The Seafood Festival in St. Augustine, Florida, has been an annual tradition for decades. Now, after a 2-year hiatus, the festival returns to St. Augustine with a new name: St. Augustine Lions Spring Festival.
“This is truly a community event and local Lions, whose motto is ‘We Serve,’ are able to raise the funds needed to fulfill our claim that ‘Where there is a need, there is a Lion,’” Dominic Mercurio, long-time festival chairman, said in a statement. “We invite everyone to join us because ‘We’re Havin’ Fun Now!’”
The St. Augustine Lions Spring Festival, which will be held March 26 and 27 this year, has been the primary fundraising event for the St. Augustine Lions Foundation every year since 1981. The proceeds from the event are used to fund charitable needs and services in the community, with a focus on youth, the deaf and blind, disaster relief, and veterans’ aid.
More than 28,000 people are expected to attend the Lions Spring Festival this year, Mercurio added.
A Historic Location
St. Augustine, located on Florida’s Historic Coast, is about 40 miles from Jacksonville. Often called “America’s Oldest City,” St. Augustine is in a section of Florida Juan Ponce de León claimed for Spain in 1513 while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth.
Spanish conquistador Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who later became Florida’s first Spanish Colonial Governor, founded St. Augustine in September 1565. He named the site St. Augustine because he first spotted it on August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine, History.com explains.
St. Augustine is also home to Castillo de San Marcos, a fort built by the Spanish in 1672 to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route. Castillo de San Marcos — the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. — is now a national monument managed by the National Park Service.
Fun For The Family
The St. Augustine Lions Spring Festival will be held Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27. On Saturday, the event’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., while on Sunday, the event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The main attraction, which is only fitting, is the food. As usual, vendors will offer traditional fish and shrimp, lobster rolls, and Cajun specialties. This year, however, other types of food will be offered as well.
In addition to the food and an “arts and crafts village,” live music also figures prominently in the event. Attendees can expect performances from jazz, Latin, country, folk, classic rock, Motown, and contemporary music acts.
Activities for kids include the chance to meet Disney characters Rapunzel, Mirabel, and the “Snow Queen,” as well as Sal the Lion mascot, and Spiderman. Rides and entertainment for kids include a mechanical bull, a climbing wall, giant slides, and bumper cars.
Know Before You Go
The St. Augustine Lions Spring Festival will be held at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine.
Admission, which covers event entry, live music, and family entertainment, is $5 for adults and free for children 15 and under. There are additional fees for food, beverages, and activities. All net profits go to charitable causes and individuals.
Free shuttle service will be offered both days. You can find more information about the shuttles, including their routes and schedules, here.
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