Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

The Riverside Arts Market – Jacksonville, Florida

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The Riverside Arts Market had its Grand Opening in April. This riverfront artists’ market was visited by over 40,000 people on the first day, so this market to be one of the hot spots to visit in downtown Jacksonville.

Riverside Arts marketThe market takes place on Saturdays from 10 am – 4 pm beneath the Fuller Warren Bridge. The market features the work of 160 artists, accompanied by musical entertainment, street performers, food vendors, and a fresh produce market.

Click here for more information about the Riverside Arts Market.

Top Chefs Come to Jacksonville, Florida

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Two of the Bravo Channels Top Chef’testants from the popular show Top Chef are coming to Jacksonville for an exclusive cooking demonstration. The two chefs are Richard Blais and Sandee Birdsong.
This will take place at Hemming Plaza, 117 W Duval Street, Jacksonville.

Look for the big trailer!
Thursday April 9 at 10.30 am, 12.00 and 1.30 pm
Top Chef

Spring Into Bloom – Jacksonville Zoo

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This weekend the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has its third annual spring plant festival, Spring Into Bloom on April 11-12, 2009. There will be lots of plants and arts and crafts vendors throughout the Zoo. You also get a chance to talk directly with Zoo Horticulture staff in the Zoo gardens, including the new Asian Bamboo Garden.  There will also be a special children’s area with an inflatable slide, bounce house and crafts as well as live entertainment and prize drawings!

For more information, visit www.jacksonvillezoo.org


First Wednesday Artwalk on April 1, 2009 – Jacksonville, Florida

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Come to downtown Jacksonville for a fun-filled April Fool’s Day Art Walk. This event takes place on the first Wednesday of the month. Headquarters for the art walk is 100 North Laura Street in downtown where you can pick up your map.

This is a self guided art walk. (You can also click here to download the pdf map directly.)

Special for this week:

Participate in Paint Downtown. There is a streetscape improvement project at the corner of Laura and Adams Street. The Downtown Vision and AIGA are providing paint and canvas. Let the artist in you come out and have fun. There will even be live music at the street corner!

Main Library has a Big Read event. The big read is The Big Snowy Day so the library has been transformed into the Yukon. You can go rock climbing, pan for gold and supposedly even play in real snow…

And after 9 p.m the Art Walk afterparty kicks off at The Ivy Ultra Bar. Just turn in your flyer at the door for a free complimentary drink (if over 21 years of age).

For more information visit www.downtownjacksonville.org

Slow Food First Coast Hosts “Meal and a Movie Night” – Jacksonville

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Slow Food First Coast is hosting a “Meal and a Movie Night” on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center at 6 PM.  The event will coincide with both Earth Day festivities and the celebration of Women’s History Month.  The meal will feature an all-vegetarian buffet of fresh, local produce catered by Johnny’s Kitchen of Hastings, followed by a pre-release limited screening of “A Sense of Wonder,” a documentary style film about Rachel Carson’s pioneering work as the founder of the contemporary environmental movement.  Cost for the event is $20 and tickets may be purchased by calling (904) 692-1800 weekday mornings.  Seating is limited.  The film is only being shown in a small number of communities across the country.

“What better way to celebrate both Earth Day and the contribution of women to our society than to eat a delicious, local, vegetarian meal where the produce was pulled from the ground that very morning and follow it up with a fascinating film about Rachel Carson?” remarked Slow Food First Coast leader Richard Villadóniga.  “This event is a celebration not only of how far we have come as a society, but where we are headed.  Rachel Carson was ahead of the curve, but today, right here in St. Johns County, people are doing tremendous things to protect our natural resources and the future is bright.”

According to the film’s website, “A Sense of Wonder” is “an intimate and poignant reflection of Carson’s life as she emerges as America’s most successful advocate for the natural world” as she battled cancer in her final year of life.   The film was shot in HD by Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler at Carson’s cottage on the coast of Maine.  For more information regarding this remarkable film, visit http://www.asenseofwonderfilm.com/.

Slow Food First Coast is a non-profit organization that promotes local food production, the preservation of our community’s culinary and cultural heritage, and public education and discourse on a system of food production and consumption that supports equity, sustainability, and quality.  Slow Food is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.  For more information visit www.slowfoodusa.org.