During this season’s City of St. Augustine Nights of Lights, Old Town Trolley guests riding the famous Nights of Lights Trolley can vote for their favorite holiday lighting display in the Sixth Annual Light Up the Night! contest.

This year, St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights begins Saturday, November 17 and runs through Sunday, February 3 with Light-Up! Night, the start of the event’s milestone 25 years in the historic city. The event is spotlighted by national and world-wide audiences and voted as one of the Top 10 “Best Holiday Lighting Displays in the World” by National Geographic.

St. Augustine invites all holiday guests and local businesses to join together during the festivities along with thousands of visitors who will ride the Old Town Trolley’s Famous Nights of Lights tour to experience the wonderland of more than three million white twinkling lights. New this year, is Old Town Trolley’s Fast Track Pass as guests can spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying St. Augustine’s award-winning Nights of Lights. The Fast Track Pass allows guests to pre-select a reserved check-in time and access a separate line with a shorter wait time. Fast Track Pass admission is good for up to one hour following the reserved time.  For more information, visit the website at www.trolleytours.com or call (904) 829-3800.

During the tour, guests will be offered complimentary hot apple cider, homemade cookies and the 3D viewing glasses which dramatically illustrate the city’s lights and decorations while listening and caroling to holiday music favorites on the trolleys.

Additionally, trolley guests can vote for their favorite holiday lighting displays at www.trolleytours.com/holidaylightscontest which will also be featured on the renowned Old Town Trolley Tours 3D glasses. The link for voting will be active beginning Saturday, December 1 and continue through Sunday, February 3.

Guests of Old Town Trolley will help to decide which three businesses are to receive awards for having the best lighting displays in St. Augustine to win cash and prizes. Last year, the Holiday Light Display Contest Visitor Choice Awards winners included first prize recipient Casablanca Inn; second prize winner was Meehan’s Irish Pub, and third prize winner was Casa de Suenos.

Beginning Friday, November 23 through Saturday, December 29 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Old Town Trolley presents its sixth-year of free entertainment with St. Johns County school groups and local musical acts hosted at the City of St. Augustine Visitor Information Center on select nights (see below for schedule). Guests can enjoy holiday entertainment in queue for the Famous Nights of Lights Trolley. The performance venue is located at the corner of W. Castillo Dr. and San Marco Ave., 10 W. Castillo Drive in downtown St. Augustine.

The Nights of Lights Trolley entertainment schedule is as follows:

Friday, November 23 – The Florida Brass Quintet

Saturday, November 24 – Bells of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Handbells

Friday, November 30 – Landrum Middle School Jazz Band and Drumline

Saturday, December 1 – St. Augustine High School Band

Friday, December 7 – Fruit Cove Middle School Jazz Ensemble

Saturday, December 8 – St. Augustine High School Jazz Ambassadors

Friday, December 14 - Nease High School Chorus Group

Saturday, December 15 – St. Augustine High School String Ensemble

Sunday, December 16 – Pedro Menendez High School Band

Wednesday, December 19 – Showtime U.S.A.

Thursday, December 20 – Gamble Rogers Middle School Jazz Band

Friday, December 21 – St. Augustine Concert Band

Saturday, December 22 – Voices of St. Augustine

Sunday, December 23 – Ramona The Band

Tuesday, December 25 – Ramona The Band

Wednesday, December 26 – Saturday, December 29 - The Ancient City Brass Band

According to Dave Chatterton, Old Town Trolley Tours & Attractions of St. Augustine General Manager, the community-minded company and its partners are proud to partake in St. Augustine’s time-honored holiday traditions and celebrate this season’s Light up the Night! contest. “We expect another year with a huge turnout while hosting guests from around the world and providing quality shows for the entire family,” said Chatterton. “We are also glad to offer a wonderful opportunity for many students from throughout St. Johns County to perform as we recognize the importance of arts in the schools, and to host professional musicians who are well-known in northeast Florida, and beyond.”

For more than 17 years, Old Town Trolley Tours brings transportation and entertainment to St. Augustine by taking visitors and residents throughout the historic city, offering 23 stops with more than 100 points of interest. For more information, visit www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine or call 904-829-3800.