Although the city’s 450th celebration is over, St. Augustine residents can expect another major festivity this fall.
St. Johns County cultural and development groups have unveiled plans for the first Sounds of Summer Celebration.
This year’s centerpiece is the Sing Out Loud Festival, a free concert series open to locals and visitors alike.
Cultural Events division director Ryan Murphy said events like these help keep the spirit of the city alive.
“St. Augustine has an amazing history — this whole area has an amazing history — but to me, you need the people telling that story,” he said. “You need to see how that’s reworked in the vision of, not only what was in the past, but what’s today and what’s tomorrow, and I feel like music is a huge part of that.”
With more than 130 performances, the festival will span three weekends in late August and early September, and will feature talent from the city and throughout the country.
Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls, Booker T. Jones, and the Travelin’ McCourys will be headlining at the feature event on Sept. 9.
“It’s a time of the year where St. Augustine has a little bit of a lull,” Murphy said. “It’s nice to kind of bring some more action to that time, but also it’s nice to kind of show what we can do for the locals.”
Though the shows are free, attendees can make a donation to reserve seats at the main showcase during the feature event. Proceeds will support the OneOrlando Fund for shooting victims and their families.