As summer approaches, Jacksonville is getting ready to welcome tourists and locals to celebrate its 200 birthday during the Bicentennial Weekend Celebration, June 10-12.
The festivities kick-off Friday, June 10, with the Bicentennial Bash showcasing the history, beauty and culture of Northeast Florida. The upscale cocktail soiree will feature locally sourced food, hometown craft cocktails and beer, live music, historical presentations featuring rarely-seen photos and more. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
The official birthday celebration is Saturday, June 11, with the Bicentennial Street Festival & Fireworks from noon to 10 p.m., stretching from James Weldon Johnson Park to Riverfront Plaza in Downtown. The festival will include artists painting street scenes, food trucks, historical character actor re-enactments, art displays, a parade, the reading of a mayoral proclamation and more. The evening will feature concerts from Let’s Ride Brass Band, The Honey Hounds, Love and Theft and Flipturn, followed by fireworks over the St. Johns River. This is a free event.
The First Coast Wind Symphony will wrap up the weekend celebration with a performance of music by former Jacksonville resident and British composer Frederick Delius, James Weldon Johnson and more. The concert is 5-6 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at St. John’s Cathedral, and is a free event.
For more information about Jacksonville’s Bicentennial, visit jax200.org.