April 5

Tuesday April 9

April 12-14

THE ANNUAL GAMBLE ROGERS FOLK FESTIVAL The annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival returns for a full weekend of Americana music, workshops, food, vendors, and family fun at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, April 12-14, 2024. This year’s festival is headlined by AJ Lee & Blue Summit, John Jorgenson, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Verlon Thompson & Wyatt Ellis. Camp out in a tent or RV and enjoy camaraderie and night jams under the trees.  Get 30% OFF on 3-day general admission and individual day passes when you enter promo code SPRING at checkout on Eventbrite by March 31st.     Want to know what the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival is all about? Check out this quick video of last year’s festival highlights!

FLORIDA’S TROUBADOUR

Gamble Rogers was an internationally renowned guitar virtuoso who perpetuated and popularized the traditions of songwriting, storytelling, and philosophical humor. Born in Winter Park, Florida in 1937, Rogers called St. Augustine his home. Read our blog on Florida’s Troubadour to learn more about Gamble Rogers and the festival that keeps his legacy alive.

FESTIVAL HEADLINERS FRIDAY, APRIL 12 Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton has earned a reputation for transporting audiences back to the 1920’s and making them wish they could stay there for good. This young musician sings and plays banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion, and the bones (percussion). Paxton has an eerie ability to transform traditional jazz, blues, folk, and country into the here and now, and make it real. In addition, he mesmerizes audiences with his humor and storytelling.     COMPLETE FRIDAY SCHEDULE: The North Florida Taildraggers – 5 PM The Krickets – 6 PM Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton – 7:30 PM Remedy Tree – 9 PM   SATURDAY, APRIL 13 AJ Lee & Blue Summit is a bluegrass band from the Bay Area that draws influences from country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music. Led by singer-songwriter and mandolinist AJ Lee, the band includes Sullivan Tuttle and Scott Gates on steel-stringed acoustic guitars, Jan Purat on fiddle, and Chad Bowen on upright bass.

The John Jorgenson Quintet’s style has been called “Gypsy Jazz” after the dynamic string-driven swing created by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in 1930s Paris, while Jorgenson’s compositions draw in elements from Latin, Romanian, classical, rock, and Greek music.

COMPLETE SATURDAY SCHEDULE: The Morrow Family Band – 11 AM Patchwork – 12 PM Lauren Heintz – 1 PM Thick & Thin String Band – 2:15 PM Uncle Mosie – 3:30 PM Verlon Thompson – 4:45 PM John Jorgenson Quintet – 7 PM AJ Lee & Blue Summit – 8:30 PM SUNDAY, APRIL 14

Verlon Thompson has spent thirty years as a professional songwriter and traveling troubadour. As a solo performer, and as the trusted sidekick of Texas Americana songwriting icon Guy Clark, Verlon has viewed the world from stages everywhere from Barcelona to Binger (his hometown in Oklahoma).

Born in the rich music bed of East Tennessee, Wyatt Ellis has quickly become one of the most watched young musicians in bluegrass music. A devotee of Bill Monroe, Ellis has been mentored by many iconic bluegrass musicians, including Sierra Hull, Bobby Osborne, Mike Compton, and more. Wyatt Ellis will be performing with his full band on the Main Stage and the YoungFolk Stage.

COMPLETE SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Bullard Brothers – 11 AM Red & Chris Henry & Their All Star Band- 12 PM Verlon Thompson – 1 PM Wyatt Ellis Band – 2 PM Chelsea Saddler – 3 PM Passerine – 4 PM Bobby Hicks Tribute/Finale Numbers – 5 PM

April 20

April 27-28

Hastings Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Festival

Enjoy culinary masters, delectable bites, entertainment and down-home hospitality April 27 + 28   St. Augustine, Fla. – The annual Hastings Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Festival is back and better than ever! Held in the heart of downtown Hastings, Florida, the Festival celebrates the town’s agricultural roots through creativity and good, old-fashioned fun.

Experience the flavors of Hastings with four distinct culinary events!

It’s finally time to eat at the Taste of Hastings! From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., festival-goers can sample an array of delectable dishes prepared by popular local chefs, including Chefs Hari Pulapaka, Genie McNally, Michael Lugo, Ned Pollack, Ellie Schultze, Dejuan Roy, Sebastian Sikora, and Rebecca Reed. Each chef will craft their own plate using cabbage, potatoes, and bacon. Tickets to the Taste of Hastings are $35 for general admission and $100 for the VIP experience and may be purchased online at www.HastingsFL.org/meet-the-chefs.   Sunday features the prestigious American Culinary Federation (ACF) Sanctioned Cooking Competition, where three accomplished chefs will showcase their skill and artistry using any or all of the three main ingredients. With all the flash and sizzle of televised cooking competitions, these chefs will race against the clock and each other to impress the judges. The ACF Sanctioned Cooking Competition begins at 1pm and tickets are $20 and may be purchased here.

