Clay Fair, 'Carmen,' film fest and more fun things to do this weekend in Jacksonville

Tom Szaroleta, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
·3 min read

If you can't find something to do this weekend in the Jacksonville area, you just aren't trying very hard. The Clay County Fair enters its final weekend, the symphony has a couple of opera performances on tap, Jacksonville's pro baseball and hockey teams are both in action, downtown has a big film festival and there are three music festivals going on, including one where you can bring your dog.

Clay County Fair

It’s the final weekend for the Clay County Fair, held at the fairgrounds on Florida 16, west of Green Cove Springs. They’ve got rides, livestock shows, tractor pulls, Frisbee dogs and racing pigs. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. $15.

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Jacksonville Symphony opera

Courtney Lewis will conduct the Jacksonville Symphony and guests this weekend for "Carmen."
Courtney Lewis will conduct the Jacksonville Symphony and guests this weekend for "Carmen."

The Jacksonville Symphony is calling in some big-time help for its annual opera presentation. The symphony will perform Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” with help from a former Metropolitan Opera stage director, nine guest vocalists, the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus and dancers from the Bolles School and the Florida Ballet. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Jacoby Symphony Hall. $46-$138.

Jacksonville Film Festival

The Jessie Ball duPont Center in downtown Jacksonville is one of the venues for this weekend's Jacksonville Film Festival.
The Jessie Ball duPont Center in downtown Jacksonville is one of the venues for this weekend's Jacksonville Film Festival.

It seems like a shame to spend a beautiful Florida spring weekend indoors, but the Jacksonville Film Festival gives you lots of reasons to do so. There’s an opening ceremony Friday night at the WJCT Soundstage, and the festival continues Saturday and Sunday with screenings at the Jessie Ball duPont Center and the Main Library downtown. The schedule includes dozens of shorts, features and workshops, with sessions focused on macabre, local, Iranian, Holocaust, LGBTQ and student films. $15-$250.

Balls or pucks?

The Jumbo Shrimp have three home games scheduled this weekend.
The Jumbo Shrimp have three home games scheduled this weekend.

Two of Jacksonville’s pro sports teams are in action this weekend, across the street from one another. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have games against the Charlotte Knights scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday, 6:35 p.m. Saturday and 3:05 p.m. Sunday at 121 Financial Ballpark ($5-$48). Across the street at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, the Jacksonville Icemen close out their regular season with games against the Savannah Ghost Pirates at 7 p.m. Friday and the Atlanta Gladiators at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday ($20-$81).

Music fests

Verlon Thompson is one of the performers at this weekend's Gamble Rogers Fest.
Verlon Thompson is one of the performers at this weekend's Gamble Rogers Fest.

There are three music festivals to choose from in the Jacksonville area this weekend:

  • The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, honoring the late Florida troubadour, brings three days of Americana music to the St. Johns County Fairgrounds in Elkton, A.J. Lee & Blue Summit, John Jorgensen Quintet, Verlon Thompson, Remedy Tree, Jerron Paxton and others are on the bill. $30-$120.

  • Seventeen songwriters will play and discuss their craft at the Fernandina Beach Songwriters Festival, held Friday through Sunday at venues around Amelia Island. $30-$350.

  • Woofstock is a music festival you can bring your dog to, with 16 acts playing at Kanine Social. Music runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Free.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Things to do in Jacksonville, FL this weekend