St. Augustine is a city graced with many spectacular attributes. The vibrant culture, deep history, and beautiful sandy beaches are only a select few. St. Augustine is a coastal gem, plain and simple. A gem which had not been for the brave explorers of the early seas would remain undiscovered. Throughout the centuries St. Augustine has evolved into the wonderful city that we here at Beacher’s Lodge Oceanfront Suites know and love today. This is thanks to those pioneers of the sea, St. Augustine is at its heart a coastal town, plain and simple. For hundreds of years countless numbers of marine vessels have visited our shores, from the grandest Galleons to the smallest dinghies. This October the St. Augustine Maritime Heritage Foundation is celebrating the inaugural festival celebrating the rich maritime history of this city. The festival begins October 25 and runs through the 27th and features live entertainment, a bar tending challenge, food, crafts, model boats, kid’s zone, dog agility, and finally a “quick and dirty” boat building competition and race! The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, 11 Magnolia Ave., will host the three-day Viva Florida 500 festival including The festival will be open each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is included in the regular admission to the Fountain of Youth. Tickets are $12 for adults; $11 for seniors (60 and older); $8 for children ages 6-12; and free for children 5 and young. St. Johns County residents will ID also are admitted free. A VIP reception will be Friday night. Tickets for the VIP reception are $45. The festival is a fundraiser for the St. Augustine Maritime Heritage Foundation and will support the completion of the 16th Century Longboat Chalupa. Call 904-829-3168 or go to staugmaritimeheritage.org or www.fountainofyouthflorida.com. Visit us here at Beacher’s Lodge and celebrate the true nautical history of St. Augustine!