5 fun ways to extend the holiday weekend in Jacksonville. Here's our top picks.
Sure, the 4th of July was a lot of fun, with parties and cookouts and gigantic fireworks shows lighting up the sky, but it's done. Now what?
It's a fairly quiet weekend in Northeast Florida, probably because a lot of people are already funned-out by the holiday. But you can go walk around the zoo at night or catch some free music in St. Augustine. There's also a dog party, a legendary comedian and a former teen idol on the weekend schedule.
IllumiNights
6:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. $21.
Did you ever wonder what the animals at the zoo do when all the patrons go home for the day? Find out for yourself when the zoo reopens at 6:30 p.m. for special animal encounters and lights strung through the zoo grounds. Info: jacksonvillezoo.org
More to do this month: Dinosaurs, Donny Osmond and other fun things to do in Jacksonville in July
Events calendar: Find something fun to do today in Jacksonville
Oakfest 2024
Friday-Sunday at Colonial Oak Music Park, St. Augustine.
You’ve probably walked right past Colonial Oak Music Park, right off St. George Street, without even noticing it’s there. The venue celebrates its eighth year with free music. On Friday, Davis Cook comes on at 2 p.m. and Versvtile plays at 7 p.m. On Saturday, it's Josh "Tennessee" Worthy at 2 p.m. and Monticelli at 7 p.m. Cade & the Palmetto Kickers play on Sunday at 3 p.m. Info: colonialoakmusicpark.com
DL Hughley
4, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6; 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday, July 7, at the Comedy Zone. $40-$50.
DL Hughley is an actor, a nationwide radio host and an Original King of Comedy, the kind of guy you don't expect to see doing standup in a comedy club. But he'll be at Comedy Zone in Mandarin for five shows this weekend, including a pair of rare 4-in-the-afternoon appearances. Info: comedyzone.com
Dog Days of Summer
4-8 p.m. Saturday at the Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. $3.
Bring Fido along for an evening stroll through the arboretum grounds. They’ll have food trucks, live music, vendors and a dog market on hand from 4-8 p.m. It's free with $3 park admission. Info: jacksonvillearboretum.org
Drake Bell
7 p.m. Saturday, July 6, at Kona Skatepark. $30.
That Drake Bell? The "Drake & Josh" guy? Yup, Bell, who opened up about years of abuse during his Nickelodeon days in the recent "Quiet on the Set" documentary, is playing a concert at Jacksonville's iconic skate park. South Florida's Bryan Raymond and Jacksonville's Ava Clark open the show. Info: konaskatepark.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Five fun things to do in Jacksonville this weekend