Festival Season! Add your favorites! (Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach: home, campground, live)

[riveree]

As the weather warms up, so do the festivals!

We always seem to have something going on year round in NEFL, but this is the time of year I begin to think about the Festivals.

Here are some of my faves and others I'm considering attending.......

What are your favorite festivals?


NorthEast Florida Scottish Highland Games & Festival:
Florida Scottish Games And Festival - Highland Games Festival Page (http://www.neflgames.com/participation/scottish_games.asp - broken link)
where: Green Cove Springs
when: Feb 23rd only - This Saturday!

It's been a few years since I've gone to the Scottish Highland Games, I haven't been since they moved the location from UNF to Green Cove, but it looks like the event has really grown. I always had a great time and I'm looking forward to this weekend, especially Rathkeltair (who will also be playing at this year's Irish Festival).

Wanee 2008 (Spirit of the Suwanee Music Festival)
Wanee Music Festival - April 11th & 12th Live Oak, Florida
where: Live Oak
when: April 11th-12th

Allman Bros, Bob Weir & Ratdog, amongst others. I've never been to this one, maybe this is the year.

Jacksonville Jazz Festival:
Jacksonville Jazz Festival April 11-13, 2008
where: Jacksonville (Metropolitan Park)
when: April 11th-13th

Jax Irish Festival:
Jax Irish Fest 2008
where: Jacksonville Fairgrounds (Downtown)
when: April 26th

This is Year 2, and if it's anything like Year 1, it will be a great time. Non-stop music on multiple stages, and one of my all-time favorite bands from back in the day is going to be there this year......Black 47! I used to pack into Paddy Reilly's to see them when I lived in NYC, I can't believe they are going to be here in Jax! Also Rathkeltair and all the others.....this is an amazing music event.

Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival:
Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival
where: Fernandina Beach
when: May 2nd-4th

In its' 45th year, this is a great art event (food and music too). All of the art is juried in, so it's the best of the best. The event is nicely laid out in historic downtown Fernandina Beach which makes a great backdrop for the event. I'm definitely going again this year.

Jacksonville Film Festival:
Jacksonville Film Festival :: News
where: Jacksonville (various locations)
when: May 15th-21st

Waiting for the new website for 2008.....no real info avail yet.

Blue Crab Festival:
2008 Palatka Blue Crab Festival Home Page
where: Palatka
when: May 24th & 25th (Memorial Day Weekend)

Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament:
The AT&T Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament & Festival
where: Jacksonville (Sisters Creek)
when: July 22nd-26th

[BlueWillowPlate]

Riv, I too love Black 47.
Maybe we can make it down!

I read about the Suwanee lineup last week and got pretty excited. I don't quite get how that place works, though. There was another lineup that included Commander Cody--those guys are great.
I moved here a couple weeks after the '07 Shrimp Festival and have never experienced it. Sounds like it's pretty crazy. I do love me some shrimp, that's for sure.

[agreatlife]

There is always the Ham Jam

[riveree]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

Riv, I too love Black 47.
Maybe we can make it down!

I read about the Suwanee lineup last week and got pretty excited. I don't quite get how that place works, though. There was another lineup that included Commander Cody--those guys are great.
I moved here a couple weeks after the '07 Shrimp Festival and have never experienced it. Sounds like it's pretty crazy. I do love me some shrimp, that's for sure.

I don't plan to camp at Wanee, if I go. I've been to the campsite and it's very nice, but I'd just drive in for the day and then head home. The campground is nice, clean and seems well run, in case anyone plans to tent or RV.

The actual "shrimp" at the Shrimp Fest is the most disappointing part, IMO. Every charity/fundraiser out there jumps on the bandwagon and has their own shrimp booth, but they all serve exactly the same thing - breaded fried shrimp! Now up by the music part of the Festival, there might be some more unusual fare that I'm not aware of. The music was not our cup of tea, so we avoided that section of festival other than a quick pass through.

Traditional Irish dance at the Irish Festival too - gorgeous costumes and those kids dance their hearts out all day long. Ya' gotta go, BlueWillow!

[riveree]

Originally Posted by agreatlife

There is always the Ham Jam

I think I'll leave the Ham Jam review for you to cover, Agreatlife, I'm not too familiar with it......do you go each year?


First Coast Ham Jam Florida's Official Bar B Que Cookoff

[agreatlife]

Actually I've never been, but the name just cracks me up. We were going to go last year, but it rained too much. I love Bar B Que

[riveree]

Went to the Scottish Highland Games today, it was a nice event.

The event is more spread out now at the Fairgrounds so it has room to grow.

There was a large turnout of Scottish Clans, there was even a booth of a new Jacksonville chapter of New World Celts....not exactly a Clan, but a nice group of people. New World Celts

There were games of strength, fencing, birds of prey, K9 frisbee dogs, scottish purebred dogs and other scottish animals represented, dancing, battle axe throwing, scottish food, and of course plenty of music.

On the downside, there was a Disney music bus for the kids that was blaring Hannah Montana or whatever it was.....absolutely awful! It was really loud and distracting and I could not get out of that section of the festival fast enough. Why in the world they would allow this, I have no idea.

It's also a dry event. I'm not sure if this is a requirement of the site or simply a money-saving factor for the event planner. A pint of Guiness would have been nice today, but none to be found.

The Irish festival in April has a lot more going on than this festival - tons more music and just more energy overall -but I still like this Scottish event and would attend again. A better site might help them in the future.

I'll try to get some pics up soon.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by riveree

I don't plan to camp at Wanee, if I go. I've been to the campsite and it's very nice, but I'd just drive in for the day and then head home.

This sounds reasonable to me, too.

The actual "shrimp" at the Shrimp Fest is the most disappointing part, IMO. Every charity/fundraiser out there jumps on the bandwagon and has their own shrimp booth, but they all serve exactly the same thing - breaded fried shrimp!

Yeah, that's what the husband said. I don't care for breaded fried shrimp, but he loves it.
To tell you the truth...
::lowers voice to a whisper::
...IMHO the shrimp here is not as good as the shrimp we used to get over on the northwest side near Apalachicola. OTOH any >fresh< shrimp is always better than the mushy imported stuff I used to get in Colorado.

Traditional Irish dance at the Irish Festival too - gorgeous costumes and those kids dance their hearts out all day long. Ya' gotta go, BlueWillow!

Yeah. I saw the Scottish festival blurb in the paper and thought about you. Glad you had a good time.
We've been to so many (including plenty in Scotland) that I could not drag the spouse to that, but maybe he'd be up for the Irish one, especially if there is good beer. Plus--Black 47!! It would be fun to meet you there, too!

[riveree]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

We've been to so many (including plenty in Scotland) that I could not drag the spouse to that, but maybe he'd be up for the Irish one, especially if there is good beer. Plus--Black 47!! It would be fun to meet you there, too!

Last year, they only served one beer at the Irish festival - THE one beer - Guiness, of course! Pints filled to the brim and multiple bar booths so the lines were never too bad. There's a whiskey tent too.....note to self: husband is banned from whiskey tent this year . I'd love to see you there!

[Magnolia Bloom]

Mandarin Art Festival- takes place March 22 & 23

When & Where