Colonial Night Watch for Participants

The event, “St Augustine Colonial Night Watch”, will be held on December 2nd.  Night Watch activities are scheduled in various locations in the City of St. Augustine. Limited-period camping will be available on a first come first serve basis in the Colonial Quarter and the Arrivas Yard on St. George Street. Set-up will start on Thursday evening after 5 pm and Friday at 8 am.  We require that you help us maintain authenticity throughout the event.

Here you will find your registration forms for the event. If you are planning to participate, please fill out the forms completely and return them to The Saint Augustine Garrison promptly. Forms must be received by November 15th to guarantee participation. Upon arrival at the Colonial Quarter, please check in at registration at the Colonial Quarter before setting up camp.

Contact Information:

Saint Augustine Spanish Garrison
P.O. Box 722
Saint Augustine, FL 32085
Email: Nightwatch

Participation Guidelines

The encampment will be centered on the recreation of the years 1739 through 1785 when Spanish forces and their allies as well as British forces and their allies would have been present in St. Augustine. We request that you change to 18th-century dress as soon as your camp is set up and remain in the proper dress when in camp/area. We also request that your camp remain in the 18th century at all times on Saturday, even if there are no spectators present.  Eastern Frontier civilians and Eastern Indians are also invited to participate. Children should be age-appropriately attired for this time period as well. The following attire is not permissible in camp/area: modern calico, modern shoes (unless medically necessary), sunglasses, modern jewelry, or cigarettes.

Camp Gear: Overnight camping will be available at the Colonial Quarter and the Arrivas Yard. We ask that only tents be set up first to ensure that we can fit as many as want to camp in. We will entertain the idea of putting up flys after we are sure that all those who had registered as campers have been accommodated. No modern tents, please.  All non-18th-century items should be kept out of sight at all times. This includes but is not limited to, sleeping bags, coolers, modern food containers, and cooking items. All food and drinks should be stored in period-correct containers when in sight of the public. If you need supplies from outside the camping areas, such as food, drinks, etc., please bring a period correct tote/basket/wagon to bring them into camp. Alcohol is not permitted in the Colonial Quarter or Arrivas Yard. Only living historians in period attire are permitted in the Arrivas Yard camping area. No general public is allowed after hours in the Colonial Quarter.

Cooking & Eating Utensils: All cooking and eating utensils must be 18th-century style. No speckleware or aluminum is allowed.

Vehicles: Vehicle access to Colonial Quarter via Trolley Stop but there is no access to the Arrivas Yard from Spanish Street this year. All unloading must occur through the Colonial Quarter. Information for unloading for the Colonial Quarter will be available at the Registration Desk.

Site Supplies: Restroom facilities are available across from the Colonial Quarter, next to the Spanish Bakery, and behind the Taberna. Fires are allowed on both sites, but they must be self-contained. No firepits are allowed.

Sutlers: Sutlers are on a first come first serve basis as space s limited. Items can also be purchased at St. Augustine Textiles on St. George St.

Parade Rules: The following rules exist for the parade.
• Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Wheeled vehicles (carts, buggies, etc.) will be allowed in the parade. All wheeled vehicles must be period correct.
• The Garrison reserves the right to exclude your participation in the living history portion of the parade if you are not properly attired. In this case, you would be more than welcome to walk with the public.

Daily Agenda: Set-up will start on Thursday after 5 p.m. and Friday, starting at 8:00 a.m. The Colonial Quarter gate located on A1A may be open for vehicle unloading, however; only 1 vehicle may enter at a time. This is subject to change due to availability. Staging will occur in the trolley-unloading lane. Registration Desk in the Colonial will have up-to-date information for the Colonial Quarter camping.    Programs in the Colonial Quarter, for the public, begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and end at 5 p.m. The torchlight parade occurs on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. Anyone arriving to set up camp/area on Saturday is asked to please arrive early enough to have your camp/area set up by 9:30 a.m.

Jollification: A jollification will occur after the parade in the 18th-century area of the Colonial Quarter. Drinks and Dining will be provided. There is a $20.00 per person fee for Jollification participation. Please buy your tickets on eventbrite.com. The event is Colonial Night Watch-Jollification. (You must be 21 years or older to participate in beverages). This will help us to determine the amount of food and drink.

Reminders: Remember to remove the “little” items. Nail polish, make-up, watches, rings, gold chains, and modern eyeglasses should be removed to make your appearance more authentic to the period being portrayed. You may take pictures! However, please remember to carry your camera in your period-correct tote bag when not in use.

Print your Schedule HERE

Safety Regulations

Weapons check will be in the Colonial Quarter starting at 8:30 am Saturday. HFM staff will provide rolled cartridges for your use at the 7 p.m. Volley of Joy. You may use your own cartridges for the Colonial Quarter demonstration. No activities will take place on the NPS property.

Safety Officer: The safety officer’s duties include:

• Ensuring that all weapons are safe to fire (including flash guards and frizzen covers on all guns which allow them)
• That all powder is contained and utilized properly
• That all powder and weapons are stored properly when not in use. No weapon will remain loaded when not in use.

The following safety rules will apply at all times:

• The safety officer will ensure that all rules and regulations are being followed without exception.
• Live rounds (with ball) are NOT permitted!
• No live round, cartridges, balls, or any other device may be placed in the barrel or discharged from any barrel or device. Only the appropriate powder charge may be placed in a barrel for discharge.
• All firing must be clearly elevated above personnel.
• No charged weapon will be given to a member of the public.
• All edged weapons must remain sheathed and will not be unsheathed for any reason with the exception of use in a scenario, i.e. officers using their swords to give orders or to direct fire or showing the public how a bayonet fits on a barrel.
• Cannon crews shall have at a minimum, three people, one of which must be certified in artillery practice.
• There will be no hand-to-hand combat unless pre-specified at Officers Call as part of a scenario.
• No one shall fire a weapon or use an edged weapon after drinking alcohol.
• No charged weapon or device, as well as powder, shall be unattended.
• Guns, knives, bayonets, and swords must not be unattended. When not in use, these items should be stored securely.

 

 

 

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