Walk Through 442 Years of History

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. October 14, 2008

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, August 23, 2007. Party goers celebrating the 442nd birthday of St. Augustine, Florida, will have a unique opportunity to walk through a living timeline of the Nation's oldest city. The timeline will be conducted on the grounds of Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Park beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 1. It will feature both actual people who participated in events related to the city's recent past, as well as re-enactors portraying famous St. Augustinians from throughout its history.

"The timeline offers a wonderful opportunity to see history up close and personal," said Michelle Reyna, marketing director for the Fountain of Youth. "It doesn't require visitors to read historic markers - instead, they can meet history face to face and shake hands with historic people who can explain what life was like here decades or centuries ago."

For instance, the 1960s will be represented by two people who actually participated in the Civil Rights demonstrations that centered world attention on St. Augustine. World War Two will be represented by a Floridian who was aboard the USS Arizona when it was destroyed by Japanese bombs at Pearl Harbor - he is one of the few living survivors of the battleship's crew. Acclaimed re-enactors will provide a lively look at the city's past. For example, Henry Flagler and his three wives will be on hand to describe life in St. Augustine during the 1880s when the town was one of the world's most exclusive resorts. The Civil War period will be represented by the mother of St. Augustine's General Edmund Kirby Smith - the youngest general in the Confederate Army and the last to surrender. Genuine cracker cattle and "crackers" will be on hand to provide a colorful look at the early days of Florida's statehood. Jesse Fish will greet visitors and talk about the city's British Period (1763-1784) while the Menorcan Cultural Society will demonstrate the crafts they brought here at that time. During most of St. Augustine's existence, it was a military outpost of the Spanish Empire. Those 250 years will be well-represented by Spanish soldiers, townsfolk and - pirates!

The final stop on the timeline will be September 8, 1565 - the date of the city's founding and the day on which the first Thanksgiving Feast was held in what is not the United States. On that day, the newly arrived Spanish colonists shared a feast with the local Timucuas - the Native Americans who were living here when the Spaniards came ashore to create the city. To celebrate the event, the First Thanksgiving will be re-enacted and local restaurants will compete to see who can create the best dish using only ingredients that would have been available aboard the Spanish ships or in the Timucuan village on that day 442 years ago.

Admission to the living timeline and all of the events celebrating the Oldest City's birthday celebration is free. Birthday events will take place from Tuesday, August 28 through Saturday, September 1. They include:

August 28 (Tuesday)

On this date in 1565, the Spanish fleet arrived offshore and in recognition of the fact that it was the feast day of St. Augustine, Admiral Menendez named the area after the celebrated Bishop of Hippo. In recognition of the Christian beginning of the city, vespers at the Cathedral Basilica at 6:30 p.m. will be followed by a special presentation about St. Augustine by University of Florida Professor Andrea Sterk at 7:30 p.m. at the Bishop Baker Center, 259 St. George Street.

August 29 (Wednesday)

The Spaniards were not the first to think of the St. Augustine area as "home". Native Americans known as the Timucua had been living there for at least 500 years. In fact, from the first moments of their arrival, the Spaniards encountered the residents of Seloy - a large Timucuan village located at the present site of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park. As part of the birthday celebration, the Park will feature demonstrations of Timucuan culture and lifestyles throughout the day. From 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., special tours of the archeological sites will be presented by Sarah Miller, director of the Northeast Region of the Florida Public Archaeology Network.

August 30 (Thursday)

Unlike the English settlement of Jamestown more than 40 years later, women and children were among the 800 Spaniards who arrived on the first day of St. Augustine's existence. From 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., St. Augustine women in authentic period clothing will demonstrate hand-dyeing, weaving and other 16th century skills. Visitors will be invited to participate! The demonstrations will be held at Government House on the Plaza de la Constitucion and will include a presentation on the role of women in the Spanish colony. .

August 31 (Friday)

Sixteenth century entertainers, including jugglers, madrigal singers, and actors presenting authentic skits and comedies, will present free performances from 5 to 8 p.m. on the grounds of Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum located at 19 San Marco Avenue. Admission is free.

September 1 (Saturday)

The Birthday celebration continues at 9 a.m. with a reenactment of the landing by the city's founder, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, at the Mission of Nombre de Dios - the exact landing point of the Spanish colonists in 1565. The landing reenactment will be followed, as it was 442 years ago, with a celebration of Mass. At 10 a.m., the living timeline will open at the Fountain of Youth, adjacent to the Mission grounds and at noon, the First Thanksgiving, held on the day of the city's founding, will be remembered with a cooking contest featuring authentic 16th century foods and recipes. Local restaurants will team with re-enactors to present authentic great cuisine in amateur and professional classes.. The Colonial Spanish Quarter, located on St. George Street, will have a birthday celebration from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. featuring authentic Colonial crafters, the Spanish Royal Family and free birthday cake for all. The day's events conclude at 7 p.m. with the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Government House on the Plaza de la Constitucion.

For more details on the City of St. Augustine's Birthday Celebration, go to www.staugustinesbirthday.com or call 904.825.1004. For information on getaway vacations to St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & the Beaches, go to www.getaway4florida.com or call 1.800.653.2489.