What’s NEW in Jacksonville: Winter 2013

Jacksonville, FL

The New Events, Attractions, Renovations and Unique Projects Making Jacksonville an Incredible Destination in the New Year!

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 2013 brings new and exciting opportunities and possibilities for Jacksonville to shine on the National and International spotlight, high-profile sporting events will bring thousands of fans to the River City to discover our white-sandy beaches, beautiful riverfront, historic sites, delicious cuisine, fun nightlife, unique venues and so many other amazing and affordable “Only in Jacksonville” experiences. Here is just a taste of what 2013 has in store when you Visit Jacksonville:

2013 Sporting Events Calendar: High profile National and International Teams meet in Jacksonville for thrilling matches. Deals and packages for all sporting events and accommodations are available at www.visitjacksonville.com/deals

February 1-3: USA will play Brazil for the first round tie of the Davis Cup at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
February 9: the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will begin its 2013 schedule with an international friendly match against Scotland at EverBank Field
February 15: The Philadelphia Union will face another Major League Soccer (MLS) at EverBank Field in Downtown Jax
February 17: The 2013 Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic Lacrosse game will be played at EverBank Field
March 30: Lingerie Football League begins its first season in Jacksonville
April 26-27: 2013 Florida High School Athletic Association Track & Field Finals State High school Championship at UNF
May 6-12: THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC at Sawgrass
August: Jacksonville Jaguars Season begins
October 28: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. San Francisco 49ers in London

New & Exciting Jacksonville Events in 2013:

· The newest addition to Jacksonville’s festival lineup is One Spark. One Spark is taking place April 2013, the 5-day event, from April 17-21, in Downtown Jacksonville will showcase new projects by innovators, entrepreneurs and artist to find the next best thing. More than 500 entrepreneurs are expected to participate and showcase their inventions/art pieces/ideas across Downtown’s historic buildings. More than 20,000 people are expected to flood Downtown Jacksonville to vote for their favorite new “spark”. There is a $250K guarantee crowd-fund to be distributed to the inventors/artist/innovators that get the most votes. For more information visit them online athttp://www.beonespark.com/

· Jacksonville Fashion Week will return for a third year in 2013. This 4-day, multi-event fashion production features local, regional, and national designers while partnering with area businesses to benefit a non-profit organization. Dates: March 27-30. For more information visit them online at http://jaxfashionweek.com/

· Jacksonville’s French Week: The City celebrates its French heritage during the first week of May; events include a French Dining Week, French Quarter celebration during ArtWalk, a Downtown pub-crawl and a poodle contest.

· JaxtoberFEST: Organized by Jacksonville’s BUZZ Magazine this will be Northeast Florida’s only Oktoberfest celebration. The plans call for a 3-dat festival of beer, family and fun. More details to come…

Community First Saturday: Downtown Jacksonville is the place to go every first Saturday of the month for a Riverwalk festival behind the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every first Saturday of the month, there’s live music, food vendors, eco-tour and fitness classes.

New Projects: Popular local cultural attractions start the year with big changes.

· The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens turns 100 years old in 2014, the Zoo will celebrate by opening a whole new exhibit featuring Chinese tigers. The ambitious project will complement the existing Asian Gardens exhibit, the latest addition to the Zoo in 2009. The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is home to over 2,000 rare and exotic animals and more than 1,000 plant species, it is Northeast Florida’s most visited attraction. In both 2011 and 2012 the Zoo broke admission records with close to 900,000 visitors each year. Special events at the Zoo include the new ZOOLightsduring the holidays, Spooktacular during Halloween, yearly garden tours and monthly special deals.

· In 2013, The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens will have a new face. The Museum has started a renovation project that will give its campus a new look and feel as it integrates to the community in a more green and welcoming way. This project encompasses the restoration of the Olmsted Garden -a riverfront garden that dates back to 1931- as well as the renovation of the entire Riverside Avenue portion of the Cummer’s campus that will include an outdoor café, an outdoor statue garden and more spacious sidewalks. The Museum’s parking lots will undergo a reconstruction to make them more environmentally friendly and a better space for visitors.

Hotel Renovations: Improvement to Jacksonville’s 18,000 hotel rooms.

The Holiday Inn Express and Suites at Salisbury Road has been completely renovated.

Liberty Group acquired the Holiday Inn Express and Suites at Blount Island. The property has 73 guest rooms including 17 suites, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a 2,000-square-foot meeting room, and an atrium-style great room.

The Clarion Airport Hotel will become a Doubletree Hotel. During the transition period it will be known as The Jacksonville Airport Hotel and despite intense renovations the hotel will not close its doors. The new Double Tree hotel will open its doors in May 2013 on the grounds of the Jacksonville International Airport.

A new TownePlace Suites by Marriott Jacksonville Airport will open in 2014. The $7.5 million hotel will have 107 rooms and will be located at 725 Skymarks Drive at River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville.

Extended Stay America Jacksonville-Riverwalk just completed a 1.1 million dollar renovation.

In the fall of 2012 the Omni Jacksonville Hotel began renovations to its lobby and restaurant. The new lobby will allow staff to be able to get out from behind the front desk and actually interact with visitors. In 2014 the Hotel expects to renovate all guest rooms.
The aLoft Tapestry Park will be undergoing some structural rebuilds in the coming months. Expected closure time is 6 months, after that the boutique hotel will reopen.

The Candlewood Suites hotel on Belfort Road recently underwent a complete renovation.

Name change, the Courtyard by Marriott Kendall Town is now Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville I-295/East Beltway.

The Homewood Suites Baymeadows is now a Hawthorn Suites by Windham, nothing changes but the flag.

