For more than three decades, St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights has dazzled millions of visitors with its luminous allure — but according to county tourism officials, many guests have misunderstood what kind of experience it’s meant to be.
“For 32 years of Nights of Lights we’ve never really told folks that this is not a drive-thru event,” said Susan Phillips, tourism chief for St. Johns County, during a Monday update to the Tourist Development Council. “So this year, we are saying: look, this is not a drive-thru event.”
Instead, the county is encouraging visitors to park in designated shuttle lots, take a free shuttle downtown, and walk through the historic district to enjoy the lights.
“This is an event where you park your car, take the shuttle, go into town, walk around, and enjoy the ambience of Nights of Lights,” Phillips explained.
Getting people to mosey rather than motor, she said, could help relieve some of the gridlock that often builds up in downtown streets during peak season.
The messaging shift is part of a broader effort to educate visitors before they arrive and improve the overall experience for both guests and locals. This year’s advertising and promotional materials all highlight the change.
While optimistic, she acknowledged that getting longtime attendees to break old habits won’t happen overnight.
“It’s going to take people cooperating with us,” she said. “But we feel like this is a first attempt.”
To support the effort, the county also recently launched a mobile app that helps visitors find parking, shuttle stops, restroom locations, reservation info and more.
More than 5,000 people signed up for the app within a few days of launch.
You can download the new offering here.
