St. Johns County Public Library Offers Curbside Service
The St. Johns County Public Library System is offering curbside service at all branches from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for patrons who place items on hold by calling a library or through the Library’s website. Though library buildings remain closed to the public, patrons can follow a simple and safe procedure to pick up reserved items. Pickup locations and instructions for curbside service will be clearly marked at each library branch. For more information on curbside service, visit https://sjcpls.org/curbside-service/ or call your branch library.
 
St. Johns County Communications Division
Michael Ryan, Director of Communications – 904.209.0549 / 214.493.2983
Sarah Butler, Communications Specialist – 904.209.0557
sjccommunications@sjcfl.us

St. Johns County, FL – In consideration of Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-112 outlining
Florida’s plan for recovery, St. Johns County is launching a phased reopening approach in
collaboration with the City of St. Augustine, the City of St. Augustine Beach, and local health care
and law enforcement agencies.

“When this pandemic began, no one knew how our community would be impacted. We understood
the importance of being measured in every decision we made, ranging from closures to opening
strategies. As a coastal community, the status of our beaches has been a significant topic of
discussion, and just like the approach Governor DeSantis outlined yesterday, we want to be
measured in our phasing,” said Hunter S. Conrad, St. Johns County Administrator. “Our
community has done a phenomenal job in voluntary compliance of the Governor’s Orders, and as
a result, this allows us to lift additional restrictions on the beach. We want to encourage residents
to enjoy their beaches and continue using that same personal responsibility that has allowed us to
flatten the curve locally.”

The health, safety, and welfare of St. Johns County residents remain the top priorities in the
development and implementation of the reopening strategy. Phase One of St. Johns County’s
reopening includes:

 Beaches - Beginning Monday, May 4, all restrictions previously in place on St. Johns
County beaches are rescinded. On-beach driving remains prohibited and CDC guidelines
and social distancing restrictions remain in place.
 Libraries - The St. Johns County Library System is offering curbside service at all branches
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for patrons who place items
on hold by calling a library or through the Library’s website. Library buildings remain
closed to the public. For more information on curbside service, visit
www.sjcpls.org/curbside-service/ or call your branch library.
 Recreational Facilities - All recreational facilities, including recreation centers, pools,
pavilions, etc., remain closed and unavailable for reservations or rentals.
 Recreational Programing - All recreational programing, including open play, camps, and
league activities, remain suspended.
 SJC Ocean and Fishing Pier - Beginning Monday, May 4, the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier is open to the public with no access fee. All other facilities, including the Pier
Gift Shop and pavilion, remain closed to the public and unavailable for reservations,
rentals, or events, including farmers markets. 
 Pet Center - While St. Johns County Animal Control Services continues to remain active
and is responding to calls from the community, the St. Johns County Pet Center remains
closed to the public.
 St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall - All activities and events at theSt. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, including farmers markets,
remain suspended.
 Distancing and Industry Guidelines - It is recommended that the public continue to adhere to the CDC social distancing guidelines of limiting gatherings to no more than 10 persons
and maintaining a minimum distance of six feet between parties. Guidelines regarding
restaurant, retail, and other business operations can be found at www.sjcfl.us/coronavirus.
 The St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) - The EOC remains open at a Level Two partial activation. Beginning Monday, May 4, the EOC Hotline will be open
from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Local State of Emergency remains in
effect.

For more information regarding Phase One of the reopening procedures, call the EOC Citizen
Information Hotline at 904.824.5550.

April 17th, 2020

St. Johns County beaches are now open from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon seven days a week for uses that include physical activity and motion. Activities now permitted on St. Johns County Beaches include walking, running, exercise, surfing, biking, fishing, swimming, surfing, and other uses that require physical activity. As lifeguards may not be on duty, all swimming is at done at your own risk.

“Walk to exercise not to socialize.” said Dawn C. Allicock, M.D., MPH, Director and Health Officer of Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County. “As long as individuals adhere to the CDC guidelines of social distancing, getting exercise and fresh air can be beneficial for our citizens’ physical and mental health.”

