What's On in Jacksonville
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Jacksonville, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Things to do in Jacksonville this weekend, Oct. 16 to 18
Spooktacular at the Zoo all weekend, the Smashing Pumpkins and Outlander in Concert Saturday, the Icemen's opening night and a two-day pet adoption event.
Coming up
The full month- Now through March 7 The American Century: Works from MOCA's Permanent Collection
- Now through Feb. 28 MJ Torrecampo: Cut the Fruit
- Now through Nov. 7 13th Floor Jacksonville haunted house
- Now through Nov. 8 Meet Me in St. Louis
- Now through March 21 Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai
- Now through Oct. 31 Spooktacular at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
- Thu. Oct. 15 Ghoulish Gallery and Garden Night
- Fri. Oct. 16 Jacksonville Icemen vs. South Carolina Stingrays, opening night
- Oct. 16 to 17 Jacksonville Symphony: Bernstein and Stravinsky
- Fri. Oct. 16 Rumours of Fleetwood Mac
- Sat. Oct. 17 LaVilla Remembered Walking Tour
- Oct. 17 to 18 Go Big and Go Home Together Adoption Event
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Jacksonville Fourth of July fireworks 2026
Jacksonville's free July 4 celebration fills both riverbanks downtown, with one fireworks show seen from Riverfront Plaza, Friendship Fountain and RiversEdge Park.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Jacksonville 2026
Jacksonville has no official trick-or-treat hours; Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. The city's free trunk-or-treat, Treats at the Plaza, runs 1 to 5 p.m.
Spring break
Spring break in Jacksonville 2027: school dates, camps, beaches
Duval County Public Schools' spring break is March 15-19, 2027, with schools also closed Good Friday, March 26. JaxParks camp, beaches and the Zoo.
Easter
Easter in Jacksonville 2027: egg hunts, brunch and services
Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28. The city's free Riverfront Palooza egg hunt hid 15,000 eggs in 2026; 2027 date to come. Mass times and what is closed.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Jacksonville 2027: brunch, events, gift markets
Mother's Day 2027 is Sunday, May 9. In 2026 the Jacksonville Zoo let moms in free and held Art in the Garden; plus the Cummer gardens and the Saturday market.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Jacksonville 2027: ceremony, pools, closures
Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. The city's observance at the Veterans Memorial Wall, pool opening weekend, what is closed and trash pickup.
Summer camps
Summer in Jacksonville 2027: camps, pools and splash pads
JaxParks summer camp, 31 city pools, 18 splash pads and swim lessons: 2026 dates, fees and registration, kept until the 2027 schedule is posted.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Jacksonville 2027: events, car shows, brunch
Father's Day 2027 is Sunday, June 20, the day after Juneteenth. Zoo deals from past years, pools, the Saturday market and where to find brunch.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Jacksonville 2027: events, closures, trash pickup
Labor Day 2027 is Monday, Sept. 6. Trash runs as normal, city offices close, and in 2026 the Zoo's 904 Weekend took $9.04 off admission over the long weekend.
Christmas
Jacksonville tree lighting and boat parade: Nov. 28, 2026
Holiday River Fest is Saturday, Nov. 28: the tree lights at 6:25 p.m. at Riverfront Plaza, the Light Boat Parade starts at 6:30 and fireworks follow.
Fall festivals
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches in Jacksonville 2026
The Jacksonville Arboretum's first Family Fall Fest has a pumpkin patch Oct. 25; the Zoo's Spooktacular runs 12 nights; the Jacksonville Fair is Nov. 5-15.
Halloween
Halloween events in Jacksonville 2026
Halloween 2026 in Jacksonville: Spooktacular at the Zoo, 13th Floor haunted house, Treats at the Plaza Oct. 31 and free nights at the Cummer Museum.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Jacksonville 2026: turkey trot, closures, trash
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Thursday trash moves to Saturday, Nov. 28. UF Health's Turkey Trot 5K, city closures and Holiday River Fest.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Jacksonville 2026
Black Friday is Nov. 27, 2026, Small Business Saturday Nov. 28. Where to check mall holiday hours, the RAM Holiday Market and Santa's arrival nearby.
Christmas lights
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Jacksonville 2026
Glowing Gardens at the Arboretum Nov. 27 to Jan. 3, Deck the Chairs at the beach, Symphony Holiday Pops and Nutcracker, Santa and Hanukkah dates.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Jacksonville 2026: fireworks and Gator Bowl
The city's midnight fireworks over the St. Johns River, last year's road and bridge closures, the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30 and what is closed Jan. 1, 2027.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Jacksonville 2027: events and date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday. The Symphony's Valentine's Arias by Candlelight is Feb. 11; plus the Cummer Museum, concerts and date ideas.
Brunch
Brunch in Jacksonville: 8 places with weekend brunch hours
Weekend brunch in Jacksonville at eight restaurants, with days, hours and addresses from each one's own site: Riverside, Avondale, San Marco and Southside.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Jacksonville: dog parks, patios, beaches, leash rules
Jacksonville's eight city dog parks with addresses, which beaches allow dogs, two brewery beer gardens that welcome them, and the license and leash rules.
