Are you trying to find some of the best things to do in St. Augustine for Christmas?
That time is upon us! It’s the holiday season that brings us joy and happiness, gets the family together, and not to mention endless food and drinks.
Whether you’re a St. Augustine local or just visiting, the city is extra magical during Christmastime.
With the award-winning Nights of Lights Festival running through January and a ton of events and activities to keep you and your family busy through December, there is no place like St. Augustine for the holidays.
Let’s check out 10 of my favorite things to do in St. Augustine for Christmas this year!
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St. Augustine Christmas Events At a Glance:
- The world-famous Nights of Lights runs nightly from November 23, 2024, until January 26, 2025
- Be marveled by the illuminated Nights of Lights Trolley Tour
- Enjoy all the holiday fun at St. Augustine’s 67th Annual Christmas Parade
- Eat your way through the holidays on a Holiday Tasting Tour
- Celebrate the “Sounds of the Season” at Kelly Farms with your favorite holiday classics
- Don’t forget to check out the Holiday Regatta of Lights as the bayfront lights up in festive competition
Keep reading to get your FULL holiday guide on all the best things to do in St. Augustine for Christmas.
1. Enjoy Nights of Lights Festival
One of the best things about the Nights of Lights Festival is that you can enjoy it any day of the week for two months straight! The festival lights up on Saturday, November 23, 2024, and glows until January 26, 2025.
The St. Augustine historic district illuminates its buildings and streets with over 3 million lights.
Not only does the breathtaking seasonal display offer great photo opportunities, but the local businesses stay open late so you can dine and shop to your merry heart’s content.
The best places to view the twinkling lights are from The Plaza de Constitucion and The Bridge of Lions.
However, the options are endless with tours on trains, trolleys, electric carts, boats, or even helicopters! Check out some of our favorite tour options and special events throughout our list.
2. Take a Holiday Ride on the Old Town Trolley Tour
The Old Town Trolley Tour is a long-time favorite with tourists and locals alike. St. Augustine is ripe with over 500 years of history and there is so much to experience and learn while you’re visiting.
With the Old Town Trolley Tour, you can hop off and on whenever you want, visit over 100 different points of interest, and avoid the nightmare of parking, all while learning so much about the city with a real-time tour guide.
During the holidays, you can experience the usual 1 or 2-day trolley tours, or, during the evening, you can experience the Nights of Lights Trolley Tour!
So, check out the best of the Nights of Lights Festival through magical viewing glasses while sipping on warm apple cider and snacking on gooey sugar cookies!
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3. Do Other Nights of Lights Tours
While the Old Town Trolley Tour is one of the most famous ways to tour the Nights of Lights Festival, you have plenty of other options available!
The St. Augustine Ponte Vedra website lists all of the best ways to tour.
You can tour on a train with Santa, have a pirate tour on a boat, take a helicopter ride with Old City Helicopters, or even tour in a comfortable, luxury gold cart.
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4. Tour the Holiday Regatta of Lights
The Nights of Lights festival hits the bay during the Holiday Regatta of Lights. This event, put on by the St. Augustine Yacht Club, takes place on the second Saturday of December, so it falls on December 14th this year.
You can watch this free Christmas event in St. Augustine beginning at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to end around 7:30 p.m.
Tons of boats put on a spectator show as they decorate their vessels with fabulous lighting displays, competing to win one or more of the competition’s categories.
Which boat will have the best theme, be the most colorful, win best in class, or best overall?
You’ll have to come and check out this boat parade to find out. Viewers can grab a seat along the seawall or Bayfront or show up early to get a good seat at one of the bayside restaurants.
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5. Celebrate the Sounds of the Season
Kelly Farms comes alive with the Sounds of the Season for their third year when the St. Augustine Orchestra fills the air with Christmas cheer.
This year you can celebrate your favorite holiday classics at either one of their two shows, at 2 pm or at 7 pm. on December 8th.
Feel free to bring along a cozy picnic, grab your blankets and chairs, and settle in for a holiday performance with your friends and families.
This holiday celebration has you covered with all the warm (and spiked!) drinks you’ll need, they will be serving beer, wine, hot chocolate, spiked hot chocolate, and sodas.
They also have VIP tables available and tickets for the festive extravaganza that range from $25 to $100.
6. Watch the Christmas Parade
Christmas isn’t complete without coming together as a community and putting on a holiday parade!