The grouping of persons, commercial activities, group sports, and activities that do not require motion, such as sunbathing, and sitting, or those otherwise not allowed by local, state, or federal law are not permitted. In addition, items not allowed on the beach include blankets, chairs, coolers, umbrellas, tents, and any item that promotes a stationary presence. Beach visitors must continue to adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines, including limiting gatherings to no more than ten persons and distancing themselves from other parties by a minimum of six feet. All public parking lots are now open; however on-beach driving remains prohibited.

“From day one, every decision we have made has been methodical and deliberate without knee jerk actions or reactions, and this decision is no different. Our residents have shown extreme grace, measure, and personal responsibility throughout this pandemic, and our trend is beginning to flat line and has been doing so for nearly two weeks.” said Hunter S. Conrad, St. Johns County Administrator. “We also know this not over and we are urging all who use the beach to follow the restrictions in place. Our hope is that this becomes a great mental health release for so many and becomes the first step of many in the coming weeks and months in our return to normal life.”

St. Johns County, the City of St. Augustine Beach, the City of St. Augustine, and local enforcement agencies request that all beach visitors comply with CDC guidelines. St. Johns County continues to evaluate and adapt all policies and practices in order to appropriately respond to COVID-19, and as such, the status of permitted beach activities will also be assessed and adjusted based on public compliance. For more information, please call the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center COVID-19 Hotline at 904.824.5550.

 

​St. Johns Cultural Council Establishes Emergency Fund for Local Artists and Small Arts Organizations

 

In response to hardships created by event cancellations and venue closures related to the Coronavirus, the St. Johns Cultural Council has established an Arts Emergency Fund to support members of the St. Johns County arts community. 

 

Small arts organizations and artists of all disciplines may apply. Individual artists may request up to $500 and arts organizations may request up to $1000 in assistance through this program.

 

Individual artists may access funds for basic living expenses, such as housing, utilities, or groceries. Arts organizations may request funding to support rent payments, utilities, and other operating costs related to arts, culture and heritage activities.

 

The Cultural Council has designated a total of $10,000 of its unrestricted funds for this program, and hopes to increase funds available through donor contributions.  100% of contributions to the Fund will be disbursed to local artists and arts organizations.  In many cases, these contributions will be tax deductible.

 

Applications may be submitted now and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until funds are depleted.  For more information about applications or donations to the Arts Emergency Fund, please email christina@historiccoastculture.com.

 

Contributions to the fund may also be completed online at www.stjohnsculture.com/donate. 

 

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The St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local artists and arts organizations and to promoting St. Johns County as a premiere destination for travelers interested in arts, culture and heritage tourism.

 

Christina Parrish Stone, Executive Director

St. Johns Cultural Council

15 Old Mission Avenue

Saint Augustine, FL 32084

(904) 434-0959

The St. Johns Cultural Council will present a series of online concerts featuring St. Johns County-based artists during the month of April. 

Concerts will be presented Monday through Friday evenings at 7 p.m. through the Cultural Council Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsculture/, beginning on Wednesday April 1st. 

Confirmed performers include Amy Hendrickson, Joe Pollock, Aslyn and the Naysayers, Ramona, Brittani Mueller, Sailor Jane, Lucio Rubino and Michael Lagasse.

Participating musicians will receive a $200 stipend from the Cultural Council and will also receive 100% of any donations made during their performance.  Each artist will be featured in a spotlight on HistoricCoastCulture.com and receive additional marketing support for future performances, recordings and merchandise sales.

Interested musicians may schedule a performance time by emailing christina@stjohnsculture.com.  Priority will be given to musicians who have lost a significant portion of their income due to recent event cancellations and venue closures. 

Donations to support the concert series may be made online at www.stjohnsculture.com/donate or by mailing a check to St. Johns Cultural Council, 15 Old Mission Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.

 

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The St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local artists and arts organizations and to promoting St. Johns County as a premiere destination for travelers interested in arts, culture and heritage tourism.

