The St Augustine Garrison

10/08/2026

A little overdue in sharing this, but certainly something worth celebrating!
It is always gratifying to see the Historic Florida Militia recognized for its dedication to preserving and presenting the rich history of St. Augustine and our nation. Once again, it was our distinct honor and privilege to be invited to participate in a ceremony hosted by the Florida National Guard. This particular occasion, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, was especially meaningful to all of us.
We were both humbled and proud to receive this letter of appreciation from Major General John D. Haas, The Adjutant General of the Florida National Guard, recognizing the contributions of our reenactors to this historic celebration. Recognition such as this reminds us why we do what we do. Our members dedicate countless hours to researching, preserving, and bringing history to life so that future generations may better understand and appreciate the people and events that shaped our nation.
We sincerely thank Major General Haas and the Florida National Guard for their kind words and for continuing to include the Historic Florida Militia in these important ceremonies.
It is truly an honor to present the past to the present for the future!
🇺🇸 Florida First! 🇺🇸

10/05/2026

09/29/2026

SAVE THE DATES!
St. Augustine’s premier living history holiday event, Colonial Night Watch, returns Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5!
This year’s Night Watch will once again bring history and the Christmas season together with a historical encampment, living history demonstrations, the always-popular Torchlight Parade, musket volleys, Christmas carols, and more.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, however, Night Watch will look a little different this year — and in some ways, we think those changes may make the experience even better.
Ongoing seawall construction on the Castillo de San Marcos property means that the traditional Friday evening “Enemy at the Gate” program will not be held this year. The construction also prohibits our use of the Castillo lawns for our military demonstrations and requires us to relocate the starting point of Saturday evening’s Torchlight Parade.
In addition, the expansion of the Christmas Bazaar at the Colonial Quarter means there is no longer sufficient room there for our historical encampment and demonstrations.
But we are very pleased to announce a wonderful new home for the encampment! Thanks to the generosity and cooperation of the St. Augustine Historical Society, this year’s historical encampment will be held on the beautiful and peaceful grounds of the Oldest House Museum, 14 St. Francis Street.
We believe this location will offer visitors an even better opportunity to experience living history. The larger, quieter setting will provide more room for demonstrations and more opportunities to meet and interact with our historical interpreters. And with a trolley stop directly in front of the entrance, getting there couldn’t be easier.
The Torchlight Parade will continue — with a new starting point and route. The parade will assemble in the area of the Visitor Information Center and proceed along Orange St. through the historic City Gate, then south along St. George Street before concluding in front of the Governor’s House Museum. There, our ceremonial Spanish Governess will address the gathered crowd as we continue some of Night Watch’s most beloved traditions — including the spectacular “Volley of Joy,” our large musket-firing demonstration, followed by the singing of Christmas carols in the heart of historic St. Augustine.
Locations may change. Routes may change. But the tradition continues.
Night Watch remains a celebration of St. Augustine’s history, its people, and the Christmas season — and we look forward to making this year’s event one to remember.
Save the dates: December 4 & 5, 2026.
More details coming soon!

08/10/2026

The Historic Florida Militia is proud to be a part of this historic reenactment of the founding of St. Augustine.

07/16/2026

Each year the Diocese of St. Augustine strengthens its connection to the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrimage across Spain that ends at the tomb of St. James, by celebrating the Feast of St. James and the Camino de Las Américas.

This year, the celebration will include an evening full of prayer, pilgrimage and liturgy in the heart of historic St. Augustine on July 24.

It will start at 5:30 p.m. with prayers and announcements at the field altar behind the main church at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, 101 San Marco Ave. in St. Augustine, followed by a procession departing at 5:45 p.m.

The procession has become a highly anticipated moment with each celebration, as many follow a statue of St. James as it is processed through the downtown streets en route to the Cathedral Basilica, 38 Cathedral Place in St. Augustine.

Once the procession arrives at the Cathedral Basilica, the celebration will move inside the church with a pilgrim program at 6:30 p.m. and Mass at 7 p.m.

The night will wrap up with a festive reception at 8 p.m. in the Cathedral courtyard.

05/10/2026

The Historic Florida Militia always takes great pride in the living history interpretations we present to the public, but this year’s presentation of Drake’s Raid will surely go down as one of the finest in many years. Through the dedication of our longtime HFM members, combined with the enthusiasm and energy of so many newer participants, this event truly became one for the ages.
As always, HFM wants to recognize and thank the many partners, supporters, and participants who help us keep our living history programs both engaging and memorable for the residents of our Ancient City and for the countless visitors who come to see history come alive. In no particular order:
Thank you to the City of St. Augustine for your continued support of our efforts. Our city is truly unique in its history, and with your help we were able to showcase that history to the world. Thank you to the St. Johns Cultural Council and the St. Johns Tourist Development Council for the grant support you provide, which helps make programs like this possible. Thank you to Cindy and John Stavely of the Colonial Quarter Museum. You provided the perfect setting for our event, and your staff could not have been more welcoming or accommodating. Thank you to Billy Triay and University of Florida Historic St. Augustine. Without the use of your properties, we would not be able to create the immersive historical encampments that are such an important part of the experience. Thank you to Kelli Meacham of Ann O’Malley’s Deli and Pub for graciously allowing us the use of your property, helping us further enhance the authenticity and spirit of the program. Thank you to Dr. Roger Smith and the St. Augustine History Festival for giving HFM the opportunity to once again participate in such a wonderful community event. Thank you to all of the living history participants who joined us. Many of you traveled great distances, entirely at your own expense, simply to share your passion for history with others. Your dedication and enthusiasm are deeply appreciated. Thank you to Karolynne and John Merriam for the outstanding photographs you continue to take and share with us. The images captured this year are truly remarkable, and what is shown here is only a small glimpse of their work.
And finally, as always, thank you to the love of my life, Ria, for the countless hours of hard work, support, and dedication you put into making all of this happen. None of it would be possible without you.

04/16/2026

As part of the St. Augustine History Festival, English corsair Sir Francis Drake and his raiders return to St. Augustine for an authentic re-creation of the 1586 sack of the city on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Join Drake’s privateers, along with Spanish militia and townspeople, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a 16th-century-style military and civilian encampment at the Colonial Quarter Museum, located at 33 St. George Street in St. Augustine. Throughout the day, visitors can experience military drills, weapons demonstrations, and engaging living-history interpretations. Admission to the Colonial Quarter on Saturday is free and open to the public.
The historically accurate reenactment of the sacking and burning of the town will begin Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the historic district, starting near the Governor’s House Museum. Drake’s men will come ashore as a clash erupts with Spanish soldados. As the fighting intensifies, Spanish troops and citizens retreat through the streets with Drake’s forces in pursuit. Skirmishes will continue north along St. George Street toward the field across from Ann O’Malley’s Deli and Pub on Orange Street, where the raid will again be interpreted for spectators to provide historical context.
The final engagement—featuring musket and cannon fire—will take place near the Santo Domingo Redoubt by the Visitor Center and parking garage. This dramatic conclusion symbolically represents the temporary withdrawal of Spanish colonial forces from the city. Following the destruction of the town, the Spanish ultimately returned to rebuild St. Augustine on the very streets we walk today.
This event is presented free of charge by the Historic Florida Militia and the Men of Menéndez, in partnership with the St. Johns County Cultural Council, the Colonial Quarter Museum, the University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, and Ann O’Malley’s Deli and Pub.

Additional information can be found at http://hfm.club