foundation Spanish Garden across from the Columbia Restaurant on St. George Street, Government House, and the Plaza de la Constitucion, as well as the Parade Route, mapped in a tab on the left. That map also shows these various locations mentioned above.
PAL DAY Military service personnel and families enjoy a free day at area attractions on the town, sponsored by the Greater Jacksonville USO. Please bring your military i.d. A free lunch will be provided at The St. Augustine Elks Lodge, 1420 A1A S 471-2829 If you have any questions regarding this event, please
visit
www.jaxuso.orgPlease, join in the Parade at the back as it passes you by- the tradition is to carry a candle or lantern as you walk, but is not a requirement. If you desire, candles are available for a donation on the Basilica Cathedral grounds, at the corner of Cathedral Place and St. George Street.
For more information, click on Parade Route tab on the left.
First, avoid the traffic downtown between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM on Saturday, as roads will close for the Christmas Parade. Best bet- park in the Parking Garage, and walk.
Secondly, finding on street parking can be a hassle, so skip that as well with the above advice.
Thirdly- Avoid trying to pack everything in town into 1 day- choose a Motel or Bed and Breakfast for Friday and Saturday nights, and book early- some fill up- and there is plenty to fill a weekend with things to do.
Short answer- YES! Within a few blocks from the Visitors Center and Parking Garage you can experience the entire schedule of the British Night Watch Event AND have many historic sites to visit, numerous shopping possibilities, dozens of eating (and drinking) establishments to fit any budget, museums, churches of all types of architecture, and the list goes on and on. Check out the Things to Do tab on the left to get some ideas.