Jacksonville's Peak Season: When is it? And Why it’s Great!
First, a little Jacksonville trivia.
Located on the banks of the St. John’s River, Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental United States with more than 800 miles.
The city has the nation’s largest urban public parks system with more than 330 locations.
And when it comes to age, the city reports one of the youngest average ages - 36 - of all major cities in Florida.
If you haven’t explored this hidden gem along Florida’s east coast - now is the time. The peak season for Jacksonville is from March to May when temperatures are warm but tolerable, and rain chances are low.
Jacksonville is known for having a little bit of what makes any city great. Swimming, surfing, the beach, great food and a lively nightlife. You can catch a professional football game or hit the greens at a championship golf course.
If you decide to go, here’s some of the events and happenings you won’t want to miss:
March
Have a golf lover in the family? There’s no better time to hit the Jacksonville greens than in March. The annual Players Championship Tournament takes place every year in March at the TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra.
And for the runners out there, Jacksonville’s Gate River Run on March 7 is one of the city’s most popular 15K race. More than 20,000 runners participate every year. The race was started as a way to show off the city’s landscape. It starts from the Jacksonville Sports Complex and extends through the historic district into downtown and on to San Marco and across the city’s bridges.
April
Spring is all about the arts in Jacksonville. Art and music fill the air like the salty sea breeze off the Atlantic coast. First up is The Springing the Blues Festival that takes place at Seawalk Pavilion in downtown Jacksonville Beach from April 4-5. Blues lovers will delight at the two days of live music from small to large blues acts, including Vanessa Collier, John Primer, and AJ Ghent.
Art lovers can experience the long-running Mandarin Art Festival on Easter weekend, April 11-12. For more than 50 years, the Mandarin Community Club has organized the art festival as a way to raise funds for their initiatives. The festival consists of local small businesses, artists, craft good makers, and other vendors selling a wide variety of things from fresh local honey to handmade jewelry.
May
By May, temperatures begin to really heat up in Jacksonville. It’s a perfect time to hit the waves. Explore more than 20 miles of coastline dotted with Jacksonville’s chain of beaches. The beaches are a hub of activity from kayaking, paddleboarding or diving and fishing. Or you can just take a leisure walk along the sand and watch the sunset.
Explore the waters by day and the jazz tunes by night. Perhaps one of the city’s most anticipated annual events takes place in May - The Jacksonville Jazz Festival May 21-24. The jazz festival, which began in 1980, is one of the country’s largest FREE jazz events. This year’s lineup includes Gladys Knight, Brian Culbertson, Ledisi, and Avery Sunshine. The festival sprawls out through the city. It consists of two main stages located on the front lawn of the Duval County Courthouse at Pearl and Adam Streets. Stages can also be found at Hemming Park.
Ready to plan your trip to Jacksonville? Check out the great deals at the convenient Fairfield Inn & Suites Jacksonville Airport. For a location closer to the water, head over to the Hampton Inn Jacksonville / Ponte Vedra Beach-Mayo Clinic Area or Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jacksonville SE Med Center.