Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

What To Do for Mother’s Day in Jacksonville, Florida

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It’s an action-packed week with the Players Championship at  TPC Sawgrass, followed closely by everyone’s favorite celebration – Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday.  Then on Sunday it’s time for Mother’s Day.

Most people I’ve spoken to usually take Mom out for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Some moms with more than one child gets to go out and eat all day, the biggest problem seems to be to agree on who is handling what meal.  Keep in mind that some restaurants get really busy on Mother’s Day and opt for reservations.  But if you want to do something a little bit different this year without spending all your hard earned money,  stick with me.  I have found activities in Jacksonville both  you and your mother can enjoy.

Museum of Contemporary Art MOCA Jacksonville FloridaContemporary Art
Sunday is always “Family Free Sunday” at MOCA Jacksonville, so if your Mom likes art and you have a big group, a trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Jacksonville could just be the ticket. Also Cafe Nola has a special Mother’s Day Brunch which includes free mimosas. My mom would really enjoy that.   (Reservations are strongly suggested for Cafe Nola.
Visit www.MOCAjacksonville.org for more information.

Home & Garden Tour
The 32nd Annual Tour of Homes and Gardens in Springfield is going on all weekend. The tour takes you to some of the most beautiful historic homes in Springfield and the tour also includes tea in Henrietta’s Tearoom in the SPAR building, 1321 N Main Street.  If you like you can upgrade your ticket to include a dinner, which seems like it’s a really good deal.  Choose from 10 restaurants and bars in the Springfield area that will provide discounts. You will also receive a free beer from the Bier Garden during the Home Tour.
I would really enjoy that!

On Sunday May 9th the tour takes place from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm.

Driving Miss Daisy
Another way to see historic Springfield is to participate in the  historic bike tour.   My Mom is probably not that interested in riding her bike around Springfield – even though it’s a free tour –  so she’ll be relieved to know that the tour takes place already  on Saturday May 8th at 10:00 am.  A more suitable activity for my mother is to  sit down in the air conditioned theater with a nice cold Pepsi watching the play  “Driving Miss Daisy” by Stage Aurora.

This is a heart-warming story and I would enjoy the performance, but mom  would probably take it the wrong way and think I’m trying to point out how old she is.  Now when I think about it,  a better idea is to take mom to the Florida Theater where the king of blues himself, B.B.King, is performing.   He is 84 years old but still going strong, and he takes the stage at 8:00 pm on Sunday May 9th.    (For more information about B.B. King, click here)

Free Mother’s Day Concert at the Beach
I’d suggest heading to Jacksonville Beach on Mother’s Day.  Here you can enjoy a live performance with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra at Sea Walk Pavilion.  You can get everyone in the car and “drive your Miss Daisy” to Jax Beach for a great evening under the stars.  The event area opens at 5:00 pm.  At 5:45 pm Jacksonville Mass Choir performs To Michael with Love – The Songs of Michael Jackson. The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra takes the stage at 7:30 PM performing music from the movies, the opera, Broadway and the concert hall.  Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or a picnic blanket for mom to sit on.   You could even turn the whole Mother’s Day dinner into a outdoor picnic.  Gather the family, make a big outing and a great impression while saving money, after all this is a free concert.

For more information:

MOCA Jacksonville
333 North Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL, 32202
Ph: (904) 366-6911
www.MOCAjacksonville.org

Cafe Nola for reservations  (904) 366-6911, ext. 231

Tour of Homes and Gardens in Springfield
Friday May 7th & Saturday May 8th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunday May 9th from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm.
Call 904-353-7727 or visit www.sparcouncil.org for more information.

Springfield Historic Bike Tour
Saturday May 8th from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Bring your own bike and ride for free, or rent one for $25
www.e2ride.com

Stage Aurora
5164-A Norwood Ave, Jacksonville, Fl 32208 (click here for map)
Call 904.765.7372 or visit www.stageaurora.org

Florida Theater
128 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, Fl

www.floridatheatre.com

Pops at the Beach
Sea Walk Pavilion, Jacksonville Beach, Fl
Event Hotline (904) 247-6100 press 3
www.jacksonvillebeach.org

Springing the Blues Festival 2010 – Jacksonville Beach, Fl

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Springing The Blues is one of the most popular annual festivals in Jacksonville, Florida, every spring attracting somewhere around 125,000 blues fans. At this festival you will experience live performances on stage from some of the nation’s top Blues performers. Another plus in my book is the fact that Springing The Blues is a free outdoor blues music festival. The three-day oceanfront music festival takes place April 9 – 11, 2010, and  features a selection of blues performers as well as other activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Springing The Blues festival is held at Jacksonville Beach, Florida’s Oceanfront SeaWalk Pavilion.

