“Good evenin’, ladies & gents.” The Spring Equinox is upon us and we’ve got Widespread Panic, the Ancient City Pro Rodeo, and St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival in town this weekend. We’ll certainly be havin’ a good time.

In this week’s Old City Lowdown:

• Alfred’s coming to West King
• Windward Marina Group merger
• Soft Serve + Sourdough Pizza TONIGHT!

Thanks so much for being here. Hope you enjoy this week’s edition.

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Deal: Have a deal, special, or bargain you’d like here? Email me.

Pets: Meryl Streep loves St. Augustine.

Property: The block is hot.

Sightings: Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans)

Major Marina Deal Impacts St. Augustine Waterfront
Dallas-based Suntex Marina Investors is merging with Windward Marina Group, folding two of St. Augustine's most prominent waterfront properties into a national network of more than 100 marinas. Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor, with over 200 wet slips and 600 feet of superyacht dockage, and the St. Augustine Shipyard, a hurricane-rated dry storage facility on the San Sebastian River, are among 13 Florida marinas added to the Suntex portfolio in the deal. Read More ($)

New Restaurant & Venue Coming to West King Street
A familiar face in St. Augustine's food and nightlife scene is planting new roots in West City. Ryan Kunsch, who brought Muggsy's to West King Street back in 2023 and the owner of SARBEZ!, is opening Alfred's at 222 W. King St. this spring. Alfred’s will be a neighborhood gathering spot built around wood-fired pizza, pasta, live music, comedy, and community. The beloved sourdough pies from the now-closed Real Peel food truck will be back on the menu, and a curated events calendar promises something for just about everyone. Read More.

Sing Out Loud Live Wildly Showcase Moves to May for 2027
The Francis Field festival is sitting out 2026 as organizers shift the marquee event to May starting in 2027, citing the growing risk of hurricane season disruptions and rising insurance costs to a production that takes nearly three weeks to set up and tear down. Local artist showcases will still fill September as usual, and the festival plans to come back stronger with the calendar change. Sing Out Loud drew 25,000 people to Francis Field last year and generated an estimated $9 million in economic impact. Read More

Nights of Lights May Get Shorter
St. Augustine's City Commission will consider a resolution on March 23 that would lock in a shorter schedule for Nights of Lights, running from the second Saturday before Thanksgiving through the second Sunday in January each year. The change would trim the event to a fixed window, eliminating the need for annual commission votes, and comes after residents raised concerns about crowds and traffic during the 2025 season. Properties that don't turn off or remove lights within 30 days after the display ends would face code enforcement. Read More | Resolution

St. Johns County Breaks Ground on Greenbriar Park & Library
St. Johns County marked another milestone in its countywide parks expansion last week, breaking ground on the $23.8 million Greenbriar Park and Library at 505 Rally Road in St. Johns. The facility will feature softball and baseball fields, pickleball courts, a playground, and a full-service library as part of a broader $200 million investment in parks and recreation infrastructure across the county. Read More

• 7th Circuit Judge announces retirement

• The largest Publix in Florida opens next week in SilverLeaf ($)

• Pair of charter schools proposed for St. Johns County, just miles apart

• Up to $3,000 available for City of St. Augustine neighborhood projects

($) denotes a story behind a paywall

🔥🎵 Widespread Panic | Mar 20, 21, 22 | The Amp | SOLD OUT

Ancient City Pro Rodeo | Mar 20-22 | Ancient City Farmstead | Info

St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival | Mar 21-22 | Francis Field | Info

Dinner & Dessert | Cookiebird Ice Cream Bar | 5pm-Sold Out | Info

St. Augustine Wine Walk | Downtown | 6-8pm | Tickets

🎵 Bad Dog Mama | Prohibition Kitchen | 6-9pm

Taproom Tap In | Spinster Abbott’s | 7-8:30pm | Info

⚡🌹💀🎵 One Good Ring | Colonial Oak | 7-10pm

🎵 Yarn | Cafe Eleven | 8pm | Tickets

Spring Oyster Roast | Genung’s Fish Camp | 5:30-7:30pm | Tickets

🎵 Thelonius Crunk | Prohibition Kitchen | 6-9pm

🎵 Wayne Newton | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | 7pm | Tickets

🎵 Dewey Via | Durty Neli’s Irish Pub | 7-10pm

🎵 Soul and Dagger | Colonial Oak | 7-10pm

Drag Bingo with a Comedy Twist | Third Space Improv | 8pm | Info

🎵 All Your Friends: The Indie Dance Party | Cafe Eleven | 8:30pm | Tickets

🎵 Dopelamatic | Prohibition Kitchen | 10pm

🎵 Widespread Panic After Party w/ Strictly Liquid | SARBEZ! | Until 2am

The Amp Farmers Market | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | 8:30am-12:30pm

Yoga in the Garden | Lightner Museum | 8:30-9:30am | Info

Beach Exploration | GTM Reserve | 9-11am | RSVP

🎵 🛍 Widespread Panic Pre-Party w/ 3 Leg Cat | Spinster Abbott’s | 12-4pm

🎵 Widespread Panic Pre-Party w/ Josh Daniel | Dog Rose Brewing | 2:30-5:30pm

Vilano Beach Artisan Market | Vilano Main Street | 4-8pm

St. Augustine Cruisers Cruise-In | Classic Car Museum | 5-7pm | Info

🎵 The Bottom Feeders | Prohibition Kitchen | 6-9pm

🎵 Live from The Waterworks: Pat Bergeson and Bruce Forman | The Waterworks | 7pm | Tickets

The Third Space Saturday Spectacular | Third Space Improv | 8pm | Tickets

🎵 Martin Sexton | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | 8pm | Tickets

🎵 Marshall Horn | Prohibition Kitchen | 10pm

🎵 Widespread Panic After Party w/ Bonnie Blue & Brock Butler | Dog Rose Brewing | 10pm

🎵 Widespread Panic After Party w/ Tand | SARBEZ! | Until 2am

Farmers Market at the Classic Car Museum | St. Augustine Shores | 10am-2pm

🎵 Micah Gilliam | Prohibition Kitchen | 2-5pm

🎵 Dewey Via Band | Dog Rose Brewing | 3:30-6:30pm

Clothing Swap | Spinster Abbott’s | 4-7pm

🎵 Mystic Dino | Prohibition Kitchen | 6-9pm

St. Augustine Film Society: Maiden | Limelight Theatre | 7-9pm | Info

🎵 The ‘77 Experience | Cafe Eleven | 7pm | Tickets

🎵 Christone “Kingfish” Ingram | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | 7pm | Tickets

🎵 Widespread Panic After Party w/ Aisle 14 | SARBEZ! | Until 2am

The Amp Spring Night Market | Mar 24 | Info

Cardboard Crafts & Creations at Spinster Abbott’s | Mar 24 | Info

Vilano Bridge 5k/10k | Mar 28 | Info

— JJ Cale

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