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How To Celebrate Memorial Day in Jacksonville

  • May 18, 2023
  • | 12:17 PM

Raise your hand if you’re ready for boating season to officially begin! 🙋🏼‍♀️ The official-unofficial start of Summer is upon us – Memorial Day! And with that comes boat days, beach days, island explorations, BBQ’s, three day weekends, and basically everything we love about Summer!

Trying to plan your Memorial Day in Jacksonville? Continue reading to get the inside scoop all the happenings this Memorial Day!

Memorial Day Riverfest

What’s more Florida than a day spent on the river? Outsiders think us Floridians are all about the beach but us locals know the real fun is on the rivers! Green Cove Springs – just a short drive from Jacksonville – is hosting a *family friendly* Memorial Day RiverFest!

Memorial Day RiverFest has become an annual tradition for 30 years celebrating and supporting local veterans and families throughout Northeast Florida! Come out and enjoy a Veterans Recognition Ceremony honoring veterans, 20+ local food trucks, 75 craft vendors that line the park, a Kids Zone with horse rides, giant inflatables, and so much more! You also will have free entry into the City’s spring-fed public pool and fireworks show over the St. Johns River to end the day!

Pro Tip: For visitor information, go to exploreclay.com.

Jacksonville Jazz Festival

Spend your whole Memorial Day Weekend with your favorite jazz artists at *queue jazz hands* the Jacksonville Jazz Festival! As one of the largest free jazz festivals in the country, there is a lot to jazz about it! Okay, jazz puns aside – this festival is sure to be a great one!

The festival has been going on since 1981 and continues to be a big hit! This year the festival is kicking off with a piano competition, and we are so ready!

Old Town Cycle Cruise

Peddle boats have taken over the Jacksonville area and we are here for it! Spend your Memorial Day in Jacksonville with friends on the water, peddling to your next drink, and partying it up with your crew! Peddle boat party boats are such a fun and unique way to see the city and spend time with friends and we are just obsessed! We suggest calling up all of your friends and throwing your party out on the water! Book soon before they all fill up!

Staycation in St. Augustine

Need ideas on what to do – besides lounging by the water and soaking up the sun? Check out our St. Augustine neighborhood page! A few highlights include shopping local at some of the great boutiques, taking a river boat cruise to view the city from the water, or go on a bar hop around the city! And for a place to stay? Check out The Local – we love staying there and know you will too!

Head to Orlando or Tampa 🚗

Oh yeah, those other globally known Florida destinations are only a car ride away! Orlando and Tampa are booming and have so much going on! The Orlando theme parks are known for all of their holiday specials and Tampa has some of the best beach bars around! Take a look at our Stuff To Do in Tampa Bay and Stuff To Do in Orlando pages to plan your perfect getaway!

Curated by

Alexandra Halbert

Alexandra Halbert

jax, fl | university of florida alum | all my money goes to plane tickets