St. Augustine's 2026-27 Nights of Lights season opens Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, and closes Monday, Jan. 18, 2027. Counting both the first and last nights, that's 59 nights, one more than last season. City staff had proposed a shorter window, and a resident survey taken earlier this year leaned the same way. The City Commission adopted a longer one anyway. For people who live downtown or drive through it, the calendar question is settled for now. What will shape their winter is the parking and shuttle setup.
Three Calendars in Three Years
The season has been reset three times since 2024. In April 2024 the City set a standing window that ran from the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the last Sunday in January, so the 2024-25 season ended on Jan. 26, 2025, as WOKV reported. The next spring, after residents raised concerns about crowds and traffic, the City shortened the 2025-26 season. It ran from Nov. 15, 2025, to Jan. 11, 2026.
| Season | Opening | Closing | Nights, counting both ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Saturday before Thanksgiving | Jan. 26, 2025 | 65 |
| 2025-26 | Nov. 15, 2025 | Jan. 11, 2026 | 58 |
| 2026 staff proposal | Second Saturday before Thanksgiving | Second Sunday in January | 58 if applied to 2026-27 |
| 2026-27, as adopted | Nov. 21, 2026 | Jan. 18, 2027 | 59 |
At the March 23, 2026, commission meeting, Communications Director Melissa Wissel presented Resolution 2026-07. It would have kept last season's basic shape for good, starting two Saturdays before Thanksgiving and ending on the second Sunday in January. She told the commission the goal was "greater consistency" and better long-term planning for both the City and the community, according to the meeting recording.
The commission changed the proposal at both ends. The opening moved one week later, to the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and the closing moved eight days later, from Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027, to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January. The City's announcement the next day called this the traditional window for future seasons. Applied to this year's calendar, the staff version would have run 58 nights. The adopted version runs 59.
What the Commission Weighed
The St. Augustine Neighborhood Council did the most detailed resident input. Council president Melinda Raconte reported 443 survey responses from 12 neighborhood associations. Ninety-three percent of respondents were full-time residents, and 62% said the event had exceeded capacity. She said 89% believed Nights of Lights put tourism ahead of quality of life, and that traffic, access to homes and parking were the biggest impacts. She also said 80% of responses rejected going back to the pre-2025 calendar that ran through the end of January.
One resident who spoke had a different worry. She said traffic stayed heavy through the final two weeks of January, and that changing dates alone might spread the same congestion over more days. Other speakers argued for keeping January dates. A small-business owner said every week of the event helped cover ongoing expenses, and another speaker said locals want to visit in January.
Commissioner Cynthia Garris said MLK weekend could bring visitors and hotel business, with people both observing the holiday and seeing the lights. Commissioner Jim Springfield said he favored going back to the traditional November start and ending on MLK Day. Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline raised the cost side, including the county's roughly $850,000 contribution, the City's limited dedicated funding, staff overtime, and what the event takes away from other City services. On the roll call, Garris, Springfield and Commissioner Jon DePreter voted yes. Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder and Mayor Sikes-Kline voted no. It passed 3-2.
That vote settles the length of the season. How crowded downtown gets on a given night depends on the event schedule and the shuttle schedule.
The Nights That Will Draw the Biggest Crowds
Light-Up! Night on Nov. 21 is the opening, and the City has published a schedule and closures for it on the Visit St. Augustine Light-Up! Night page.
- All day: No parking on Cathedral Place, and no parking on the plaza side of King Street between Cordova Street and Avenida Menendez.
- 4 p.m.: Showtime USA performs at City Hall and Parque de Menendez. Shuttle lots on Anastasia Island open at R.B. Hunt School, 125 Magnolia Drive, and Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South. Both run until 11 p.m.
- 5 p.m.: Cathedral Place closes to vehicles until 8 p.m. ASL interpreters are on site from 5 to 7 p.m.
- 5:30 p.m.: The All-Star Orchestra plays at the Plaza gazebo.
- 6:30 p.m.: The lighting ceremony, followed by music until 7:30 p.m.
The busiest stretch after that is likely the weekend of Dec. 4 and 5. Visit St. Augustine lists the Christmas Parade for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The Colonial Night Watch and Encampment runs Dec. 4 and 5, with the torch-lit parade at 7 p.m. that Saturday. Dec. 5 is the only date when the free Park & Ride service starts at 8 a.m. instead of 1 p.m.
The Parking Rule That Matters Most to Residents
Most of the day-to-day crowd control this season comes from parking. According to the Visit St. Augustine 2026-27 guide, free Park & Ride shuttles run from 1 to 9 p.m. on these dates:
- November: 21, 27 and 29
- December: 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 18 through 24, and 26 through 30
- January: 1 and 2
On those dates there are three lots, and buses run to the Visitor Information Center:
- Broudy's Lot: 198 W. King St., off U.S. 1
- North San Marco Lot: 301 San Marco Ave.
- St. Johns County Health Department: 200 San Sebastian View, off U.S. 1
On shuttle days, the Historic Downtown Parking Facility charges $40 per entry after 1 p.m. Before 1 p.m., and on days with no shuttle, it charges $20. St. Johns County residents who have registered with ParkStAug don't pay the $40 fee. The guide asks residents to register online or at the City office on Bridge Street before the season starts, and notes that the app doesn't guarantee a space. The City brought in the $40 charge for the 2025-26 season to push visitors toward the free lots, and said at the time that county resident discounts would be honored.
The shuttle dates also show where the City expects demand. The schedule concentrates on Friday through Sunday nights in early December, then covers almost every day from Dec. 18 to Jan. 2. The guide says not all 2026-27 details are final. It also says shuttles run on 23 days, but its own list has 22 dates, so it's best to check the page again before a busy night.
People on Anastasia Island have another option. The STAR Beach Shuttle starts at 5 p.m. and loops between the Bridge of Lions area and the Quality Inn & Suites at 901 A1A Beach Blvd. The stop by the bridge is a 5- to 10-minute walk from it, and you cross the bridge on foot to reach downtown. The shuttle won't run on New Year's Eve because of the fireworks on St. Augustine Beach. The official Nights of Lights app was updated this year with a visual parking-availability display and redesigned maps, according to the tourism bureau's September release.
The White-Light Flyer Is a Reminder, Not a New Rule
In September, the commission approved a one-page flyer for commercial and institutional property owners in the historic preservation districts. It restates the existing illumination standards in City Code Sec. 3-23(e)(6). White or clear lights are the only ones allowed. The code bars colored and bright-white lighting, animated or flashing effects, words or patterns on vertical surfaces, and inflatable, mechanical, cartoon or figurine decorations. News4JAX reported that the City described the flyer as "not new regulation; it is just new outreach," after years of complaints that displays had drifted away from the classic look.
The flyer also gives light-strand specs, including C-7 bulbs in clear or warm white only. It says these properties may light up from the first Saturday of November through the first Sunday of February, and lights installed below 10 feet must come down within 30 days after the season ends. With the season closing Jan. 18, that 30-day period now starts a week later than last season's. The full guidelines are on the City's Guidelines for Lights page. This is general information, not legal advice. Property owners should confirm how the code applies to their building with City staff.
Before the season starts, the Garden Club of St. Augustine is holding its new Holiday Craft & Garden Market on Nov. 6 and 7.
If you're thinking about how the Nights of Lights calendar affects an in-town home you own or plan to buy, Campanaro Group can help you think through the seasonal parking, access and timing questions that come with living near St. Augustine's historic core. Contact Us when you're ready to talk.