Races for runners and… lawn mowers?   The Spud Run and Cabbage Crawl Fun Run on Saturday, April 27, is a hallmark of the Festival. Athletes of all ages can take on the 5K, 10K, 15K or 1-mile Fun Run. No matter the distance, runners, walkers, and joggers can enjoy the picturesque scenery of the region’s rich agricultural landscape on a course that meanders through Hasting. Prices vary depending on distance and registration period. Runners can register here.   The Great Hastings Mow Down Lawn Mower Races are a sight to be seen! With the course running straight down North Main Street, there’s plenty of action. Racers can compete in two racing classes, Open Stock Adult (ages 18 and older) and Young Rider Open Stock (ages 15-17), with heats running from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mowers can then don their best decorations and join the Mow Down Parade.   Don’t miss the Miss Potato Queen Beauty Pageant!  A long-standing tradition in the Potato Capital, this pageant is a local favorite. Contestants from surrounding counties participate in age categories from newborns to 23 years of age. The contest spans Saturday and Sunday, with Baby to Tiny on Saturday, Little Miss to Miss interviews on Saturday, and the pageant on Sunday.

Shop and eat local at the Outdoor Artisans Market.   Artists, makers, and tantalizing bites will line North Main Street on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors will offer everything from curated clothing collections and jewelry to flowers and art. The best local food trucks are serving fall-off-the-bone barbeque, fried chicken, seafood, lemonade, and more. The atmosphere is complete with live music throughout the weekend at the Bozard Stage, featuring favorites like Bad Dog Mama, Damon Slaughter, and Billy Buchanan.   Don’t miss this hometown festival that celebrates the impactful contributions of the humble cabbage, potato, and bacon. Plan your trip to Florida’s Historic Coast with our helpful trip planner.

Sunday, May 5, 2024, 2:00 PM

www.SAMFestival.org

• • Sundays with SAMF Featured Kyle Walker • •

Approximately 110 music lovers attended the Kyle Walker concert at the Waterworks on Sunday afternoon, February 11. He received extended applause following each piece on the program and a standing ovation at the end of the program, which encouraged Kyle to offer an encore.

Kyle Walker with his parents – LaVerne and Keith Walker who live in St. Johns County – with SAMF Chair Nell Toensmann. 

Waterworks Calendar

Find more information at HistoricCoastCulture.com 904-808-7330  Info@HistoricCoastCulture.com

Eclipse Fest! Wednesday, April 3rd at 2 PM Explore space, feel like an astronaut, and get excited about the solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024. Participants receive a free pair of eclipse glasses provided through a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. All ages are welcome to drop in anytime between 2-6 PM.   EMMA Words & Music with Stephanna Take Two Thursday, April 4th at 1 PM Steve and Anna Marr are a clarinet and piano duo specializing in ragtime, swing, and jazz standards.   Derek Coghlan presents Full-Time Small-Town Hero Friday, April 5th at 8 PM Saturday, April 6th at 8 PM A one-man show about a family and small towns. Tickets are $25 at Eventbrite.com.   You Too Can Uke Kids Club Wednesday, April 10th at 4 PM Bring your ukulele or borrow one for this month’s ukulele session. Enjoy playing your ukulele with other kids and have some snacks, too.   You Too Can Uke for Adults Thursday, April 11th at 10:30 AM Bring your ukulele or borrow one. Get tuned up, learn basic chords, and have fun. Space is limited, and registration is required at sjcpls.org.   St. Augustine PoetFest – Day One Thursday, April 11th at 6 PM The 3rd Annual St. Augustine PoetFest kicks off with members from the National Beat Poetry Society, followed by an open mic open to all. Saint Augustine Sisterhood Book Launch Extravaganza Saturday, April 13th at 6:30 PM Award-winning author Eleanor Tremayne launches her seventh novel with a lively experience including refreshments, live performances, and mythical creatures. Tickets are $45 at Eventbrite.com.   Tale Tellers of St. Augustine Presents: Fools for Love Sunday, April 14th at 2 PM Share your own amusing love story — maybe you’ll win the Fool’s Gold Medal of Love! Tickets are $10 at TaleTellers.org.   Celebrating Earth Day: Bottlenose Dolphins, Right Whales & Sea Turtles Wednesday, April 17th at 3 PM Friends of Main Library hosts Terran McGinnis of Marineland Dolphin Adventure to give a presentation focused on Bottlenose Dolphins, North Atlantic Right Whales, and Sea Turtles. The Teachers’ Lounge presented by the St. Augustine Film Society Friday, April 19th at 7 PM When one of her students is suspected of theft, Carla Nowak decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her. Free for Film Society Members and Students. $8 at the door for guests. Cross and Sword Remembered Sunday, April 21st at 2 PM Presented through a partnership of the St. Johns Cultural Council and the St. Augustine Historical Society, Cross and Sword Remembered will be a discussion and remembrance of the development, staging, and history of Florida’s Official State Play. RSVP at staughs.com. Friends of the A1A Board and Community Stakeholder Meeting Wednesday, April 24th at 2 PM Share feedback, concerns, or needs about A1A with Friends of the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway and the Florida Department of Transportation. Floetry | Tony Ehrlich and David B. Axelrod Sunday, April 28th at 2:30 PM Celebrate National Poetry Month with featured touring poets Tony Ehrlich and David B. Axelrod, followed by a short community open mic.

Waterworks events are wheelchair accessible. To request a reasonable accommodation or discuss your needs, contact the St. Johns Cultural Council at (904) 808-7330 and Info@HistoricCoastCulture.com.