STA Marketplace

09/30/2026

09/28/2026

October has arrived, and a lot is happening around St. Augustine and St. Johns County. 🍂

This month’s lineup brings together local favorites, seasonal celebrations, arts and culture, food and drink, live music, family-friendly events and plenty of Halloween fun. 🎃

Whether you’re looking for something to do this weekend or filling out the rest of your October calendar, we’ve pulled together a list of upcoming events to check out: https://stamarketingpr.com/news/october-2026

Art Galleries of St Augustine - First Friday Artwalk Coconut Barrel, The Artisan Market Sykes Family Farms St. Johns County Cattlemen's Association Greek Festival St. Augustine Pie in the Sky St. Johns St Benedict the Moor Blues Festival Investing in Kids - INK Old Town Trolley Tours EPIC Behavioral Healthcare HorsePlay Therapy Center

October in St. Johns County is hoppin’! Get the deets and make a plan here!

09/21/2026

I’ve always been more comfortable behind the scenes.

Doing the work. Solving the problems. Building the strategy. Creating the things that help our clients get found, without necessarily needing anyone to notice that we are there.

Honestly, that’s my favorite kind of marketing: the kind that just magically works. The kind where everything looks effortless to the outside world, even though there’s usually a lot happening out of sight to make it that way.

But every once in a while, it’s worth coming out from behind the curtain and sharing how we got here, and why we built STA Marketing & PR the way we did.

The business wasn’t built around trying to be the biggest agency or doing what everyone else was doing. It grew out of a belief that every business deserves marketing that is thoughtful, strategic, personal, and actually connected to their goals.

And while our work may look different from client to client, the goal is always the same: helping good businesses communicate what makes them different and get found by the people who need what they offer.

So, for once, I’m putting myself in the picture.

If you’re curious about the story behind the agency, I’ve shared a little more about it here: https://stamarketingpr.com/about.

09/16/2026

🎨 Artists, here’s a really cool opportunity to get your work experienced in a whole new way!

The St. Augustine Art Association’s Tactile Art Show is inviting artists to submit work for an exhibit where visitors are encouraged to touch the art—something you don’t see every day.

It’s a unique opportunity to think beyond the traditional gallery experience, create something interactive, and connect with audiences in a completely different way.

If you’re an artist looking for a creative challenge, definitely check this one out! 👇

CALL FOR ART: Tactile Art Show ✍️
⏰Enter online by Monday, September 28, 3:00 PM

October is National Sensory Processing Awareness Month, and the STAAA is once again hosting this exhibit with the Florida DeafBlind Association and the FSDB. Unlike most art exhibits, viewers-blind, visually impaired, or sighted– are invited to touch the artwork! Sponsored in part by The Eye Center of St. Augustine.✨

🖼️You may submit THREE (3) original 2D or 3D works in any medium, subject, or style. Flat or low-texture pieces are not recommended. Works may not have sharp edges, broken or fragmented glass pieces, protruding wire, rough wood, etc.
📏2D works may be no larger than 60 inches wide by 60 inches high, including the frame.
🏺3D works may be no larger than 18 in x 18 in x 18 in to fit on a pedestal; 60in high x 36in x 36in for free-standing 3D art.

📲Enter through this link that is also in our bio: https://staaa.org/cfa-tactile-art-show/

09/14/2026

It's September, which means Q4 planning season just started whether you meant to kick it off or not.

If "hire a marketing agency" has been on your to-do list for a while, here's the guide before you sign anything. We break down what a real agency should offer, the questions to ask, the red flags to run from, and why the right agency tells you what you actually need instead of just selling you everything.

Read it here:

Thinking about hiring a marketing or PR agency? Get the questions to ask, red flags to avoid, and what actually drives cost before you sign.

09/11/2026

9/11. Never forget.

It's a tagline that never needed a marketing plan. No agency dreamed it up, no focus group tested it. Because those of us who lived through it don't forget. We can't. We remember exactly where we were.

I was sitting in the PR agency I worked for, the morning news on like it was every day. Then I heard it, real panic in the anchor's voice, and walked out just in time to watch the second plane hit.

Twenty-five years on, that morning is still that close for a lot of us.

But here's what's different now: there's a generation who wasn't alive for it, and another who was too young to remember. For them, 9/11 isn't a memory. It's a chapter in a history book, if it's covered at all.

So today isn't just about our own remembering. It's about telling it, to kids, to coworkers, to anyone who'll listen, so the weight of that day doesn't fade into a date on a calendar.

To the families who lost someone: your loss doesn't get quieter with time, and we see that.

To the first responders, then and now, who ran toward danger while everyone else ran away: thank you doesn't cover it, but it's what we've got.

Never forget. Let's make sure we mean it by making sure others get the chance to remember too.

09/08/2026

Tune in to the Food Network this Sunday to watch St. Augustine's Nils Rowland of Crème de la Cocoa compete once again! 🎃 💀

Halloween Wars is BACK! And we're beyond excited to watch competing in Season 16: Back From the Dead.

This season is on a whole different level. The best pumpkin carvers, cake artists, and sugar artists from across the country are coming together for the ultimate Halloween showdown.

Season 16 premieres Sunday, September 13th on 📺 Mark your calendars, gather your Halloween crew, and get ready... 🔪🎃

09/04/2026

The St. Augustine Society is in the running—and we need your vote!

The St. Augustine Society has been named a finalist for a 2027 Chick-fil-A® True Inspiration Regional Award and is the only Florida-based organization among the finalists in the Southeast.

