2024 marks the 150th anniversary for the St. Augustine Yacht Club.
Founded in 1874, its membership now exceeds 250. A SAYC Sailing Center focused on the youth living in and around St. Augustine is currently under construction as the sailing program grows.
On Feb. 13, the club will host a Grand Masquerade Ball, mimicking those elegant affairs held in the late 1800s. A black tie and masked event such as this has not been seen in St. Augustine for some time now.
Dinner will be catered by Purple Olive with cocktail hour entertainment by classical guitarist Chuck Rogers, with his wife Laura accompanying him on the flute. Later in the evening, attendees will dance the night away to live band music by Contact Buzz.
The ball will be held 6-10 p.m. at River House. Tickets are $150. Both members and the public are invited.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the club was referred to as the Winter Newport because so many prominent northern families came here for “the season,” January through May. The club became renowned for its parties. The most famous was the “Grand Bal Masque,” held each February at a hotel. It “eclipsed anything of the season,” according to one scribe. Two hundred attendees, many of them masked, would dance to an orchestra until 2 a.m.
For information or tickets, go to staugustineyachtclub.com/event/xkjUpSXibM.
