Springfield

Four years ago, with its renaissance in full swing, the and Revitalization Committee created a walk-able event to showcase the historic neighborhood with live music playing from the porches of the area’s “Grand Old Ladies.” The first annual was a success, drawing an estimated 4,000 visitors into the community. Now in its fourth year, the Jacksonville PorchFest is bigger and better than ever. The free, family-friendly event is held from noon to 9 pm Saturday on many of the inviting porches in the historic neighborhood. PorchFest begins and ends in beautiful , with a main stage performance from headliner Big …

“I’VE GOT A SCHOOL TO BUILD.” Phoenix Arts District (P.A.D.) is prepping to be a game changer for Jacksonville. The district will house the Jacksonville Florida School of the Arts (JFSOTA), and will be a community space with lots of moving parts. The major focus will be on hands-on art education and building a home for local and visiting artists. P.A.D. is such a big undertaking that it needs a whole community of support–and thankfully there is a great team working on it. Local entrepreneur Christy Frazier and her business partner Aislynn Thomas-McDonald are at the helm. The two met …

10 Questions courtesy of our friends at the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville Thony Aiuppy is a practicing visual artist and an art educator. He is also a husband and father of three children.  He and his family live in the . Making Springfield home for he and his family was an intentional act after previously residing in both and . The diversity of the area appealed to Thony, as did the urban neighborhood’s history. In his blog Thony has said the following about Springfield: “This is the setting for which my journey starts in regards to the story of the work …

  By name alone, PorchFest conjures images of jug bands, old men in rocking chairs alongside their old hound dogs, and one hell of a hootenanny once the hooch sets in. It’s entirely possible that one or all of those things may be found on November 7th during  in Springfield. However, I don’t want to misrepresent the event or lead you completely astray—this is a family friendly event. PorchFests are held annually across the United States and Canada. They were started in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. The underlying idea was to bring local musicians and neighborhoods together to create …

The 37th annual Historic Springfield Tour of Homes will be held June 6 and 7 from 12 to 5 p.m. each day, showcasing homes and businesses in Jacksonville’s oldest neighborhood. This year’s tour highlights eight venues, featuring the classic architecture and character of the Springfield Historic District: Four turn-of-the-century beautifully restored homes A grand Victorian in progress of renovation A charming new construction bungalow A gorgeously renovated commercial space The , the historic mansion built by founder “Before” photos will be on display at several historic venues so visitors can see the transformations. “Springfield has some of the most unique, …