With the arrival of warm weather, arrive the outdoor festivals and events. The biggest and most popular festival is our Shrimp Festival also known as the Isle of 8 flags Shrimp Festival which will be taking place May 4th – 6th.
The festival celebrates its rich history which you can read in detail by clicking on this Link
but it also celebrates the fact that Amelia Island is the birth place of the modern shrimping industry. How do you celebrate that? you might ask… with an action event packed festival. There will be pageants, live music, a kid zone, a shrimp drop, decorated shrimp boat parade, a pirate takeover and lots of shrimp of course. The downtown will be transformed into an arts, crafts and food truck market. And yes there will be fireworks – we are celebrating after all.
Before I get to the Shrimp Festival details, let me introduce you to a few events that will be taking place in April.
Pictured: Grapefruit tree in full bloom
ExZOOberation 2018: Masquerade Soiree and After Dark party
Date: Saturday, April 7th
Time: 6:30pm – Midnight
Venue: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Address: 370 Zoo Pkwy. Jacksonville FL 32218
Cost: Tickets are starting at $125.00 per person
Contact: 904 – 757 – 4463
This is the 23rd year the Jacksonville Zoo is hosting this event benefiting the Jacksonville Zoo and gardens and has a different theme each year. I have been at the Jacksonville Zoo recently and you can really see how much care and work is put into this amazing place. The animals are happy and well taken care of and new exhibits are added constantly, not to mention that I got to see a 2 day old giraffe. This particular event is compiled of 2 separate events, the Masquerade Soiree and the After Dark party.
Pictured: Flamingos at the Jacksonville Zoo
Masquerade Soiree Details:
The Soiree will take place in the Gardens of Trout River from 6:30pm – 10:30pm; this event is $200.00 per person to attend and includes VIP animal encounters, live music and entertainment, catered buffet with an open bar and a silent auction.
The $200.00 ticket also gets you in to the After Dark Party.
After Dark Party:
Starts at 8pm, and will be held in the Range of the Jaguar; tickets are $125.00 per person. You can dance the night away to DJ Vic Micolucci while sampling all kinds of delicious finger foods including Good Dough gourmet doughnut bar. Open bar is included.
The attire is monochromatic chick with beautiful and creative masks highly encouraged.
All of the ExZooberation events are produced by Sight and Sound productions; they truly put a lot of effort into every little detail. The photos below are from a past event which was Casino themed.
Pictured: Past ExZooBeration event, theme was Casino
Cottages and Courtyards Tour
Date: Saturday, April 14th
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach
Meet: Amelia Island Museum Of History
Address: 233 S 3rd St
Cost: $20.00
Contact: 904 – 261 – 7378 or go to www.ameliamuseum.org to purchase tickets
Surley you could just take a stroll Downtown Fernandina and see several historic homes as well as the courthouse and library and as much as we want you to appreciate those, you should really consider this tour. It will take you off Centre St and let you discover historic gems you might have missed on your own. Many of those homes were build in the early 1900’s and are all clustered new each other. It will be a celebration of Spring as participants enjoy the charm of criss crossing streets that lead them from cottage to cottage and trough the lovely garden courtyards.
Pictured: Historic Florida House Inn
2018 Spring Wine Festival
Date: Saturday, April 14th
Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Venue: Amelia Island Wine Company
Address: 4924 1st Coast Hgwy.
Cost: Tickets are $35.00 per person
Contact: 904 – 310 – 9255
The Wine Company puts on a lot of great events, we have featured them in the past such as last JUSTIN Wine Dinner; I have personally attended one of their weekly Wine Tastings and have been very impressed. It’s also a great opportunity to mingle with other Island Guests as well as Locals.
Tickets are $35.00 per person, you will be able to taste 60 different wines from around the world, guests will also get a complimentary glass of wine; Hors D’Oeuvres will be served.
55th Annual Isle Of 8 Flags Shrimp Festival
Date: May 4th – 6th
Time: All Day
Venue: Downtown Fernandina Beach
Cost: Free to attend
More Info: http://www.shrimpfestival.com/
Fernandina beach is the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry so naturally we have a festival that celebrates everything shrimp and much more.
In the words of Marlene Schang who is the director and curator of the Amelia Island Museum Of History; “We live with our history and celebrate it.”
An important part is preparation; what you want to keep in mind is that this is an outdoor event spread out throughout Downtown Fernandina Beach. Make sure to wear sun screen as well as bring extra with you. There will be plenty of food and beverage booths however having a refillable bottle of water has never failed anyone.
There will be a Kids Fun Zone set up so this truly is an event for all ages.
Vendors will include food trucks, antiques, local arts and crafts and fine art; there will be attractions such as a pirate takeover, pageants, the blessing of a decorated shrimp boat, a parade and fireworks of course and even a 5K shrimp run.
To download the full schedules please click here.
