The NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror and it will be months before the Jaguars return to the field, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any football being played in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Sharks of the Indoor Football League and the Jacksonville Dixie Blues of the Women’s Football Alliance each have a home game Saturday night.
The Sharks, who are 3-1 on the season, play at 7 p.m. Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The Sharks have been playing arena football in Jacksonville since 2010, during which time they’ve been in at least three leagues, won four championships and were briefly co-owned by Motley Crue singer Vince Neil.
Their opponent for Saturday’s game is the New Mexico Chupacabras, a new team based in Albuquerque. Tickets are $15-$150. Info: jaxsharks.com
Across town at Andrew Jackson High School, the Dixie Blues play their first home game of the season, coming off a road loss at West Palm Beach. The Dixie Blues, who have been playing in Jacksonville since 2001, take on the Carolina Phoenix. Tickets are $10. Info: wpaprofootball.com
But maybe you’re kind of tired of football and looking for a different way to spend your weekend. No problem.
1. Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in Fernandina Beach
May 1-3 in downtown Fernandina Beach. Free.
If the Swingin’ Medallions playing “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love,” a Miss Shrimp Festival pageant, a parade, a 5K run, a beard contest, an ice cream-eating competition, a pirate invasion and a shrimp-fleet blessing weren’t good enough reasons to head to Fernandina Beach this weekend, they’ve added a drone show.
The fire marshal had an understandable issue with shooting the traditional Friday night fireworks show over the festival, due to dry conditions and wildfires across the state. So they’ll send up 400 drones instead to perform a 15-minute show starting at 9:30 p.m. Friday. They’ll fly over the Amelia River and the best viewing spots will be along the waterfront.
The fest draws about 150,000 people every year, so head for the Park & Walk lot at Buccaneer Field ($20 donation requested) or the Park & Ride lot at Fernandina Beach High School ($15 donation requested), which runs an air-conditioned shuttle. Info: shrimpfestival.com
2. Jerry Seinfeld in Jacksonville
7 p.m. Friday, May 1, at the Moran Theater. $105-$228.
What’s Jerry Seinfeld been doing since his iconic TV show went off the air in May of 1998? Let’s see: He wrote a children’s book and an autobiography, donated his “puffy shirt” to the Smithsonian, played an animated bee in a movie, talked with a bunch of comedians while driving around and drinking coffee, got married and became a dad.
But the one thing he’s always done is live comedy. For a guy who probably doesn’t really need the money, he tours constantly and is forever refreshing his material, so this year’s show isn’t the same as last year’s. If you already have a ticket for this show, have fun. If not, good luck, because it’s all but sold out. Info: jaxevents.com
3. Graham Nash in Ponte Vedra Beach
You have to be really good to earn a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Graham Nash has done it twice, as a member of the Holllies and with Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Nash plays at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall (following two-night stands in Clearwater, Key West and Fort Lauderdale). He’s accompanied by a three-piece band and his setlist includes hits from the Hollies, CSN, CSNY and his solo career. Tickets are $107-$175. Info: pvconcerthall.com
Other shows in town this weekend:
4. ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ in Jacksonville
7 p.m. Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, at Jacoby Symphony Hall. $49-$89.
Odds are pretty good that you’ve already seen the first Harry Potter movie, the one where they’re cute little kids and the world is full of wonder and magic and He Who Must Be Named is still but a distant worry.
But have you seen it on a big screen while a full orchestra plays the music live? That’s what the Jacksonville Symphony is doing this weekend.
Fair warning: It’s kind of difficult for a Muggle to watch the film, since you’re forced to split your attention between the screen and the musicians, but it’s an enchanting way to watch a beloved classic. Info: jaxsymphony.org
5. Romanza Festivale in St. Augustine
May 1-17 in St. Augustine. Prices vary.
The annual arts festival includes 41 events — theater, comedy, classical music, storytelling, visual arts, chamber music, jazz, dance, blues — at 20 or so venues.
There are so many events going on that it’s literally not possible to see them all, since some overlap. Just this weekend, there’s a Friday Art Walk on Aviles Street, a women’s choral concert, improvisational comedy, two theater performances, a baroque quartet, an opera and an afternoon tea with the St. Augustine Orchestra. Info: romanzafestivale.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Football, Shrimp Fest and Seinfeld make for busy Jacksonville weekend
Reporting by Tom Szaroleta, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
