St. Augustine Colonial Night Watch

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St. Augustine Colonial Night Watch The Colonial Night Watch annually presents the colonial history of St. Augustine through demonstrations by re-enactors and a torchlight parade.

A little overdue in sharing this, but certainly something worth celebrating! It is always gratifying to see the Histor...
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! 🇺🇸

SAVE THE DATES! St. Augustine’s premier living history holiday event, Colonial Night Watch, returns Friday, December ...
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!

The Historic Florida Militia is proud to be a part of this historic reenactment of the founding of St. Augustine.
08/10/2026

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

Each year the Diocese of St. Augustine strengthens its connection to the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrimage acros...
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.

The Saint Augustine Colonial Night Watch 2025 was an extraordinary success, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who h...
12/07/2025

The Saint Augustine Colonial Night Watch 2025 was an extraordinary success, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it possible. The Historic Florida Militia and the Saint Augustine Garrison hope you were able to experience what has truly become Saint Augustine’s premier living history event. Thousands of you joined us this year. For those who could not, you missed more than 150 historically attired interpreters bringing the past to life through a remarkable encampment and the Torch Light Parade along Saint George Street.

As we celebrate our tenth annual Colonial Night Watch, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to this year’s success. (Please forgive me if anyone is inadvertently overlooked.)

A special thank-you goes to Cindy and John Stavely of the Colonial Quarter Museum for graciously allowing us to use the property for our living history encampment. All day Saturday, thousands of visitors entered the Quarter free of charge to explore our camp and enjoy Native American presentations, blacksmithing demonstrations, the sugar press, sword fighting, musket firings, and much more. The Colonial Quarter remains a truly magical place where history comes alive.

Our sincere gratitude also goes to Billy Triay and the University of Florida Historic Saint Augustine for providing access to your properties. The Governor’s House Museum—especially its balcony—once again served as a perfect and iconic setting for our ceremonies.

Thank you to Steve Roberts, Kristin Brunsman, Chris Leverett, the Law Enforcement Rangers, and the entire National Park Service staff at the Castillo de San Marcos. Despite the challenges and new regulations presented this year, your professionalism and dedication ensured the event’s continued success.

We also extend our appreciation to the City of St. Augustine. With your support, we were able to proudly share the city’s rich and diverse history. Thousands of residents and visitors lined the parade route, celebrating yet another cherished tradition. Our ancient city is a truly special place, unmatched in historical significance anywhere in the nation, and with your continued support, we remain committed to keeping that history vibrant and alive.

Thank you to the St. Johns Cultural Council for your continued support, which is vital to preserving the historical heritage that contributes so strongly to our community’s tourism and identity.

To all who participated—many of whom traveled great distances from Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, and beyond—thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge with the people of Saint Augustine.

A special note of gratitude goes to Sonia San Juan, Vice Consul of Spain for St. Augustine and Jacksonville, for your exceptional portrayal of our ceremonial governess, and to Danielle Gallman for your beautiful renditions of traditional Christmas carols, which brought joy to the hundreds gathered in the Plaza.

Thank you also to Mother Nature for granting us just enough fair weather to complete our Torch Light Parade before the rain began.

And finally, my deepest thanks go once again to Ria, whose tireless hard work is at the heart of what makes Night Watch so special each year. It was not easy—but it was absolutely worth it.

With sincere appreciation,
Bob Alvarez
President, Saint Augustine Garrison
COO, Historic Florida Militia

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St George Street
Saint Augustine, FL
32084

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