Travelsmartplanet

The  23rd Annual Nights of Lights festival turns the city of St. Augustine into a dazzling holiday display, glowing with holiday magic – from the ground to the rooftops. Selected by National Geographic in 2011 and 2012 as one of the ten best holiday lighting displays in the world, St. Augustine’s Night of Lights features three millions tiny white lights that create a magical atmosphere in the Nation’s oldest city.

Tracing its origins to the Spanish tradition of displaying a white candle in the window during the Christmas holidays, the spectacular lighting reflects the city’s 450-year history and illuminates the beautiful setting for lasting holiday memories.

Many historic landmarks and locations are beautifully ablaze during Nights of Lights. The waters of Matanzas Bay glow from the nightly reflections of lights strewn along the bay walk and displayed on the Bridge of Lions. The Plaza de la Constitucion shines from the top of trees and throughout the famous center of St. Augustine’s historic district. The Guilded-Age Hotel Ponce de Leon, now the campus of Flagler College, is outlined in lights. And the Lightner Museum, once a resort hotel also built by Flagler, is lit so brilliantly that it is a favorite among visitors.

The trains and trolleys offer special seasonal tours that take you through the best areas of Nights of Lights, and there are also a variety of specialty tours; everything from walking to horse-and-carriage tours, and even tours to see the lights from the water and from the air. This holiday season don’t miss St Augustine’s Night of Lights.

Photos Courtesy of FloridasHistoricCoast.com

Location: Plaza de la Constitucion, 106 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Dates: Daily until Jan. 31, 2017
Tel: 800-653-2489
floridashistoriccoast.com/nights-lights
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: floridashistoriccoast.com

Christmas is that special time of year when lights illuminate the night sky. In South Florida, they have an annual tradition of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Winterfest Boat Parade where privately owned boats and yachts take over the intracoastal waterway and display all of their Christmas glory.

The Boat Parade sets sail for 12 miles starting in downtown Fort Lauderdale heading North to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. Approximately one million spectators view the parade, along with millions more via television and the internet, bringing national and international recognition to South Florida. The event is the Top 20th Parade in the World and considered the Greatest Show on H2O.

Private boats to the giant showboats and corporate mega yachts will be adorned with hundreds of thousands of lights, music, entertainment, decorations, celebrities, musical groups, beauty queens and many other exciting entries. Parade highlights: Grand Marshal Showboat, Galleria Mall Reindeer Barge and the Santa Showboat.

Fun, Family entertainment. Free admission along the Riverwalk.