St. Augustine Race Week is one of the biggest events in St. Augustine, Florida, during the spring. Every year, people from all over the country gather at the city’s Bayfront to enjoy seven days of boat racing and all kinds of sailing events. But while the races are the main event, there are plenty of other attractions all over St. Augustine to see!
Check out our recommendations for some of the best things to do in and around St. Augustine that are also happening during Race Week.
Best Things To Do in St. Augustine around Race Week
Events
St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival
Since 1981, the St. Augustine Lions Foundation has held the annual St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival to celebrate everything from seafood to all kinds of cuisine. Now with more food selections than ever before, the St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival features all your favorite traditional seafood, Cajun, and fair food, with live music, rides, and craft artisans.
Happening on April 6 to 7, 2024, this two-day food festival is one of the biggest events in St. Augustine so be sure not to miss it if you get the chance!
St. Augustine PoetFest
Celebrate the literary heritage and culture of St. Augustine with the 3rd annual St. Augustine PoetFest, where writers and readers alike come together for a host of creative activities all centered on poetry and other forms of literature. Presented by Flagler College, Ancient City Poets, and St. Johns Cultural Council, this three-day long poetry festival takes place in many different cultural venues all over the city and is free and open to the public.
The events include poetry readings, open mics, lectures, talks, workshops, and even improv. Discover the literary heritage of St. Augustine and immerse yourself from April 11, 2024, to April 13, 2024.
Gamble Rogers Folk Festival
Gamble Rogers was a proud folk musician from Florida who helped shape the landscape of American folk music and his legacy continues to be honored today with the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival. This event features a series of concerts and performances from its headliners, food trucks, vendors, and many fun family-friendly activities for everyone to enjoy.
The festival kicks off on April 12, 2024 and lasts till April 14, 2024 at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds.
After-Race Party at St. Augustine Municipal Marina
Once Race Week is over, why not let the festivities continue with the after-race party at St. Augustine Municipal Marina? After the Offshore and Inshore Awards Banquet, enjoy more food, drinks, and live music and send off this year’s Race Week with a bang.
Attractions
Colonial Quarter
Step back in time in the St. Augustine Colonial Quarter, a remnant of the city’s Spanish colonial past. Located on historic St. George Street, the Quarter is full of cobblestone streets, colonial Spanish architecture, tropical trees, and iron lanterns. While the whole place is a living, breathing museum in itself, the Quarter is also Florida’s premier venue for live music and outdoor entertainment, including plenty of picnic tables and seating.
Castillo de San Marcos
Located right near the Colonial Quarter, the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is an old masonry fort that dates back to the 1600s, when Florida was still under Spanish control. Castillo de San Marcos is also known as the oldest masonry fort in the US. And you can still walk the very same halls and battlements that soldiers of Spanish Florida once walked. Whether going with a tour guide or taking a self-guided tour, the Castillo de San Marcos is a must-visit for any St. Augustine tourist.
Anastasia State Park
Picture white sand beaches, tall sand dunes, and natural marshes as far as the eye can see. It’s no longer just an image in your head — that’s exactly what you’ll find in St. Augustine’s very own Anastasia State Park! Take a break from the real world and reconnect with nature among their pristine beaches and hiking trails. Visitors can enjoy various outdoor activities, from picnicking, walking, birdwatching, kayaking, boating, fishing, and swimming.
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth
The Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, was said to have first stepped foot in Florida on this very site. Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Site features a well that many claim is the very same fountain that Ponce de Leon discovered. It also includes exhibits where you can learn more about the Spanish settlers of 1500 and the native Timucua Americans who inhabited the land before the colonizers.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm
What’s Florida without some gators? And where better to have a close encounter with the famed Floridian reptiles than at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park? Regarded as one of Florida’s oldest continuously operating attractions, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm is the only place in the globe where you can see every single living crocodilian species in the world. The park also hosts many different species of mammals, birds, and other creatures. And if you’re looking for a more thrilling experience, try Crocodile Crossing — a 35-foot zipline that’ll bring you flying right over crocodile and alligator pens.
St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Looking for some after-dinner entertainment? The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is a popular outdoor concert and entertainment venue that can seat up to 4,000 people. It can host everything from concerts, plays, comedy shows, festivals, and other events. It’s even great for weddings! And it’s no wonder — the scenery is beautiful, with a lake and a small wooded area, and is located only steps away from St. Augustine’s historic downtown area.
Lightner Museum
Located in the former Alcazar Hotel, the Lightner Museum hosts an eclectic collection of exhibits and art pieces from all over the world, especially from the early days of St. Augustine. You can find your usual collections of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and artifacts, but you may also find odd and unique exhibitions you won’t find anywhere else. All this is housed in a gorgeous 1887 Spanish Renaissance Revival-style building that also contains a lot of history within its walls.
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
For a more maritime perspective on the history of St. Augustine, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is a great next stop for any history buff. First built between 1871 and 1874, the current St. Augustine Lighthouse is the 2nd lighthouse tower to have been built in St. Augustine. The lighthouse now houses the St. Augustine Maritime Museum which features exhibits detailing St. Augustine’s maritime history, right from Ponce de Leon’s first visit to the modern day. The museum also funds local maritime archaeology projects and education programs.
St. Augustine Race Week isn’t the only reason you should visit St. Augustine this spring. Make it a great week by checking out what else this beautiful, sunny city has in store for you!