FESTIVALS: JACKSONVILLE

2015 FESTIVAL LISTING March 7 NE FLORIDA VEG FEST The 5th Annual Northeast Florida Veg Fest will be held at the beautiful Riverside Park located next to Historic Five Points. The event celebrates the best in local, sustainable, eco-friendly, compassionate, organic, healthy and humane lifestyles. Organizations and businesses will come together to elevate the consciousness during the day-long event which will also feature live music, dynamic speakers, cooking demonstrations, beer garden, kids’ zone, pie-eating contest, exceptional freebies, raffles, scavenger hunt and much more. www.nflvegfest.org March 15 COMMUNITY FIRST NATURAL LIFE MUSIC FESTIVAL Created as a way to give back to the Jacksonville community, the 2015 Community First Natural Life Music Festival lineup features The Howlin’ Brothers, Tall Tall Trees, Mandolin Orange, Judah & the Lion & Horse Feathers. In addition to hand-picked indie-folk americana music acts, the event will include an artisan market, an array of healthy food vendors and trucks, and “Crafternoon” – craft stations for families with children of all ages. The free festival is produced by Natural Life for Children, a 501c3 organization and raises funds for charity. Metropolitan Park, www.communityfirstnaturallifemusicfestival.com March 21 GASTROFEST Celebrate food culture inclusively and on a large scale with the best of what North Florida has to offer. It’s time Jacksonville showed the world what our awesome culinary scene has, from fine dining to food trucks, from microbrews to local cookbooks, from vegans to local beef. Gastrojax fosters and preserves local cuisine, educating the public about local food and beverage sources, local restaurants and North Florida dishes. Workshops, panel discussions, and a buch of really great food!  Hemming Park, www.gastrofest.com April 4-5 MANDARIN ART FESTIVAL The 47th Annual Mandarin Art Festival includes juried Fine Art & Fine Crafts, prizes in 6 categories under the historic oaks of Mandarin Road. Food, fun, community activities, a Green Market, live music, food court, children’s art show in the historic building, youth activities, historical tours, prize drawing, old fashioned bake sale, and more. Mandarin Country Club, www.mandarincommunityclub.org. April 7-12 ONE SPARK One Spark is a five-day event where creators, artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators can display projects in a 20-square-block, multi-venue gallery in downtown Jacksonville. One Spark’s objective is to connect people with great ideas to the resources they need to make them a reality. Creator projects can be at any stage of development. The event is built on the premise that great creations can come from garages, small studios, and dorm rooms and that the only thing that separates them from the big dogs is access to capital and resources. Venues select which Creators showcase in their spaces and attendees decide who gets funded. Showcasing at One Spark gives you access to thousands of dollars in crowd funds and awards, millions in potential capital investments, and direct individual contributions from all the visitors. April 25 TREE HILL BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL The 2015 Joseph A. Strasser Festival is being held from 10am to 4pm. There will be vendors selling locally handcrafted items, education booths, and games, music, and more.The butterfly release will begin at 3:30. Tree Hill Nature Center, www.treehill.org April 25-26 WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE Slayer, Slipknot, Ministry, Suicidal Tendencies, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin, Godsmack, Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators. Metropolitan Park May 21-24 JACKSONVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL Downtown Jacksonville transforms into a festival showcase of regional and international jazz favorites including Ignacio Berroa, Joy Dennis, Mama Bluem, Kelly-Scott Quintet, Larry Wilson & Truth Serum, Felix Peikli, Elisha atlas Parris, Snarky Puppy, Kellylee Evans, Titp Puente Jr., The Sou Rebels, Lisa McClendon and Eric Carter & Company. The annual events also features the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, Art in the Heart, the Youth Jazz Talent Showcase, the ‘Round Midnight Jazz Jam with Lisa Kelly, Jazz After Dark and the Sunday Jazz Brunch which are as integral as the performers who grace the stages. www.jaxjazzfestival.com. May 29-30 MIGHTY OAK FESTIVAL AT THE ELBOW Mighty Oak is a DIY music festival celebrating punk, indie and electronic music from across the state of Florida. The festival will take place at The Elbow in the downtown Jacksonville. mightyoakfest.com