The St. Augustine Lions Club has announced the dates for the 39th Annual St. Augustine Lions Spring Festival, which will be held at Francis Field on March 26-27.
Previously known as the Seafood Festival, the St. Augustine Lions Foundation has rebranded the popular event with a fresh look and expanded options.
The new theme will help the festival grow and prosper after the 2020 and 2021 festivals being canceled due to the pandemic. The event is the primary fundraising event for the St. Augustine Lions Foundation each year since 1981 — generating funds for charitable needs and services to the community, with a focus on youth, the deaf and the blind, disaster relief, veterans and more.
With more than 28,000 people expected to attend in 2022, the St. Augustine Lions Spring Festival is currently the largest festival held in St. Augustine.
The primary draw of the festival is its abundance of great food and live music. There will be seafood offered, of course, with the addition of more cuisines and county fair dishes.
Other fun activities include kids’ rides, family shows and arts & crafts vendors.
“We’re very excited to announce the dates for 2022,” said Dominic Mercurio, festival chairman. “This is truly a community event, and Lions, whose motto is ‘We Serve,’ are able to raise the funds needed to fulfill our claim that ‘Where there is a need, there is a Lion.’ We invite everyone out to Francis Field to join us in giving back to the community. After two years of cancellations, we can’t wait to all be together again and shout, ‘Hey, we’re havin’ fun now!’”
Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 26 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 27. The arts & crafts village closes at sundown.
Francis Field is located at 25 W. Castillo Drive in downtown St. Augustine. No pets will be allowed except for service animals.
There will be free parking and shuttle service, with shuttles picking up and dropping off visitors at locations to be announced.
More information on parking and shuttles will be posted at lionsfestival.com and Facebook @staugustinelionsfestival.
For further information on the St. Augustine Lions Club, go to staugustinelions.com.
