Night of Lights

When the holidays start, many places start their decorating. One place that truly brings the Christmas spirit is St, Augustine, FL. Visiting St. Augustine for their Night of Lights was something that I had been wanting to do since I found out about it my first Christmas in Florida in 2016. I have always heard about how amazing and magical it was and couldn’t wait to experience it myself.

Since I had learned about the Night of Lights I had visited during other times of the year and felt the history behind the town itself and fell in love the first time I was able to walk around the little town. When I was finally able to make it to St. Augustine this year for their 26th year of their Night of Lights, I was ecstatic.

Walking around town before the sun went down trying to spot where all the Christmas lights were, and I was surprised at how well hidden they were around the museum. Then walking through the park where they put up the Christmas tree, I felt a twinge of excitement as I see stringing lights hanging from the trees and the big Christmas tree all decked out. Excited to see how it was going to be transformed into a magical Christmas town.

According to St. Augustine’s website, the Night of Lights represent the Spanish tradition of leaving a candle in the window representing when Mary and Joseph were looking for an Inn, the candles representing the room they have in their hearts and homes for Jesus.

When the sun finally went down and I got to walk around and experience the Night of Lights I was not disappointed. I walked into the courtyard of the museum and was in awe of how from the bushes to the tops of the buildings were decorated in the white Christmas lights.

When coming up to the Plaza De La Constitucion it was easy to see that this was where all the excitement was centered around. Not only were there massive amounts of lights hanging from all the trees in the park but there were also trollies and horse drawn carriages.

To top it off there was a cute little open car with The Grinch driving families around in full character. He even got out and posed for me and hit Jim Carey’s Grinch right on the head. Along with The Grinch there was a decked-out Santa giving horse drawn sleigh rides and the trollies filled with people were so festive and going around the town singing Christmas carols as well as live music and little stands giving you the opportunity to buy local artwork.

When walking from the park out to the water, you get to the walkway along the water and look back at the town and see all the buildings along the road fully lit up with lights and decorated to a T. Being in St. Augustine seeing all of this, there isn’t anything that could stop you from truly feeling the Christmas spirit.

40th Anniversary of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday

This year was the 40th anniversary of Clearwater Jazz Holiday and they held nothing back. Despite a hurricane coming in from the west the show went on (minus Friday night) no one missed a beat and the crowds stuck it out rain or shine.  

Thursday was a great first day for the Clearwater Jazz Holiday. Headliners The Soul Rebels and Boyz II Men killed the first night.

Boyz II Men brought an amazing performance. They performed their top songs such as On Bended Knee and End of the Road. They came out into the crowd and threw roses out to get the crowd involved. They were a major part of my musical childhood so finally being able to experience them in concert was something that I truly enjoyed. Not to mention being able to photograph them was a bit of a fan moment that I got to check off a long bucket list.

Friday unfortunately was canceled due to strong winds and weather due to the hurricane in the Gulf. We were all so disappointed to have to miss Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

Saturday started out with a rough start with the strong winds lingering and the rain coming and going but the guests of the Holiday didn’t let that stop them. They came prepared with their ponchos to be able to enjoy the music Clearwater Jazz Holiday brought.

Headliners for Saturday being Blood, Sweat & Tears, who has a new vocalist that they recruited right from the popular show The Voice. Needless to say, Keith Paluso impressed the entire crowd with his vocals and the new addition to this musical group made a nice addition and stunned those who might have questioned his presence.

The main headliner, Chicago, filled the entire park on Saturday night. I have attended Clearwater Jazz Holiday for three years now and have never seen the park that full. I kept hearing how there were no more tickets and that Saturday night was the night no one wanted to miss.

All in all, I had to agree with them. Chicago put on a performance I will never forget. Their energy brought life to the festival that after the cancelation on Friday, made it seem like nothing was missed at all.

Sunday’s weather was perfect and helped to wrap up the weekend perfectly. Yonder Mountain String Band was that opened for headliner Alison Krauss. They truly had your foot tapping and wanting to dance the night away. They had so much spunk and energy and played together so well.

Wrapping up the night and the weekend was Alison Krauss. Her stage set up was one of a kind and her vocals sounded beautiful over the speakers of the Holiday. Some might have said that her music was a bit slow and was a strange way to end the weekend but you can’t deny her talent and truly put on a great performance.

Going to the Clearwater Jazz Holiday is an event that I and so many other look forward to each year. I know that I personally have the weekend marked off each year to make sure I am there for the entire thing.

This event is one that can satisfy the masses. From Jazz, to folk, to rock to R&B. All music lovers are welcome. No one is excluded. It is an event that all can enjoy. The feeling you get when you are there is one that is incomparable to other festivals and music events. This year was no different and I am looking forward to being able to be a part of it for years to come.

Midori

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