ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Visitors and residents in the Nation's Oldest City may do a double-take if they notice something unusual on the face of St. Augustine's historic lighthouse landmark.
A pair of 16-foot white mustaches appeared late Wednesday afternoon on the lighthouse observation deck 145 feet off the ground. The two icons are a welcome sign for bands and fans descending on St. Augustine this weekend for the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Tour.
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"This music festival is a huge moment for St. Augustine," said Executive Director Kathy A. Fleming. "We wanted to show our support for all the work the city is doing to put on the event and for the bands and visitors who are traveling to St. Augustine from all over the world. The lighthouse is such a big part of the local landscape, what better place to feature a sign that welcomes everyone to St. Augustine for this special weekend?"
By Thursday morning, the mustaches were already drawing crowds along A1A as cars stopped to grab a photo of the unique additions to the 1874 tower structure. Made from corrugated plastic sheets, each mustache measures sixteen feet across and about four feet high.
Lighthouse staff designed, cut and carried the enormous facial features up all 219 steps of the tower and affixed them to the railing. One looks south along A1A and the other faces north toward the city where 25,000 fans will pack into the Special Events Field Friday and Saturday for the festival.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum is featured on the list of shuttle perks for visitors riding the special events shuttle this weekend. By showing their shuttle wristband guests can receive 10% off admission.
The lighthouse's Dark of the Moon paranormal tour was also tapped as a "fringe" event where festival goers can have their Gentlemen of the Road passports stamped after enjoying the special guided tour of the lighthouse after dark. Passports with stamps from six or more fringe events qualify to enter a contest held by the Gentlemen of the Road festival.
The lighthouse mustaches will stay in place until Monday, providing plenty of photo opportunities from the ground and in the tower for guests and residents of the city celebrating this special event weekend.
The two-day music festival features Mumford and Sons, fun and nearly a dozen other bands on the main concert stage, and dozens more groups performing at smaller stages set up across the city.