Top 5 things to do in St. Augustine this week include jazz, art exhibit, 5K, history and more
Have the winter doldrums set in? The holidays are over, it’s the last week for the Nights of Lights, and you’re bored? We’ve got you covered. This week you can work off all those holiday calories with a 5K, take a look at local birds, listen to a concert, check out some art or learn about local history. And there’s always the beach. So take your pick and stay safe.
Matanzas 5K 2022
Taking place on a scenic course through historic St. Augustine, the event includes a competitive 5K and a Fun Run on Saturday, Jan. 22, as well as a Runners’ Expo on Friday and Saturday.
The race starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and the Fun Run kicks off at 9:15 a.m., both at 29 W. Castillo Drive, next to Francis Field. The Runners’ Expo will be held at the Ketterlinus Elementary School Gym, 60 Orange St., which is also the location for late registration and race packet pickups.
For information, call 904-466-1885 or visit raceroster.com/events
Guided bird walk at Fort Mose State Park
Florida is home to an amazing variety of birds, and at the Fort Mose State Park a bird watcher can expect to see hawks, owls, herons, egrets, woodpeckers and wood storks. The one-hour walk is free and open to the public and winds through a tidal marsh, a maritime hammock and “Rookery Island,” home to many nesting species.
The guided bird walk starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, at 15 Fort Mose Trail in St. Augustine. For information, call 904-823-2232 or visit floridastateparks.org.
Around Anastasia Island: Right whale sightings, St. Johns Beach Services accepting seasonal applications
Big Band of Brothers: A jazz celebration of the Allman Brothers Band
A live show, inspired by an album of the same name, the concert features Jaimoe, an original member of the Allman Brothers Band and the one who reportedly introduced Gregg and Duane Allman to jazz and blues. The music will begin at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N., Ponte Vedra Beach.
For information or tickets, call 904-209-0399 or visit pvconcerthall.com.
More music: Country singer Chris Young performing at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Crisp-Ellert Museum Art Exhibit: New Sincerity 2.0
On display until Feb. 24, the exhibit showcases the work of Jillian Mayer, a Miami-based artist and filmmaker. Her sculptures use industrial materials to explore themes, such as our relationship to technology and the digital world and environmental collapse.
The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum is at 48 Sevilla St., on the Flagler College campus. For information, call 904-826-8530 or visit flagler.edu
Flight to Freedom Re-Enactment
This three-day living history showcase, from Jan. 27-29, demonstrates what life was like for hundreds of slaves who traveled the southern route of the Underground Railroad to Fort Mose. According to the description of the event, “Visitors will find themselves back in 1738 as they walk along a wooded trail and encounter escaped slaves seeking freedom, helpful Natives, compassionate friars and slave catchers determined to thwart them all.”
In actuality, hundreds of slaves fled their lives in the British colonies and came to Fort Mose in Spanish Florida from 1687 to 1763; the escapes ended in 1763 when the British took control of Florida. Fort Mose, or Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, was the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States.
For information, call 904-823-2232 or go to fortmose.org.
More at Fort Mose: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue join Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Things to do in St. Augustine: Jazz concert, historical re-enactment
