ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – More than 3 million lights will be illuminating every corner of St. Augustine starting this weekend.
The popular Nights of Lights holiday display kicks off Saturday night in downtown. But this year, some major changes will be in place.
The changes come after city leaders were awarded nearly $1 million ($851,000) as they planned to address increased costs associated with the event following last year’s high attendance, and an even higher number of complaints about the traffic it caused.
Parking and security are some of the major changes this year.
One of those changes is the new ordinance about illegal parking.
In late August, the City Commission approved a new ordinance raising the fine for illegal parking from $35 to $100. Officials said this is part of a new push to reduce congestion and improve public safety.
For security, police will be directing pedestrian traffic at key intersections.
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Barricades will guide foot traffic to cross only at designated spots, and some street parking will be removed to keep vehicles moving.
A couple of those places will be Cathedral Place and Avenida Menendez.
Vehicle barricades will block certain streets to control traffic; westbound Bridge of Lions will have right-turn only at peak times.
For people using rideshare pickups and drop-offs, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m.–2 a.m. will be limited to five specific locations to reduce congestion.
The holiday display kicks off with live performances at 4 p.m., and the light-up night ceremony begins at 6:30 pm in the plaza.
Seventy public portable toilets will be placed throughout the Historic Downtown District, some for the duration of the Nights of Lights season, and some placed temporarily for special events.
A map of all public restrooms, permanent and temporary, will be available in the Nights of Lights mobile app.