Light Up the Night Contest Honors St. Augustine's Best Lighting Displays

Nights of Lights is easily one of the most magical times to visit historic St. Augustine. From the sidewalks to the treetops, every inch glows with millions of twinkly lights, making it the ultimate holiday destination for magic and cheer. Each year, in partnership with WSOS Radio, St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, Clipp Magazine, and Florida’s Historic Coast: St. Augustine & Ponte Vedra VCB, Old Town Trolley Tours recognizes the immense work it takes to make the city shine with its Light Up the Night Contest. Whether they take a trolley tour or enjoy the beauty of the city in another way, locals and visitors are invited to vote for their top three hospitality businesses’ lighting displays via an online voting platform. The 12th Annual Light Up the Night Contest Winners are the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront in First Place, the Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel in Second, and Raintree Restaurant in Third.

“The contest is a really fun way to bring together the hospitality industry through good-natured competition,” says Dave Chatterton, General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours®. “It engages our riders and showcases the hard work of our local businesses. We’re thrilled to recognize this year’s winners and even more excited to announce that we’ll be adding even more categories next year!”

The grounds and maintenance team at the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront took home the win with 1.4 million lights shining bright. Chief Engineer Leo Bopp said it took his team four months to decorate the hotel. He and his wife, Michelle, who also works at the hotel as a barista, do double duty as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, posing for photos with happy guests. Bopp says it’s worth it, as “Nights of Lights brings a lot of business and people to downtown.” With a mischievous smile, he added, “Congratulations, and good luck next year,” stoking the good-natured competition with second place winners, the Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel. The Renaissance’s Chief Engineer Ryan Crawford said they spent $5,000 more in lights and decorations than the previous year, adding reindeer and Santa Claus photo opportunities. This is also the first year they decorated the backside of the hotel, illuminating all the way down to Grove Street. “We do it all ourselves without any outside help,” says Engineer Wayan Schader. Coming in at a close third is Raintree Restaurant. Owners Lorna MacDonald and Chris Cantabene accepted their award while awaiting the birth of their sixth grandchild. Lorna is very particular about her decorating aesthetic, preferring to keep it traditional over incorporating fads or trends. She does everything below ten feet herself but brings in Angels in the Architecture to do the trees. “We add something new each year to pump it up and keep it fresh,” says MacDonald.