List of attractions and events in Jacksonville, Florida

The city of Jacksonville, Florida and the Jacksonville metropolitan area host numerous events year-round. This listing includes the most notable of those events.

Annual events

Most events are coordinated through the City of Jacksonville, department of Recreation and Community Services.

January

• Gator Bowl

February

• Mardi Gras Jax

March

• Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
• Gate River Run
• Great Atlantic Seafood & Music Festival

April

• Blessing of the Fleet
• Jacksonville Jazz Festival
• Mandarin Art Festival
• One Spark
• Springing the Blues
• Starry Nights Concerts at Metropolitan Park
• Tree Hill Nature Center Butterfly Festival
• "Things We Don't Talk About - Women's Stories of the Red Tent" - Jacksonville premier
• Rockville

May

• Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival
• Jacksonville Film Festival
• Mug Race
• Memorial Day at the Veterans Memorial Wall
• The Players Championship
• World of Nations Celebration

July

• Freedom, Fanfare & Fireworks
• Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament
• Jacksonville Beach 4th of July Fireworks

October

• Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic
• Jacksonville Pride
• Jacksonville Sea & Sky Spectacular

November

• Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair (Jacksonville Fair)
• Jacksonville Light Parade
• Northeast Florida Veg Fest
• Planetfest

Churches

• Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
• Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
• Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
• First Church of Christ, Scientist
• Mount Zion AME Church
• Riverside Baptist Church
• St. Andrews Episcopal Church
• St. John's Cathedral

Event facilities

City owned

The city contracts with a company to manage and operate:

• Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville
• Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
• VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
• Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
• Ritz Theatre (Jacksonville)
• Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
  • Jacoby Symphony Hall - home of Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
  • Jim & Jan Moran Theater - featuring touring Broadway theatre

Each entity that rents the venue is responsible for the event's operations:

• Daily's Place Amphitheater
• Metropolitan Park
• Cecil Recreation Complex
  • Jacksonville Equestrian Center
  • Jacksonville Aquatics Center

Privately owned

• Adventure Landing
• Alhambra Dinner Theatre
• Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary
• Dave & Buster's
• Florida Theatre
• Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
• Jacksonville Fairgrounds & Exposition Center
• Jacksonville Landing
• Latitude 30
• Morocco Shrine Auditorium
• Riverside Theater
• Shipwreck Island
• St. Augustine Amphitheatre
• Theatre Jacksonville

Historic homes

• Epping Forest
• Henry John Klutho House
• Lane-Towers House
• Napoleon Bonaparte Broward House

Museums

• Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery
• Alexander Brest Planetarium
• Amelia Island Museum of History
• The Beaches Museum & History Center
• Black Heritage Museum
• Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park
• Castillo de San Marcos
• Jacksonville Fire Museum
• Clay County Historical Society Museum
• Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
• Fort Caroline National Memorial
• Fort Clinch State Park
• Jacksonville Maritime Museum
• Jacksonville University Life Sciences Museum
• Karpeles Manuscript Museum
• Kingsley Plantation
• LaVilla Museum
• Mandarin Museum
• Merrill House Museum
• Middleburg Historical Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville
• Museum of Science & History
• Museum of Southern History
• Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts
• Old Morocco Temple Building
• Old Jail Museum
• Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse
• Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park
• Potter's Wax Museum
• Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum
• St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
• St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine
• Spanish Military Hospital Museum
• University Gallery at University of North Florida
• Villa Zorayda
• World Golf Hall of Fame

Outdoor attractions

• The Atlantic Ocean at
  • Atlantic Beach, Florida
  • Jacksonville Beach, Florida
  • Neptune Beach, Florida
  • Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
• Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens
• Jacksonville Riverwalk
  • Friendship Fountain
• Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
• Palm and Cycad Arboretum
• St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
• St. Augustine Lighthouse
• Treaty Oak
• Tree Hill Nature Center

Parks

Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing facilities and services at more than 337 locations on more than 80,000 acres (320 km²) located throughout the city. Several are located on the St. Johns River or have beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, such as Hanna Park. In addition to municipal parks, there are ten state parks and five national facilities in the area. Jacksonville is home to the world's oldest continually-operated skatepark, Kona Skatepark.

State

• Amelia Island State Park
• Anastasia State Park
• Big Talbot Island State Park
• Fort Clinch State Park
• Fort George Island Cultural State Park
• George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park
• Little Talbot Island State Park
• Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park
• Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park
• Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park

National

• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
• Fort Caroline National Memorial
• Fort Matanzas National Monument
• Jacksonville National Cemetery
• Kingsley Plantation

Shopping venues

• Avenues Mall
• Jacksonville Landing
• Regency Square Mall
• River City Marketplace
• St. Augustine Outlet Mall
• St. Johns Town Center

Sports facilities

Baseball

• Alexander Brest Field - home of the Jacksonville Dolphins
• Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville - home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• Harmon Stadium - home of the North Florida Ospreys

Basketball

• VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena - home of the Jacksonville Giants
• Swisher Gymnasium - home of the Jacksonville Dolphins
• UNF Arena - home of the North Florida Ospreys

Football

• Bolles School Stadium - home of the Jacksonville Dixie Blues
• D. B. Milne Field - home of the Jacksonville Dolphins
• EverBank Field - home of the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Hodges Stadium - home of the North Florida Ospreys and Jacksonville Axemen
• VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena - home of the Jacksonville Sharks

Golf

The Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area boasts 64 golf courses, of which 18 are public, 18 are semi-private, 15 are private and 13 are resort courses. All are within a one-hour drive of downtown Jacksonville.

Soccer and rugby

• Hodges Stadium - home of the North Florida Ospreys and Jacksonville Axemen

Other

• Cecil Recreation Complex
  • Cecil Aquatics center
  • Cecil Equestrian center
  • Cecil Fastpitch Softball
• Jacksonville Ice - home of the Jacksonville RollerGirls
• VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena - home of the Jacksonville Icemen

References