Interesting Facts About the Festival:
• Downbeat Magazine has named Springing the Blues as one of the top 50 Music Festivals in the World
• SouthEast Tourism Society named the festival as one of the top 20 destination events in the U.S.
• Springing the Blues is known as Florida’s largest free outdoor blues festival.
• In 1997 the festival was voted as “Best Festival in Northeast Florida” by Folio Weekly Magazine’s annual poll.

Click here for the schedule of performances

This year the festival will take place on April 9-11 , 2010, at Seawalk Plaza, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

28th Annual Savannah Jazz Festival

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Savannah Jazz Festival takes over Savannah on September 20 – 27, 2009. The festival offers a wide variety of jazz, from Dixieland, traditional swing, straight-ahead and bop to melodic standards, Latin rhythms and funky down-home blues. The best in international, national, regional and local jazz talent will gather in Savannah, Georgia. There are many live performances, jam session and also film screenings. Free and open to the public.
912-675-5419
www.savannahjazzfestival.org

savannah-night

SUNDAY-SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
514 Martin Luther King Boulevard. Savannah, Georgia 31401. Phone: 912.231.2385

5:00 PM-KICK-OFF Jam Session located at Blowin’ Smoke.

MONDAY-SEPTEMBER 21, 2009
at Blowin’ Smoke, 514 Martin Luther King Boulevard. Savannah, Georgia 31401. Phone: 912.231.2385

7:00 PM Film (Directed by-Hannah Rothschild):The Jazz Baroness

TUESDAY-SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
at Blowin’ Smoke, 514 Martin Luther King Boulevard. Savannah, Georgia 31401. Phone: 912.231.2385

7:00 PM-Howard Paul


WEDNESDAY-SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
at Armstrong Atlantic State University
11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia 31419

7:00 PM-International Groove Conspiracy
8:00 PM-The FlyCats
9:00 PM-Longineu Parsons & Flight of the Vultures

THURSDAY-SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
Forsyth Park, 501 Whitaker St., Historic District, Savannah, GA, 31401

7:00 PM-Eric Culberson Blues Band
8:15 PM-Shane Pruitt Group
9:30 PM-Mose Allison- with Ben Tucker

FRIDAY-SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
Forsyth Park, 501 Whitaker St., Historic District, Savannah, GA, 31401

7:00 PM-Savannah Arts Academy SkyeLite Jazz Band
8:15 PM- Groove 8
9:30 PM-The University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of JB Scott, featuring Ed Calle

11pm After Festival Jam Session at Blowin’ Smoke

SATURDAY-SEPTEMBER 26, 2009
Forsyth Park, 501 Whitaker St., Historic District, Savannah, GA, 31401

3:00 PM-The Jazz Corner All-Stars
4:15 PM-J.B. Scott’s Swingin’ All-stars
5:30 PM-The CJA Hall of Fame All-Stars
7:00 PM-Grace Kelly
8:15 PM-Ben Riley Trio-featuring guitarist Jim Hall
9:30 PM-The Savannah Jazz Orchestra featuring Doug Carn with Oliver Nelson Jr.-Conducting
11pm After Festival Jam Session at Blowin’ Smoke


SUNDAY-SEPTEMBER 27, 2009
Forsyth Park, 501 Whitaker St., Historic District, Savannah, GA, 31401


Savannah Youth Jazz Festival
4:00 PM-Savannah Arts Academy SkyeLite Jazz Band
5:00 PM-Coastal Jazz Association All-Stars

City of Savannah, Georgia

Springing the Blues 2009 – Jacksonville Beach

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Springing The Blues is an annual festival drawing a crowd of approximately 125,000 blues fans to Jacksonville Beach. Here you can experience performances from some of the nation’s top Blues performers. Springing The Blues is a free outdoor blues music festival. The goal of the festival is to celebrate blues.  The three-day oceanfront music festival features a selection of blues performers as well as other  activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Springing The Blues festival is traditionally held at Jacksonville Beach, Florida’s Oceanfront SeaWalk Pavilion on the first weekend of April each year.

A Few Festival Facts:

• Downbeat Magazine named Springing the Blues as one of the top 50 Music Festivals in the World

• SouthEast Tourism Society named the festival as one of the top 20 destination events in the U.S.

• Springing the Blues is known as Florida’s largest free outdoor blues festival.

• In 1997 the festival was voted as “Best Festival in Northeast Florida” by Folio Weekly Magazine’s annual poll.

Past performers at the festival have included many famous musicians such as; Larry McCray, Phillip Walker, Tinsely Ellis, Saffire “The Uppity Blues Women,” Maurice John Vaughn, Earl King, Mitch Woods And His Rocket 88’s, Susan Tedeschi, North Mississippi Allstars, Tab Benoit, Little Jimmy King, Henry Gray and the Cats, Grammy Award winner Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Ruby Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Robert Jr. Lockwood, R. L. Burnside, Smoky Wilson, Coco Montoya, Smokin’ Joe Kubek and B’nois King.

This year the festival will take place on April 3-5 at Seawalk Plaza, Jacksonville Beach, Florida