Happy Thursday, St. Augustine!
This is not a typical edition of the Old City Lowdown. If anything, it’s a manifesto. Not the creepy kind, though.
Blame NASA and the Artemis II mission for this sense of duty. How cool was that launch?
Note: If you are a new subscriber and this is your first edition, please kindly pause before hitting ‘Unsubscribe.' Check out next week’s newsletter before you make any rash decisions. Appreciate ya.
Now, on to my public decree.
Five weeks ago, I dusted off an old hobby of mine and brought back the Old City Lowdown local newsletter for St. Augustine. It’s a passion project that caught lightning in a bottle, but a project that seemingly that lacked a real goal.
Since late-February, I’ve spent hours with local business owners, musicians, and do-gooders talking about how awesome our little town is and all of the amazing people in it. And with each conversation, I keep coming back to the thought that this little email needs to do some heavier lifting.
For the sake of clarity, this is what we’re working to do around here:
So, what is the Old City Lowdown?
A platform for amplifying local voices: the shop owners, the musicians, the artists, the folks out there protecting our waterways and cleaning up our beaches, the volunteers, the neighbors doing good work quietly.
A source for the local news and updates that actually matters to residents, aggregated from local journalists and sources, delivered in plain English.
A celebration of local commerce, culture, and stewardship.
A tool for building community, not just reporting on it.
What the Lowdown is not:
A tourism content machine chasing clicks at the expense of the people who actually live here.
Another events listing or news aggregator with no soul behind it.
A part of a national media conglomerate with no connection to our town.
What’s in store for the Lowdown:
A community powered events website where you, the locals, can submit your own events, live music gigs, and happenings. If you're doing something worth showing up for, we want to help people find it. This is in the works and will be up and running in the next week or so.
A local job board, coming in the months ahead. Good people need work. Good businesses need good people. We want to be the bridge, especially right now when every paycheck counts.
The throughline:
Every single piece of this comes back to one thing: community stewardship. Taking care of this place. Lifting up the people in it. Leaving it better than we found it for the ones coming after us.
I appreciate every ounce of support I’ve received since I started this thing. It means a lot. I’m not trying to be a leader in town, just a megaphone for all of the awesome people doing awesome things while keeping locals in the loop.
Back to our regularly scheduled formatted programming next Thursday. Thanks for being here.
THIS WEEKEND
We have a big weekend ahead. In an effort to be brief while also “doing my job,” check out these awesome items in store for St. Augustine this Easter Weekend. The full list returns next week.
Billy Strings at The Amp | April 2, 3 & 4
We’re super lucky to have the Billy Goat himself in town for a 3-night homestand. It’s sold out, so I wish you all the luck in finding that miracle in the lot. Hydrate, return your cups, and have the time of your life. I’ll see you there Saturday (at least).
First Friday Art Walk | Friday, 5-9pm | Downtown
St. Augustine's galleries throw open their doors from 5 to 9 PM with new exhibits, live music, and refreshments. Most are within walking distance of each other, so pick one and have a time.
Easter Parade | Saturday, 9am | Downtown
The nation’s second-oldest Easter parade hops down San Marco Saturday morning, starting at the Old Jail, looping around downtown, and ending at the Visitor Information Center.
Masters Market | Saturday, 12-6pm | 78 Masters Dr.
Hosted by Rocking Chair Records, Serenity Movement Studio, 5th Century Music. Live music, local vendors, crafts, vintage stuff & more. Good people doing good things. Don’t forget to swing by the big sale at Graet Goods on your way over.
Thanks for reading Old City Lowdown.
If you found it worthwhile, consider sharing with an astronaut.
Tips, notes, and local leads are always welcome. Email me here.
James Foote
Publisher | Old City Lowdown
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