Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park joins with two-time event sponsor Visit Jacksonville to present Brew & Barbecue this Fall on Saturday, November 15th, 2025, from 5 pm to 10 pm. Your favorite JWJ Park festival is back for year NINE and it’s going to be better than ever! As always, festival goers can expect plenty of barbecue themed food trucks including a
Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman, The Ritz Theater & Museum and the City of Jacksonville are excited to announce the fifth annual Jacksonville Emancipation Celebration taking place in Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park. The festival will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, to educate the community about the historical significance of Florida’s observed Emancipation Day.
The very First Annual JWJ BDAY 5K & Block Party presented by VyStar Credit Union and 1st Place Sports celebrates the 154th anniversary of James Weldon Johnson’s birth. Runners and walkers of all ages will begin at James Weldon Johnson Park and travel through the LaVilla neighborhood where the Johnson family lived, with historical information about his life along the route. The
February is National Heart Health Month We get to celebrate many things in February – Love, Black History, the return of pollen in the air here in Florida (What? Pollen isn’t worth celebrating?). February is also the month where we shine the light on heart health. Public parks are a natural prescription for a healthy
Joe Watts On an unseasonably warm December afternoon, a boisterous and active group of young students rush the small stage at James Weldon Johnson Park. Voices unite as musician Joe Watts leans into the microphone: Singing don’t worry about a thing ‘cause every little thing, gonna be alright! Adult chaperones, lunch goers, and others at
WHO: Art in the Park, Northeast Florida’s only Chalk Drawing competition, returns for a fifth year to Jacksonville. This event is presented by Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park, YaYa Productions, and made possible through a generous grant from the PNC Foundation. Over the years, a number of illustrious artists have joined the competition including Christopher
On a warm spring day, lunch goers gather at outdoor tables enjoying food truck fare as live music echoes amid the downtown architecture. Sculptures stand tall and inviting, historic monuments beckon visitors and residents while dynamic mosaic art creates brilliant color accents along cement walls. This is James Weldon Johnson Park, located in the heart
As we near the end of 2024, it’s incredible to look back at all the memorable moments that shaped this year. In addition to our annual community celebrations such as Art In the Park, Poetry Fest, Galaxy Fest and Brew & BBQ, we also forged new partnerships and were a part of so many exciting
On October 18, 1960, Jacksonville’s historic downtown park hosted an important moment: the soon-to-be 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, addressed a crowd of Democrats. Kennedy’s remarks included noting his connections to the Northeast Florida area, such as his friendship with U.S. Rep. Charles E. Bennett, his month-long stay in Jacksonville while serving in
Liz McCoy Executive Director Q: How long have you worked here and what drew you to the job? McCoy: I celebrated my four-year anniversary with the park in November of 2023. What drew me to the park was the desire to match my talents, which is to create entertainment experiences, with my passion, which is to activate
“Wow, the park sure looks better than when I was in office!”
“Thanks for being an amazing host! The park is beautiful and a part of Jacksonville’s history. Your staff was stellar!”
“There is so much good happening in that park. The programming – kudos to you. It just looks like a different park these days, doesn’t it? It looks totally different than it used to.”
“I moved to Jacksonville a year ago and have never felt so much community as I did here, tonight.”
“It’s a nice jewel to sit & enjoy the trees. You can eat, listen to live music & attend weekend events.”
“Great event for all of Jax. Love seeing families out and kids having a good time.”
“This event has a real roots, authentic feel. I felt inspired.”
PARK 135 W. Monroe Street • Jax, FL
OFFICE 214 N. Hogan Street, Ste. 114 • Jax, FL
EMAIL contact@jwjpark.org
PHONE 904-515-5098
PARK 135 W. Monroe Street • Jax, FL
OFFICE 214 N. Hogan Street, Ste. 114 • Jax, FL
EMAIL contact@jwjpark.org
PHONE 904-515-5098
