The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum will serve as a unique venue during the Sing Out Loud Festival, Florida’s largest free live entertainment festival and benefit concert returning to St. Augustine in September. The 2019 Sing Out Loud Festival will host hundreds of free concerts at multiple venues around St. Augustine between Sept. 6 and Sept. 29 in a celebration of local, regional and national singers, songwriters, musicians, poets and comedians.
Located at 20 Aviles Street, in the renowned original art district in downtown St. Augustine, the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum will feature artists and live music during the festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on several Saturdays including Sept. 7, 14 and 28.
Plein Air painters will be featured in the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum courtyard from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Gamble Jam with live music will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The jam session will feature local musicians, plus refreshments available for purchase. Free bottled water will be offered with open areas for seating on grass for visitors and guests. Additionally, Ximenez-Fatio House historic grounds, several rooms and the gift shop will be open.
In partnership with the Gamble Rogers Showcase Stage located at Aviles Street and Artillery Lane, the House Museum will serve as another unique venue on Aviles Street during the select dates of the Sing Out Loud Festival. The open jam sessions will feature local musicians who will encourage the public to bring an instrument to participate and play along, or to visit and enjoy the show. For more information and performance schedules, visit www.singoutloudfestival.com.The events are open to the public and free of charge.
The City St. Augustine continues to build on the Sing Out Loud Festival’s success with its fourth edition by bringing unique performances ranging from bittersweet Americana, socially conscious punk rock, and powerhouse soul to progressive bluegrass, alternative country and indie pop.
Since its inception in 2016, the festival has attracted an estimated 25,000 music fans and featured more than 600 performing artists at more than a dozen venues. Each year the merchants of Aviles Street welcome the music for four Saturdays on the Artillery Lane Sing Out Loud stage.
According to Julie Vaill Gatlin, executive director of the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, the celebrated historic property supports the significance of Aviles Street as a key visitor destination and the oldest street in the USA along with the merchant association’s diligent work to promote the district during the Sing Out Loud festival, and many activities throughout the year. Additionally, the mission of the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is to participate in ongoing, local public awareness events to further America’s national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service, and educational projects.
The upcoming activities support the property owners, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida and the organization’s mission to encourage public outreach which promotes the nation’s heritage through preservation, patriotic service, and educational projects.
As a visitor destination, the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and guided tours of the buildings and rooms are available from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., closed on Sundays and Mondays. The property is available for group functions including weddings and events. During tours, regular admission is $5 for St. Johns County residents; adults $10; children, students, seniors and military $8, and the family rate is $25. Private group rates are $6.50 per person.
The Ximenez-Fatio House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Buildings Survey. It is a Florida Heritage Landmark and is also recognized as an integral part of the St. Augustine Town Plan National Historic Landmark District. The House is rated as a top Hall of Fame attraction in St. Augustine by TripExpert and is a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence designation venue, awarded to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn the highest levels of reviews from travelers.
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida was incorporated in 1899. In 1939, they bought the Ximenez-Fatio House from the Fatio heirs to use as their state house museum. Considered as one of St. Augustine’s best-preserved Spanish colonial dwellings, the museum depicts the boarding house lifestyle of Florida’s Territorial/Early Statehood Period. It is one of the first museums in America to interpret 19th century women’s history.
To view the full schedule of the Sing Out Loud Festival, visit www.singoutloudfestival.com/schedule.
