🏴‍☠️🏝️ Lighting Up St. Augustine

Happy Friday, St. Augustine! It’s Light-Up! Night Eve, so get ready for the festive feel and insane traffic around town. Wishing you all a great holiday season with minimal road rage.

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Thanks for your input and I hope you have a great weekend. Now, let’s get to the Lowdown.

-James Foote
Publisher | Old City Lowdown

Local Lowdown

WHISKEY WONDERLAND AT ST. AUGUSTINE DISTILLERY

St. Augustine Distillery and Florida Power & Light are teaming up for the Fourth Annual Solar Tree Lighting and Whiskey Wonderland TONIGHT, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The free event celebrating community and sustainability kicks off with a tree lighting at 7:00 p.m., followed by live music by The Dewars Caribbean-inspired eats from Heart & Soul Food Truck, and complimentary tastings from The Kookaburra Coffee and Southern Caramel. Enjoy seasonal cocktails, exclusive deals, and a $500 holiday giveaway. This festive evening highlights clean energy and kicks off Nights of Lights in style.

Ansley Bates recently caught up with the team at the distillery to talk about the event and what makes this local spot a cornerstone of St. Augustine's community 👇️ 

🧑‍🍳 The James Beard Foundation is hosting a Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner on January 26, 2025, at the Peña-Peck House. This seven-course event will feature five exceptional local chefs, including:

• Barry Honan, Owner and Executive Chef of Lotus Noodle Bar

• Genie McNally, Chef and Co-owner of The Floridian

• Marcel Vizcarra, Owner and Executive Chef of Llama Restaurant

• Joshua Smith, Executive Chef of Catch 27

• Matthew Brown, Culinary Director, Chef and Partner of Asadolife

The dinner aims to celebrate the region's native flavors, culinary diversity, and rich gastronomic heritage. Please note that tickets sold out in under 24-hours for this event.

🐬 Marineland is facing pressure from a proposed development by Jacoby Development. Residents and officials are working to balance preserving the town’s character with potential economic opportunities. A public meeting to discuss the project is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at 9741 Ocean Shores Blvd. in St. Augustine. (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

📦️ Walmart is planning a new Supercenter at 3405 International Golf Parkway in St. Augustine, near the World Commerce Center. The proposed site spans 52.6 acres at the southeast corner of International Golf Parkway and County Road 2209, directly across from Tocoi Creek High School and The Neighborhood Park at World Golf Village. St. Johns County received a pre-application for this development on November 19, 2024. (Jacksonville Daily Record)

⛵️ Groundbreaking at Cat’s Paw Marina took place yesterday, as the facility expands from a 178-boat capacity to accommodate 500 boats up to 45 feet. The project includes a 114,000-square-foot boat barn, increased transient dock space, a 5,000-square-foot waterfront restaurant, and 78 self-storage units. The marina, located at 1750 U.S. 1 South, is adjacent to a new public park and boat ramp, enhancing local waterfront access. (Jacksonville Business Journal)

🏥 Acadia Healthcare Company is set to build a behavioral health hospital nearly 100,000-square-feet in size at 150 Moon Bay Parkway in St. Johns, near County Road 210. With a $47.9 million permit issued, construction is expected to create over 200 full-time jobs averaging $75,000 annually. The facility will offer inpatient, outpatient, detoxification, and residential treatment services, aiming for completion by late 2025.

📽️ Epic Theatres will reopen its St. Augustine location by mid-December, unveiling a 16-screen complex featuring an IMAX with Laser screen. The renovated theater will offer custom stadium recliners, a 12-channel sound system, and next-generation 4K laser projection for enhanced viewing experiences. The company has invested over $1 million in renovations, including approximately $1.3 million for new seating. (Jacksonville Business Journal)

🎣 Bass Pro Shops celebrated the grand opening of its 100,000-square-foot store at 355 World Commerce Parkway in St. Augustine. The location features an aquarium, wildlife exhibits, shooting ranges, and local artifacts. Proceeds from the five-day grand opening event will support local conservation efforts and hurricane relief. (Jacksonville Business Journal)

Quick Clicks:

✅ St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners elected Krista Joseph (District 4) as chair and Clay Murphy (District 3) as vice chair for one-year terms. (Jacksonville Daily Record)

📆 Holiday schedule for local government, waste collection, and parking schedule (St. Augustine Record)

🦃 Want to dine out for Turkey Day? Here’s a list of restaurants that will get you taken care of (St. Augustine Record)

COMING UP AT THE AMP

• Nov 22-24 | Pretty Lights | Tickets

Click below to see the St. Augustine live music calendar. Feel free to bookmark this page as it will be updated each week. You can also find this page in our social media bios.

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