Here we go, folks! I hope everybody is ready to get started on the back half of the year with the Jaguars prepping for the regular season, kids going back to school and the fall and holiday season just over the horizon. But don't move on past summer yet, because this time of year is still great for enjoying those beach days, night swims, tank tops and summertime Florida living.
Atlantic Beach
I'm gonna plug this band (and I love the venue) based on the name alone, and what I've found on the internets is that they have three guitar players and they rock. Catch The Barking Spiders performing live at Voo Swar Restaurant & Lounge (51 Robert St.) on Friday, Aug. 7. Doors at 8 p.m., music at 9.
Back when FSCJ was called FCCJ I made a spontaneous decision to take a tai chi course and really enjoyed it. It's a fun, slow and fluid activity that can be a big help in slowing down in the middle of a busy life. If I wasn't at work at 2 on a Thursday I would definitely go, and I highly suggest you join in if you're able. Tai chi: Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to noon, and Thursdays, 2 to 3 p.m., at the Adele Grage Cultural Center (716 Ocean Blvd.). Free weekly sessions focused on balance and strength.
Neptune Beach
Sliders has been an institution at the beach for decades, and I could live the rest of my life on a steady diet of their crab cakes. This event sounds fantastic. Oyster Crafting Night: Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6 p.m. at Sliders Oyster Bar (218 First St.). Hosted by Crafting by the Sea, this $30 event lets participants make oyster shell trinket dishes, magnets or ornaments while grabbing a drink. Supplies included, and tickets must be purchased in advance. It runs again Aug. 25.
Jacksonville Beach
Everybody loves a good outside market, and this one is in the evening. The move is to grab a bite to eat in downtown Jax Beach (Relish is close by and yummy) and then go check out the Jax Night Market: Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8, 4 to 10 p.m. at Seawalk Pavilion (75 First St. N.). Food trucks, local art vendors and music. Free admission.
Around the Beaches
I'm super thankful to have been able to call this community home for the past 40 years, and thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the stewardship of this place we call home. In that sense I'm looking to the future, but it's also important, and a lot of fun, to learn about our history here in Northeast Florida.
Celebrating 100 Years of Atlantic Beach: ongoing through Aug. 23 at the Beaches Museum (381 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach). Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Closed Mondays. Admission is free.