New For Foodies: Jacksonville’s young and talented new wave of chefs have reinvented the region’s best dishes to create a whole new breed of Southern restaurants infused with modern flavors and textures.

· A visit to the newly open Black Sheep at Riverside’s historic 5 Points neighborhood will leave you breathless and satisfied. A new project from owner and Chef Jonathan Insetta, Black Sheep’s menu features Chicken and Dumplings, Georgia Peach Chutney, Short Rib Poutine and sides like Fried Green Tomatoes with warm Maytag Blue Cheese Fondue and Cheddar Grits with Smoked Bacon, simply spectacular! Ingredients for Black Sheep’s menu are all locally grown and meats come from local organic farm, Black Hog Farm. Black Sheep also has Jacksonville’s only rooftop bar and restaurant, with spectacular views of the Downtown Skyline.

· New option in town is Maple Street Biscuit Company. Its menu revolves around flaky and fluffy biscuit sandwiches and southern flavors with a modern twist. Try the Loaded Goat, a biscuit with fried chicken and fried goat cheese.

· The King Street Beer & Food District is an emerging hotspot in town. Located in the historic Riverside neighborhood, this 5 block district offers visitors different and local options for dining, dancing and drinking. On King Street – next to local famous hotspots Kickbacks Gastropub and Carmines Pie House– are now a new wave of locally owned restaurants giving this strip new life and flavors. Visit Lola’s Burrito Joint and try their Yucky Yucca Fries or the Chicken Curry Empanadas, then walk over to Pele’s Wood Fire and try one of their handmade pizzas that cook in just 90 seconds! Another new option is Soup’s On with vegetarian soups that include the savory Cream of Plantain and the unexpected Cherry Almond Soup. The Garage is a bar/restaurant with a long list of grilled cheese sandwiches and the famous Red Velvet Cupcake Burger, a truly decadent dessert! A new addition to the strip is The Salty Fig Southern Gastropub, opening its doors in December 2012. The Salty Fig started as a Food truck combining Creole and American flavors. Breweries are also thriving on King Street, led by two popular craft breweries –Bold City Brewery and Intuition Ale Works, visitors can tour both breweries and enjoy beer tastings. Bars on the strip offer anything from 25 beers on tap to 85 beers on tap!

Located in Historic 5 Points neighborhood, Derby on Park is a new diner with old-school charm offering what some consider the “best burgers” in Jacksonville. The restaurant opened in the fall of 2012 after an extensive renovation.

The San Marco Dining District is an elegant and unique Jacksonville dining option including some of the city’s best restaurants and chefs. It is composed of Chef Matthew Medure’s Matthew’s Restaurant, Chef Tom Gray’s Bistro Aix, Chef Sam Efro’s Taverna, bb’s Restaurant and Bar and The Grotto Wine and Tapas. All these exceptional options are in the same neighborhood offering fine dining, outstanding service and an extensive wine selection.

Aardwolf Brewery will be opening in February of 2013, this latest Jacksonville Brewery is in the heart of San Marco, it will be a bar/brewery distributing to local restaurants.

Shopping Expansions:

· The St. Johns Town Center, Jacksonville’s premiere upscale outdoor shopping mall continues to grow. In 2014 Neiman Marcus will anchor a new wing of the already 200-acre center. This expansion will be about 30,000 sq ft adding more stores yet to be named. Underway right now is also a project that will bring 225 luxury apartments to the complex. There are over 100 stores at the Town Center. It is located just minutes from Jacksonville Beach and houses stores like Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, West Elm, Tiffany, Target and Dillard’s.

A new shopping destination is coming to Jacksonville’s Northside; construction is underway for a new 96,000-square-foot shopping center at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Airport Center Road. The new shopping center will be across from the River City Marketplace, which is on the Northside near the Jacksonville International Airport.

Winter Highlights at Visit Jacksonville:

After an intense national search, Visit Jacksonville has a new CEO. Paul Astleford arrives in Jacksonville after a successful tour of duty leading Experience Columbus, in Columbus, Ohio, where he served as its president and CEO since 2000. Read our press release: http://bit.ly/Ucde9J

Visit Jacksonville has a new commercial that debuted during January’s Gator Bowl on ESPN2:http://bit.ly/Spl56F

The City of Jacksonville won two second place awards in two Keep America Beautiful (KAB) award categories—the National Award and the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Award.

The City of Jacksonville was recognized by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government and Digital Communities Program in their 12th annual Digital Cities Survey. Jacksonville was ranked 10th nationwide in cities with a population of 250,000 or more.

Adventure Landing’s WinterFEST won the Brass Ring Award for Public Relations and Community at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions’ (IAAPA) Annual Conference.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens received a 2012 Top Honors Award for International Conservation for its support of the Grevy’s Zebra Trust and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA): A Model of Collaborative Endangered Species Conservation. Jacksonville Zoo is one of 26 AZA-member facilities involved in effort to save this species.

For more information on any of these previously mentioned “NEW” Jacksonville happenings please email me atpjimenez@visitjacksonville.com. For a complete list of local events and festivals go to www.visitjacksonville.com

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Visit Jacksonville is the marketing organization contracted by the Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Northeast Florida. Along with its nearly 400 tourism partners, Visit Jacksonville stimulates economic impact, quality of life and recognition for the Northeast Florida region. For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to www.VisitJacksonville.com.

Patty Jimenez

Communications Manager

Visit Jacksonville

208 N. Laura St., Ste. 102

Jacksonville, FL 32202

Direct: (904) 421-9169

Cellular: (305) 915-3850

Fax: (904) 899-9668

800-733-2668 ext. 515

pjimenez@visitjacksonville.com

www.visitjacksonville.com

An updated link for soccer information: https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/soccertraining.html