Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Armed Forces Day at Jacksonville Landing

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Armed Forces Day Concert at the Jacksonville Landing

On Saturday, May 21, 2011, Armed Forces Day is celebrated with a special joint concert with First Coast Wind Ensemble and Navy Band South East. The concert takes place  at 4:00 p.m. at the Jacksonville Landing.

The Navy Band Southeast is led by Musician First Class Jose Acosta USN. The performance includes military and patriotic music and video presentations that pay tribute to the brave men and women who serve our country in all our uniformed services.

First Coast Wind Ensemble
First Coast Wind Ensemble

First Coast Wind Ensemble and Navy Band Southeast
Captain Jeffrey Maclay USN, Commanding Officer, NAS Jacksonville
Saturday, May 21 @ 4:00 p.m.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Captain Jeffrey Maclay USN, Commanding Officer of NAS Jacksonville. The concert will include the Presentation of Colors by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary Honor Guard and the singing of the National Anthem by vocalist Laurie Orth.

The program will feature vignettes by the Jacksonville Historical Society’s Executive Director Emily Lisska, who will highlight the role of Jacksonville’s service personnel during the different phases of World War II. The Landing’s jumbo tron will bring photos from the war period, most never publicly shown before.

The 60-member First Coast Wind Ensemble is an organization of community musicians led by principal conductor Artie Clifton and associate conductor Don Reynolds. The organization is celebrating its 21st season of concerts offered as a cultural service to the greater Jacksonville area.

First Wednesday Art Walk – May 4, 2011

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The weather is gorgeous in Florida right now. This week it’s time again for the artwalk in downtown Jacksonville, Fla. Bring your whole gang for a fun night out on the town. The whole downtown area comes alive when  art galleries and other venues stay open for the First Wednesday Art walk.

Visit our special events page for the downloadable and printable pdf. You can also watch our video from the art walk in Jacksonville.

First Wednesday Art Walk in Jacksonville

 

Other Jacksonville posts to read:

Remember, Mother’s Day is coming up and if you haven’t made plans yet – read Joe’s article about Mother’s Day in Jacksonville

 

Things To Do Amelia Island May 2011

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FODfest (May 6-7)
A special fundraising event, FODfest offers the community free, public concerts that bring together diverse groups of artists and audiences. FODfest offers, school programs, and multimedia productions that promote its community-building mission. For additional information, visit www.fodfest.org.

Butterflies are Free Breakfast, Author Talk, and Butterfly Release (May 10)
New York Times best-selling author Mary Alice Monroe has chosen Amelia Island to launch her latest book, “The Butterfly’s Daughter”.  A breakfast and author talk will be followed by a release of monarch butterflies, coordinated by volunteers from Wild Amelia Nature Festival. Tickets are $50 and include a signed copy of the book. Tickets can be purchased at Red Otter Outfitters and the Golf Club of Amelia Island after March 15, or by contacting Dickie Anderson (904) 556-6455. The event will benefit the Wild Amelia Nature Festival.

Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival (May 20-June 19)
The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival will showcase world-class artists performing classical music in intimate and historic settings on Amelia Island. The festival is dedicated to bringing a wide variety of chamber music at the highest level, with performances by the Tokyo String Quartet, Louciana Souza, violinist Rachel Barton Pine, eighth blackbird, classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, and many more. The festival offers four free concerts, including the Air National Guard Band of the South performing a Splendor in the Brass concert. Other Festival highlights include two Candlelight Concerts at Fort Clinch State Park, the more informal Beer and G Strings at the Palace Saloon, and La Tierra Prometida. Click here to read more about the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival

Wild Amelia Nature Festival (May 20-22)

The 2011 Wild Amelia Nature Festival invites residents and visitors to experience the wild side of Amelia Island. With more than 25 seminars and experiences, the three-day festival includes a Segway tour of Ft. George Island, kayaking the marshes along Ft. Clinch State Park, and exploration of bird habitats by bike. The festival also offers programs designed specifically for children, including a Kid’s Niche with hands-on nature activities. There will also be an EcoExpo with green and nature-based exhibitors, and a Silent Auction. For more information visit Wild Amelia Nature Festival

2011 Ed Gaw Amelia Island Open Water Challenge (May 28)
The Ed Gaw Amelia Island Open Water Challenge includes a 5K (3.1 miles) ocean swim. The event will take place at 8:30 a.m. at Main Beach. The cost to participate is $30. Participants can register online at www.active.com or at the Atlantic Avenue Recreation Center.


WWII Event (May 28-29)
Fort Clinch State Park will hold a Memorial Weekend program in honor of the men and women who served in World War II.  Visitors can explore military displays, view memorabilia, and learn about the uniforms, weapons, vehicles, and lifestyle of those who were part of the war during the 1940’s.  The event will take place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  For details, call (904) 277-7274 or visit www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch.

Keith Urban in Jacksonville

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Keith Urban is coming to the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 17, 2011 at 7:30 pm.

Below you can watch his music video for “Without You”.

This is going to be a popular concert in Jacksonville, so if you want to go and see Keith Urban live, don’t wait.

Get your tickets here…

 

 

Fun Things To Do in St. Augustine, Fl – April 28 – May 1, 2011

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GAMBLE ROGERS FOLK FESTIVAL
This weekend you can listen to the best in folk and Americana music at this three-day Gamble Rogers Folk festival in downtown St. Augustine. Starting Friday April 29, 2011.

 

LIVING HISTORY DAYS AT FORT MOSE

On Saturday April 30, 2011 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m you can meet real-life St. Augustine’s 1740 residents, Los Presidiales de San Agustín. Fort Mose was established back in 1738. It is the site of the first, legally-sanctioned free black settlement in the continental U.S.  The re-enactors portraying townsfolk will present 18th-century Living History Day programs at the fort. Fort Mose State Park is located at 15 Fort Mose Trail in St. Augustine. Admission is $2 per person. For more information, call 904.823.2232 or visit www.floridastateparks.org/fortmose.

 

UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT

On Saturday April 30, 2011, from 5 to 9 p.m., you can experience a fun, Uptown Saturday night  in downtown St. Augustine along galleries, antique stores and unique shops on St. Augustine’s San Marco Avenue between Ripley’s Museum and the Mission Nombre de Dios. Read more here about Uptown Saturday Night in St. Augustine, Florida.
RUBBER DUCK RACE Don’t miss the rubber duck for a good cause at the Sixth Annual Rubber Duck Race to fight cancer. Presented by the American Cancer Society, the race will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. Johns County Pier Park and Pavilion in St. Augustine Beach. For more information, call 903.307.3638.

MENORCAN DAY TEA

On Sunday May 1, 2011, from 2 to 4 p.m. you can learn about unique Menorcan customs while enjoying a traditional Menorcan tea hosted by three natives who can trace their heritage back through nearly 445 years of St. Augustine history and into antiquity in Spain. These heritage natives portray the city’s Spanish Royal Family – Queen Maria Anna, her son King Carlos, and her daughter Princess Margarita Maria – the royal family of Spain during the construction of the city’s Castillo de San Marcos.  
For more information, call 904.824.4991.

 

EMMA FREE CONCERT

How about a free concert? Violist Jorge Peña Portillo has performed with the National Orchestra Institute, Washington D.C., the Grand Teton Music Festival, Jackson Hole, WY and others and was the Assistant Principal Violist for both the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. The free concert takes place on Sunday May 1, 2011, at 2 p.m. in the Flagler College Auditorium, 14 Granada Street in St. Augustine. For more information, call 904.797.2800 or visit www.EMMAConcerts.com.