Teresa Spencer
On March 21st, in Hemming Park from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. GastroFest will have food from around the First Coast, expert speakers, chef demos and more! This food focused fest has a wide variety of activities, from homebrew to local wine and whiskey tastings. All of this will be set to local music from the free D’Land Music Stage!
The D’Land Music Stage lineup starts at 11:00 a.m. with the poetic and introspective stylings of hip hop artist Tough Junkie. At 12:20 p.m., the eclectic, diverse and energetic alternative/folk band Jacksonvegas takes the stage. Jazz fusion sets the mood for a sultry afternoon with the creative and vibrant Tambor playing at 1:40 p.m. Sharing several band members and a bit of a similar sound, local legends Tropic of Cancer follow at 3:00 p.m. Jazz Fest favorites, Tropic of Cancer is New World Lounge Jazz Band that has been playing the coolest events in town for 15 years.
At 4:20 p.m., East China Sea changes course with the haunting and powerful voice of Shawn Lightfoot at the helm of the East-Asian infused electro-rock band. Lightfoot’s musical background includes opera and though his style of music has transformed, his voice still resonates with grand romance. Following at 5:40 p.m. and jamming a mandolin and standup bass is the fun and uber cool folk rock Cougar Barrel. At 7:00 p.m., the hottest new band on the scene, Tomboi will break out those “candy guitar” licks and make the evening dancetastic. Backed by the powerful voice of Alex E, the synth sounds are an exciting effervescent pop stream. The electronica trio is closely associated with Girl’s Rock and will have a little GR surprise for the audience!
Closing the night is the exciting rootsy rock band Dr. Sirbrother. Led by the soulful voice of Michael Lee, this band has an energy that will end the night on a party note. This four piece band brings local flavor paired with modern flow that is sure to take them to stardom. Check out these guys for free now while you can.
Shawn Lightfoot will be lending his vocal stylings to one of our ticketed events, The GastroJax Craft Cocktail Contest at The Candy Apple Cafe off of Hemming Park from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The GastroJax Craft Cocktail Contest will focus on craft cocktails created using locally-sourced spirits and ingredients. The competing local establishments are: The Candy Apple Cafe, Bistro AIX, Grape & Grain Exchange, bb’s and Sidecar. These locally crafted cocktails will all use at least 1 ounce of Palm Ridge Whiskey. Tickets are currently available for purchase on Eventbrite for $35. Space is limited, so we highly recommend buying in advance.
GastroFest thanks Friends of Hemming Park and all of our sponsors, who include Harbinger Innovations, MOCA Jacksonville, D’land Productions, All About Events, Cheney Brothers, Chamblin’s Uptown, Floaters, Lovely Loo and Grease Rags Clothing.
On the D’Land Productions Music Stage
Tough Junkie – 11:00 AM 10 12:00 PM
Jacksonvegas – 12:20 PM to 1:20 PM
Tambor – 1:40 PM to 2:40 PM
Tropic of Cancer – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
East China Sea – 4:20 PM to 5:20 PM
Cougar Barrel -5:40 PM to 6:40 PM
Tomboi – 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Announcement of the Homebrew Winners (Audience Favorite and Judges Favorite) – 8:15 PM
Dr. Sirbrother – 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM
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