Christina Parrish Stone
Executive Director
christina@historiccoastculture.com
Direct Telephone:  904-434-0959

 

​Romanza Festivale 2020 Cancelled
 
Due to the COVID-19 emergency the 2020 St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of Music & The Arts is cancelled. The Festivale has been scheduled 17 days from May 1 to May 17, 2020 with daily events all around St. Augustine, including 80+ concerts, shows, exhibits, and more. 
 
Romanza regrets disappointing our many friends, fans and neighbors who delight in this annual showcase of St. Augustine’s abundant and diverse cultural scene.
 
Most Festivale Partner organizations have notified us that they as well are forced to cancel their own productions within the Festivale.
 
Not only are the crowd restrictions prohibitive, but several key performers may not be able to even get here from places like Australia, the UK, California, etc... 
 
This complex festival, with so many Partners and productions, is difficult to schedule in the first place, so we do not expect to reschedule it in 2020.
 
Romanza believes in supporting the arts and our local artists. Romanza Festivale has been able to operate at a level of increasing support to our community artists and musicians through paid performances, stipends, sponsorships, Awards, scholarships, and significant promotion.
 
Now Romanza has suffered a severe financial blow with the late cancellation of the Celtic Festival by our City. Francis Field was completely set up by the time we were given the order to cancel. Romanza incurred huge expenses for rented equipment already delivered, contracted personnel already on duty, and supplies already purchased, etc.  Funds from Romanza’s savings account that were supposed to fund Festivale are suddenly not available. 
 
Romanza Festivale and the Celtic Festival, as well as the St. Patrick Parade are produced by Romanza-St. Augustine, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
www.RomanzaFestivale.com

March 22, 2020
St. Johns County Public Beach Parking Lots Closed
​
In order to maximize compliance with State of Florida Executive Order 20-68, all public beach parking lots in St Johns County are closed under the local state of emergency, effective 6 a.m. on Monday, March 23 and will remain closed until further notice.

"After evaluating near record beach attendance over the weekend and consulting with local law enforcement officials, it is clear that the county needs to take additional steps to further reduce the size of the crowds on our beaches," said Hunter S. Conrad. "Our goal is to allow the beaches to remain as accessible as possible to our residents, while still observing CDC guidelines and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of our community."

The determination to close all public beach parking lots is based upon a recommendation to reduce health risks associated with COVID-19 and beach overcrowding by the St Johns County Sheriff's Office, the St Augustine Beach Police Department, St Johns County Emergency Management, and local health officials.

While pedestrian access to St Johns County beaches remains accessible, please limit gatherings to no more than 10 persons and maintain a minimum distance of six feet between other parties in compliance with CDC guidelines. Vehicular access to all St Johns County beaches remains prohibited until further notice. For more information, please call 904.824.5550.

March 20, 2020

​GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS LIFTS ALCOHOL DELIVERY BAN, ALLOWS RESTAURANTS TO STAY OPEN FOR DELIVERY AND TAKE-OUT TO PROTECT FLORIDIANS FROM COVID-19 SPREAD


TALLAHASSEE – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida restaurants will move to take-out and delivery only in response to the evolving COVID-19 impact across the state. In his Executive Order, the Governor also lifted the ban on alcohol delivery for restaurants under certain conditions.
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In the order, Governor DeSantis expressed his support to retailers, restaurants, and employees as they pursue creative business practices that safely serve consumers during this temporary period of social distancing.

“Governor DeSantis continues to lead and take swift action out of precaution for the safety of Florida residents and visitors,” said Carol Dover, President & CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “Allowing restaurants to stay open for delivery and take-out, while also lifting the ban for alcohol delivery, is critical to supporting Florida’s dining establishments and their employees. We applaud Governor DeSantis for allowing Florida’s hospitality industry to continue to meet the needs of communities across Florida during this difficult time.

For more information and industry-related COVID-19 updates, please visit https://frla.org/