Kids
Kids' activities in Jacksonville: playgrounds, story times, rainy days
Playgrounds, 18 city splash pads, free library story times at 21 locations, the Zoo and rainy-day picks for Jacksonville kids, from official pages.
Trails
Jacksonville walking and biking trails: rail trail, riverwalks
The 14.5-mile Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail, the riverwalks, 20-plus miles of bike trails at Hanna Park and the Emerald Trail, with trailheads and rules.
Downtown Jacksonville
A guide to downtown Jacksonville: parks, theaters, parking
Downtown Jacksonville: Riverfront Plaza, the riverwalks, MOCA, the Florida Theatre, First Wednesday Art Walk, free weekend street parking and the free Skyway.
Live music
Live music and nightlife in Jacksonville: venues and links
Jacksonville's concert halls, theaters, music venues, rooftop and brewery spots, with addresses and official links, plus free Art Walk and MOCA nights.
Free
Free things to do in Jacksonville: parks, museums, trails, events
Free in Jacksonville: Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation, MOCA on Saturdays, the riverwalks, Treaty Oak, Art Walk, splash pads, dog parks and library events.
Date night
Date night in Jacksonville: restaurants, shows, late openings
Date night in Jacksonville: dinner spots with hours from their own sites, the Florida Theatre and Symphony, candlelit concerts and museums open late.
Veterans Day
Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade: route, road closures, parking
Jacksonville's Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, on Water Street and runs 1.32 miles down Bay Street. Free.
Gate River Run
Gate River Run 15K: 2027 date, course, parking, fees
The 50th Gate River Run 15K is Saturday, March 6, 2027, starting 8 a.m. at Ford on Bay downtown. 15K entry is $66.18 through Dec. 31, fees included.
Jacksonville Jazz Festival
Jacksonville Jazz Festival: dates, stages, parking, what to bring
The free Jacksonville Jazz Festival is held Memorial Day weekend downtown. 2026 ran May 21-24 at Ford on Bay; 2027 dates are not announced yet.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Jacksonville: lists by category
Every Jacksonville eating list in one place: wings, pizza, tacos, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, sushi, ice cream, bakeries and patios.
Wings
Where to get wings in Jacksonville: Southside, Westside and Northside
Five wing places at 18 locations inside Jacksonville, on Southside Boulevard, Atlantic and Beach boulevards, Normandy Boulevard and the Northside.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Jacksonville: Mandarin, San Marco and Southside
Eleven pizza places at 16 locations inside Jacksonville, in Mandarin, San Marco, Riverside, the Southside, Bartram Park and the Westside.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Jacksonville
Twelve Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants and chains inside Jacksonville, from Riverside, San Marco and Mandarin to Baymeadows and Oakleaf.
Barbecue
Where to get barbecue in Jacksonville: San Marco, Avondale and more
Five barbecue restaurants at seven locations inside Jacksonville, in San Marco, Avondale, Mandarin, Atlantic Boulevard and the Westside.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Jacksonville: Riverside, San Marco and more
Ten breakfast and coffee places at 15 locations inside Jacksonville, in Riverside, Avondale, San Marco, Ortega, Baymeadows and Mandarin.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Jacksonville: Town Center, Southside and more
Six burger places at 21 locations inside Jacksonville, around the St. Johns Town Center, Baymeadows, Riverside, Mandarin and the Westside.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Jacksonville: Mandarin, Riverside
Thirteen sushi, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and ramen restaurants inside Jacksonville, in Mandarin, Riverside, Baymeadows and Oakleaf.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Jacksonville: San Marco, Avondale, Mandarin
Four ice cream, custard, Italian ice and dessert shops at 10 locations inside Jacksonville, in San Marco, Avondale, Mandarin and the Southside.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Jacksonville: Avondale, Mandarin, Southside and more
Five bakeries, doughnut and cake shops at 11 locations inside Jacksonville, in Avondale, Mandarin, the Southside, Bartram Park and the Westside.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Jacksonville: Riverside, San Marco
Eight Jacksonville restaurants and cafes whose own sites list a patio or courtyard, in Riverside, Brooklyn, Avondale, San Marco and the Southside.
Event news
Jacksonville Fair
Jacksonville Fair 2026: Nov. 5-15, gate times and concerts
The Jacksonville Fair runs Nov. 5-15 at 13601 Normandy Blvd. Gate times, $10 early tickets to Nov. 4, free senior and Veterans Day entry and every concert.
Florida-Georgia
Florida-Georgia game 2026: not in Jacksonville this year
Florida and Georgia play at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in Atlanta, not Jacksonville, during EverBank Stadium's rebuild. The game comes back here in 2028.
Arts
Arts and exhibitions in Jacksonville: October 2026
Arts in Jacksonville: Cummer's Tiffany show opens Oct. 24, Cara Romero at MOCA, Come From Away from Nov. 7, Mahler's Ninth Nov. 6-7 and the Nov. 4 Art Walk.