Events & Festivals in Jacksonville

SEC and Big Ten helmets collide in an 80-year winter ritual. Pad cracks echo off Bay Street, tailgate smoke coils above the asphalt.

Hundreds of silk lanterns, dragons, jellyfish, sea turtles, burn against the night sky above the Fairgrounds. Ramen steam rises from food trucks, red-bean cakes cool on paper plates.

Local chefs sling cast-iron skillets and craft cocktails under beach string lights. Oysters spit over open coals, briny smoke threading the salt air.

Tall ships tie up at the Landing. Sailors knot ropes and chant sea songs. Blacksmith forge smoke drifts into river air.

Three days of bottleneck guitar and harmonica bounce off Atlantic dunes. Sand sneaks between your toes while you dance barefoot to afternoon sets on the beach stage.

Minor-league lights, $2 beer nights, Friday fireworks. Boiled-peanut steam drifts through humid air while kids hunt foul balls.

Shrimp boats line up for a priest's blessing at Mayport while crowds toss carnations into the water. Diesel fumes mingle with the scent of incense from the church boat.

Four straight evenings of tenor sax and upright bass curl along the Northbank Riverwalk. The main stage stares at the lit Main Street Bridge. Smaller clubs on Laura Street pour bourbon and swing until 2 a.m.

Thirty countries wheel out traditional dances and street eats. Curry drifts toward steel-drum beats outside the Ethiopian coffee tent.

Grown-ups-only nights at the Museum of Science & History roll monthly. Sip local brew while fondling meteorites and roaming glow-in-the-dark planetarium corridors.

Anglers heave 40-pound kingfish onto marina scales while diesel exhaust mingles with fresh bait and victory sweat.

Indoor football lights touchdown fireworks and blasts rock tracks between downs. Arena AC wrestles Florida humidity while concession nachos come piled high.

Five Rivers' indie cinema unspools cult classics at midnight. Truffle-popcorn perfume drifts through the retro auditorium as the projector clacks alive.

Shuttle buses link 15 breweries, each pouring exclusives. Hops perfume Intuition Ale Works while metal riffs rattle the warehouse.

Friday reggae sets roll on the Southbank Riverwalk as the skyline silhouette swallows the sun. Food-truck taco smoke drifts into river mist.

Pop-up German beer halls sprout under Memorial Park oaks. Bratwurst snaps on open grills, oompah bands lead singalongs under yellow bulbs.

College football's loudest cocktail party floods downtown with red-and-black jerseys. Whiskey breath and tailgate smoke hang over stadium lots from Thursday night.

The Orthodox church flips into a taverna: lamb on spits, honey-dripping baklava, ouzo flowing, dancers stomping the lawn platform.

Christmas-lit boats glide down the St. Johns while cocoa vendors patrol the Southbank boardwalk. Carols skip across black water.

Candlelight concerts pack Jacoby Hall with pine-scented garlands and velvet acoustics that lift every violin note into the rafters.