History of the Festival

Forgotten over the years, the reason for this celebration was about January 1, 1863 when Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect and freed all enslaved peoples living in Union-occupied areas … which included St. Augustine – one of the few places in Florida to enforce emancipation during the Civil War.

According to eye witness Anne Murray – who was interviewed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) some seventy years after emancipation – “All the slaveholders were ordered to release their slaves and allow them to gather in a large vacant lot West of St. Joseph’s Academy where they were officially freed.” An estimated 672 slaves living in St. Augustine became freedmen at once and the parcel became known as “Liberation Lot”. These liberated men and women would become the founders of Lincolnville. In the decades that followed, their descendants celebrated the Anniversary of emancipation in jubilant fashion. Hence … Lincolnville Festival.

In 1979, the festival was reignited by the late businessman Christopher Lightburn (a famous alligator wrestler) and Jazz musician Doug Carn. Meant to be a jazz festival with the atmosphere of a block party, it was known as the Lincolnville Heritage Festival.  Washington Street was closed from Bridge to St. Francis Street. Local churches set up tables with food and pies; area vendors sold hand-made wares. A stage was put together in one of the empty lots where residents were treated to the talents of local performers.

Then, in the early 90’s. the festival was moved to Eddie Vickers Field where it could accommodate more people due to the increase in the festival’s popularity.

Under new organization, the event moved out of Lincolnville to Francis Field in 2010.  It featured national music acts like Kool & the Gang and The Blind Boys of Alabama.  Then, after celebrating 31 years, in 2011 the festival declined, stopping altogether.  Moving the festival turned out to be unsustainable.

After a three-year hiatus, the festival returned to Eddie Vickers Park in November of 2015. The Rev. Ron Rawls, pastor of St. Paul AME Church, along with several other members of the community…including Doug Carn, organized the 36th annual Lincolnville Festival. It featured local jazz, R&B, country and reggae bands, church choir groups, vendors and nonprofits.