That’s a big deal for our community. ❤️

The St. Augustine Society helps local individuals, youth, and families experiencing hunger and housing instability through its innovative “From Hunger to Housing” approach.

The organization is now competing for an additional $200,000 to expand its food infrastructure and reach even more people in our community.

🗳️ Voting is open through September 30.

You can cast one vote through the Chick-fil-A app. It takes just a few minutes, but the impact could be huge.

👉 Open the Chick-fil-A app and vote for the St. Augustine Society today!

Let’s show the Southeast how our community can come together to support a local organization doing important work. 💙

09/02/2026

September is OUR month! 🎉🌴 Check out all the awesome opportunities, special offers, and deals waiting for you throughout the month. Let’s get out and enjoy everything our community has to offer! 💙

September is locals month in St. Augustine, Florida! St. Johns County residents can enjoy discounts on admission.

OLD TOWN TROLLEY
St. Johns County residents can ride the Old Town Trolley free this September. 🚃✨ Valid Sept. 1-30 (not valid Sept. 4-7). Hear the stories of the Nation’s Oldest City told by guides who know it best.
RSVP HERE: https://bit.ly/4604Y7f

WHETSTONE CHOCOLATES
Whetstone is inviting residents in St. Johns, Putnam & Flagler Counties to experience a Whetstone Chocolates Tasting Tour for FREE!

📅 September 2026 only — Sunday through Friday (black out dates on Labor Day weekend)
📍 Whetstone Chocolates
139 King Street
St. Augustine, Florida
🪪 Valid local ID required upon arrival (St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam County)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Up to 2 kids per adult
🎟️ Use promo code: LOCALSFREE2026 at WhetstoneChocolates.com
🚨Blackout Dates - Labor Day Weekend Saturday & Sunday

VILLA ZORAYDA MUSEUM
St. Johns County residents get 50% off regular museum admission year-round. Please show ID with local address.

FLORIDA WATER TOURS
During September, residents from Duval, St. Johns, and Flagler Counties will receive 25% off Dolphin & Wildlife Adventure, Sunset Cruise, and Moonlit Mysteries: Haunted History Boat Tour experiences. Use code SJC25 during checkout. You must bring a valid photo ID with you during check-in. Book your next cruise at floridawatertour.com

SPANISH MILITARY HOSPITAL MUSEUM
St. Johns County residents with ID receive 50% off regular adult and child admission year-round. This September, residents also will get 10% off items in the gift shop for locals.

THE SPICE & TEA EXCHANGE
Free tote bag when residents spend $10 in store. Please show local ID.

OLDEST HOUSE MUSEUM COMPLEX
St. Johns County Residents receive 1/2 price admission year-round at the Oldest House Museum Complex, 14 Saint Francis St. Bring a valid photo ID showing a St. Johns County address.

OLDEST WOODEN SCHOOL HOUSE
Free admission for St. Johns County residents year-round. Please show ID with local address.

TOUR ST. AUGUSTINE
For ALL of September and October, PRIVATE Original Ghostly Experience Walking Tours (up to 25 people) are $100 OFF. Book at GhostToursofStAugustine.com with spooky code GHOST100.

CITY GATE SPIRITS
$5 tasting tours are available daily for everyone year-round.

COLONIAL QUARTER
The Colonial Experience Living History Tour offers a $3 discount to St. Johns County residents year-round.

FATHER MIGUEL O’REILLY HOUSE AND GARDENS
Free admission daily to everyone at 32 Aviles St

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
ountain of Youth Archaeological Park offers 1/2 price admission to St. Johns County residents with valid ID year round.

ALLIGATOR FARM
St. Johns County residents receive a 30% discount in September with valid ID at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.

ST. AUGUSTINE DISTILLERY
$5 distillery tours with tastings are available to everyone daily at the St. Augustine Distillery.

PIRATE MUSEUM
St. Johns County residents receive $3 off admission year-round at the St. Augustine Pirate Museum.

ST. AUGUSTINE SAILING
St. Johns County residents can enjoy a 10% discount on private day or sunset sails throughout September. Valid ID with St. Johns County address required to purchase. Please visit sta-sail.com

XIMENEZ-FATIO HOUSE MUSEUM
$5 audio tours for locals year-round, with a 20% discount on admission for St. Johns County residents (ID required) in September. This offer is good for the standard self-guided audio museum tour at the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum. Docent-led and specialty tours are not available with this offer.

ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE
Locals and everyone can enjoy discounted memberships year-round at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Details here: https://store.staugustinelighthouse.org/Memberships.aspx

GHOST TOURS OF ST. AUGUSTINE
St. Johns County residents (with ID) will receive $10 OFF per person on ALL ghost tours. This includes Ghostly Experience Lantern Lit Walking Tour, the city’s very first & ORIGINAL haunted history tour that started over 30 years ago. Normally priced at $25 per person, it’s only $15 per person.

The Creepy Crawl Haunted Pub Tour takes a more spirited looked into St. Augustine’s dark side EVERY Thursday, Friday, & Saturday night at 7 p.m. Normally priced at $25 per person it’s only $15 per person.

For those who want a more up close and personal experience with our spectral friends, the Paranormal Investigation of the Old Fort begins EVERY Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8:30pm. Normally priced at $35 per person, it’s now only $25 per person.

Residents will also receive a 10% discount on all merchandise in the Tour St. Augustine gift shop.

To receive the $10 off, please call 904-825-0087 for reservations or book online at GhostToursOfStAugustine.com
using the code FLR

09/01/2026

👨‍🍳🔥 Big news at Catch 27! Excited to see Sebastian Sikora take the helm as Executive Chef. We can't wait to see what he brings to the kitchen!