The Christmas Parade in St. Augustine takes place on December 7th this year and will kick off the holiday season with a bang. This year marks St. Augustine’s 67th Annual Christmas Parade.
The St. Augustine’s Christmas Parade will feature marching bands bringing the classic Christmas songs, floats decorated to the brim with Christmas cheer, and even horses with sleigh bells, all taking the streets before the arrival of Santa.
The Christmas Parade goes right through the historic downtown of St. Augustine, which means the Nights of Lights display makes it that much more special.
It starts at 9 a.m. by the Mission Nombre de Dios. Make sure to arrive early to grab a good spot!
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7. Enjoy a Luminary Night
Another popular thing to do in St. Augustine is the Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.
During regular hours, you can visit to explore a number of exhibits, programs, and even nature trails or climb to the top of the lighthouse for sweeping views of the bay.
During Christmas time, they hold their annual Luminary Night. This year it will be on December 4th.
It is a great free Christmas event in St. Augustine and is a community celebration that is perfect for all ages.
Over 2000 luminaries are lit up throughout the grounds plus plenty of other holiday lights and decorations.
Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to climb the tower for some of the best views of the dazzling historic downtown and see the enchanted display of St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights.
Translated to “A Night of Christmas and The Inns,” this event commemorates Mary and Joseph’s search for a safe place for the birth of Jesus.
This event includes a eucharistic adoration, a live nativity, and cookies and hot chocolate.
This year, it takes place on December 21st, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mission Nombre de Dios. While admission is free, a suggested goodwill donation of just $5 per adult (ages 12 and up) is encouraged.
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9. Do a Holiday Tasting Tour in Downtown St. Augustine, Florida
There are a few organizations in St. Augustine that offer delicious foodie tours throughout the year where you can experience some of the finest cuisine the city has to offer.
During the holiday season, they have some really special tours on offer to get everyone into the Christmas spirit!
Their Nights of Lights tours mix things up a bit, and there are great options for couples, families, or large groups.
They offer private or group wine and carriage rides through the lit-up historic downtown. This is one of my favorite things to do in St. Augustine for Christmas!
There is also a GRINCHmas ride, perfect for kids, that includes family-friendly fun and sing-alongs.
Other kid-friendly options include the Bah Humbug Experience or the Ho Ho Ho ride with Santa.
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10. Participate in the Colonial Night Watch
If you’re craving a little more history after all of the interesting tours you’ve checked out, then the Colonial Night Watch is the perfect holiday event for you!
The event is a recreation of historic Night Watches, where citizens who were on the streets after the city gates were locked had to carry a light to be identified by the Night Watch.
The events for the day start at 10 a.m. in the Colonial Quarter where visitors will be able to view a variety of reenactments including historical occupations, military drills, weapon firing, and other presentations.
Also, the entire day is filled to the brim with educational and entertaining events.
At the end of the night, there will be a torch parade, an homage to the Night Watch. It will start at the Castillo de San Marcos at 7 p.m. and head towards the city gate.
This family-friend event will be held on December 7th and is one of the free Christmas events in St. Augustine for the public.
11. BONUS: Self-Guided Bed and Breakfast Tour of Holiday Decor
The famous Bed and Breakfast spots in St. Augustine, Florida adorn themselves with festive decorations for the season.
Strolling the timeless streets you can escape into the charm of the historic city. You will see how the owners go out of their way each year to bring holiday cheer to their quaint locations.
Or even better book a stay in one and fully immerse yourself into the festive and historic homes for the holidays.
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My Final Thoughts on the Fun Things to Do in St. Augustine for Christmas
As you can see, there are so many festive things to do in St. Augustine for Christmas this year!
It’s one of my favorite places to visit in Florida during the holidays.
The weather is always perfect and I just love walking downtown and enjoying all of the Christmas décor.
Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite free thing to do in St. Augustine, Florida for Christmas? Let us know in the comments section below!
Happy Florida Travels!
About the Author
My name is NikkyJ. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor, and a writer who loves exploring all the hidden gems of Florida!
I was born and raised in Leesburg, Florida which attributes to my passion about for this amazing state.
I want to show you how you can create your own memories while discovering the Sunshine State!
Connect with me on Instagram!
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(Original Article Date: November 30, 2021/Updated by Editor on November 15, 2024)
Some Photos Courtesy of Canva.com