The Minorcan Experience — 2026

The Minorcan Experience presents St. Augustine's Minorcan heritage with a month of activities in historic downtown from March 1 through 28, 2026.

The largest event is the Menorcan Heritage Celebration, hosted by the Menorcan Cultural Society, on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

• Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Menorcan Heritage Celebration, featuring foods, books, and cultural demonstrations. For more about the Menorcan Heritage Celebration, go here.
  • Where: Llambas House, 31 St. Francis Street

The Minorcan Experience presents three additional free activities in March:

• Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., historian David Nolan, author of The Houses of St. Augustine, presents a discussion focusing on Minorcan structures, "Minorcan Buildings and Builders."
  • Where: Alcazar Room, 75 King Street, St. Augustine, 32084. This room is accessed from the courtyard at the Lightner and is on the ground level.
• Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., tours of the Fr. Miguel O'Reilly House Museum, featuring information on the daily life of the sisters who lived there. The full tour includes stairs to the second floor. If you can't easily negotiate them, the first floor and gardens are still worth a visit.
  • Where: Fr. Miguel O'Reilly House Museum, 32 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., a tour of the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, featuring information on Juan Genopoly, who started a school to teach reading and writing to children of the Minorcan Quarter.
  • Where: Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, 14 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Admission: All events are FREE and open to the public.

When: March 7 through March 28, 2026, at various times.

Where: Locations vary by event. 

Minorcan History

The term "Minorcan" describes the group of Mediterranean people (about 1,400 in all) who came to British East Florida in the late 18th century to work as indentured servants on a plantation settlement in New Smyrna. Many of these were actually from the island of Minorca. They were joined by many others who were from other Mediterranean towns and regions, including Greeks, Italians, Corsicans, French, and Spanish.

Their first years in Florida were harsh, and their numbers decreased, but in 1777, they were granted a space to settle in the northwest section of the fledgling port town of St. Augustine. They have been an integral part of the nation's oldest city ever since.