St. Augustine will celebrate its Spanish heritage with three days of live music, art exhibits, dancing and a special “running of the bulls” this weekend, when the annual Fiesta de Aviles street party returns to the Ancient City.
To be held Oct. 7-9 on Aviles Street – the oldest street in the nation’s oldest city – the fiesta kicks off Friday, Oct. 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. during St. Augustine’s First Friday Art Walk. The street will be closed to traffic Friday evening and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday’s events will include live music from noon to 6 p.m. on the Aviles Street stage, beginning with music and dancing performed by First Coast Flamenco followed by Luis Mario and his Latin Jazz Band. The annual Running of the Bulls will begin at 3 p.m. Oct. 8 with a kids’ race followed by an adult race at 3:30 p.m. A twist on the traditional running with the bulls, participants will be chased by special guests in bull costumes in a sprint down Aviles Street. Everyone is invited to participate and prizes will be offered by the Aviles Street merchants for the winners.
On Sunday, Oct. 9, photographer Rick McAllister will give a special presentation titled ‘Walking Across Spain on the Camino de Santiago’ in the Trinity Hall meeting room at Trinity Episcopal Church, 215 St. George St., starting at 2 p.m. McAllister, who walked the 500-mile pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela over a seven-week period, traveled through some of Spain’s most beautiful areas, from the Pyrenees through the vineyards of wine country and finally to Galicia.
The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, located on Aviles Street, will also participate in the festival, hosting its annual Artisan Fair in the museum’s gardens during the three-day festival.
