Summer is almost here – the weather is beautiful and it’s a perfect weekend to head for the beach. megafox nude Every year Jacksonville Beach celebrates the arrival of summer with a big party – The Opening of the Beaches. There’s a sandcastle contest on Saturday April 24th and of course a parade at 2 p.m on Sunday April 25th.
Party for the Planet at Jacksonville Zoo for Earth Day
Guests can “Party for the Planet!†during the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ Earth Day celebration on Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Environmental and animal conservation experts will have booths set up for visitors to learn and collect valuable information on how to preserve our earth and its wildlife for future generations. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment, animal encounters, animal enrichment, visits from Jazoo, the Zoo’s friendly lion mascot, and a children’s activity area that will include eco-friendly crafts, a bounce house, a giant inflatable slide and prize drawings. An activity schedule is posted on the Zoo’s Web site at www.jacksonvillezoo.org. This event is sponsored by JM Family Enterprises, Inc. and Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC.
“It is important to us as a company to support initiatives in our community that raise awareness about the environment and conservation,†said Bob Moore, vice president and general manager of vehicle processing for Southeast Toyota. “We have been a proud partner of the Jacksonville Zoo for years and are excited to be part of this educational Earth Day celebration.â€
Special admission offer: guests can get $2 off regular admission when they bring in a minimum of 5 pounds of paper or any electronic waste (items that are powered by batteries or electricity) to recycle. This discount cannot be combined with any other discount or offer and is only available April 24 and 25, 2010.
The Party for the Planet celebration is an annual event sponsored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Zoos from all over the country that are members of the AZA participate. For more information about conservation and how you can help, visit www.jacksonvillezoo.org or www.aza.org.
In conjunction with Party for the Planet, the Zoo will also have its inaugural Walk for the Planet, a non-competitive two mile family fun walk, to benefit Zoo conservation efforts. Walk for the Planet will occur Saturday, April 24, at 7:30 a.m. It is open to walkers of all ages and is stroller and handicap friendly. Each registered walker will receive a free commemorative t-shirt, entrance into the Walk for the Planet post-party and admission into the Zoo.
Walkers can register online at http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/index.php/events/event_details/earth_day_celebration_-_party_for_the_planet for the following fees:
Non-Members:
Zoo Members:
$25 for adult
$20 for adult
$15 for child (ages 3-12)
$10 for child (ages 3-12)
$50 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children and $10 for each additional child)
$40 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children and $10 for each additional child)
Children 2 and under are free, but they do not receive t-shirts or participant bibs. All proceeds benefit the conservation efforts of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, a non-profit organization.
For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95. The Zoo is open until 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays from March to Labor Day. For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.
Jacksonville Sharks Open House
Jacksonville Sharks, the new arena football team in Jacksonville, Florida held an open house on Wednesday April 14, and we visited. Football fans had an opportunity to tour the Veterans Memorial Arena and meet the players for an autograph session.
Fans also got to meet the Attack Dance team for the first time.
The first home game for the season takes place on Friday April 16th at 7:30 pm at Sea Best Field in Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena when the Jacksonville Sharks take on the Orlando Predators.
East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival 2010, South Carolina
One of the premier paddlesport events on the Atlantic Coast, the festival will be held at James Island County Park on April 16-18, 2010. Here you can find everything you need to know about canoeing and kayaking at the 20th Annual East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival (ECCKF).
Every year paddlers, instructors and equipment manufacturers are brought together at the action-packed South Carolina festival. The event includes a variety of on-water classes, lectures and demonstrations directed to the novice as well as the experienced paddler. Plus more than forty exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try the latest equipment before you buy.
Fun and Useful Instruction
The heart of the festival is the simultaneous running of four classrooms throughout the three-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the paddling world’s leading experts. Learn new strokes, rescues or rolls with expert instruction. Meet other knowledgeable paddle sport enthusiasts. A wide variety of topics include slide shows of exotic paddling locations, how-to sessions on navigation, selecting or repairing equipment, safety and preparing gourmet cuisine fresh from your dry bag.
A family-friendly weekend, children are welcome to the festival and are free with a paying adult. Learn how to paddle as a family in clinics, or register young paddlers in the full and half-day canoe and kayak camps (ages 6-12), featuring hands-on sessions, nature walks, crafts and more. Always a spectator favorite, families are invited to compete in a cardboard canoe race on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Filmmaker and Kayaker
New this year will be a free interactive presentation by adventure filmmaker and expedition kayaker Bryan Smith on Thursday, April 15 at James Island County Park. Join Smith for an inspirational and entertaining multi-media show of the first sea kayaking exploration of the Butze Tidal Rapids in northern British Columbia. On assignment for National Geographic Magazine, Smith captured some innovative and exciting kayaking footage, which will be presented on the big screen at 8 p.m. Admission to the presentation is free. Park admission is $1 per person; Gold Pass holders and those 2 years and younger are free.
Offering recreational and instructional programs for paddlers of all abilities and creating an inclusive paddling community are both major themes of this year’s festival. On Wednesday and Thursday prior to the festival, an ACA Adaptive Paddling Workshop (pre-registration required) is being offered for paddling instructors and other individuals interested in learning how to adapt equipment and work with paddlers who have various mobility impairments. On Friday evening, renowned paddler Marcus Demuth will present the keynote address on “Circumnavigating Tierra del Fuego for Disabled Paddlers,†an expedition raising funds to support programs that introduce people with disabilities to paddlesports. In addition, the festival will offer classroom sessions on inclusive paddling initiatives, and Charleston’s very own Special Olympics Kayak Team, which has been hosted by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission for the past three years, will be on hand at the event.
Also new for 2010 is Paddle Clean-Up Day, a volunteer service project in partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper. Paddlers and non-paddlers alike are invited to give back to the paddling community by cleaning up the waterway at Sol Legare Boat Landing. Paddlers will help clear debris by boat and walkers will help clear trash in the area on Sunday, April 18 from 4-6 p.m. Registration is free.
For just the $1 per person admission to the park, visitors can come to James Island County Park and enjoy the sights, sounds and shopping at the festival. Registration packages (and the opportunity to attend classes and test paddle boats) start at $15 and range from sampler passes to full-weekend passes – perfect for all levels and abilities! Children 17 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult registration. Consider staying on site at James Island County Park’s campsites. For more information, a daily ECCKF schedule and to register call (843) 795-4FUN or visit www.ccprc.com/ecckf
Blessing of the Fleet Downtown Jacksonville
Have your boat blessed in time for the beginning of the season. On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the event “The Blessing of the Fleet” takes place in downtown Jacksonville.
Watch the boats parade by! The event starts at 2 p.m at the Hogan Street Gazebo, North Riverbank, Jacksonville.
If you want to register your boat to participate, or for more information, click here to go to the website.
