What we’re about
Do you get excited when the holidays roll around? And by holidays, I mean any and all of them. Halloween, 4th of July, St Patty’s Day, National Rescue Dog Day, I Don’t Feel Like Working Will Someone Please Play Hooky With Me Day… You get it.
This group is for people in Northeast Florida who want to venture out and enjoy all kinds of holiday and seasonal fun. We’ll do some haunted houses, visit fall festivals, eat our faces off around Thanksgiving, check out Christmas light displays, play games on April Fools Day, and so on.
While it’s nice to have people to go out to eat or drink with on occasion, there are plenty of groups that cater to that niche. This one is about getting together to celebrate the holidays and seasons. And no holiday is too obscure!
So if you’re interested, go ahead and sign up. I’ll be adding activities to the schedule, but please feel free to propose your own if you’ve found something cool to do around here!
There's just one rule in this group:
If you RSVP and do not show, you'll be removed from the group. It's not fair to members who show up and get stuck waiting around for the no-shows. So do the right thing and update your RSVP if you can't make it. Even if it's an hour before the event, just let us know!
And, yes, there is a $5 annual fee to join.
It's pricy to run this group and coordinate all the events we do, so this small fee will help offset costs! Thanks in advance for contributing and I look forward to seeing you at our next holiday event!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Glowing Gardens at Jacksonville Arboretum + Optional DinnerJacksonville Arboretum & Gardens , Jacksonville, FL
This year's holiday event at the Jacksonville Arboretum has been rebranded as Glowing Gardens. We were recently there for a trail walk and the woman said they're taking over the display from an outside vendor, so this will be a completely different experience from prior years!
The cost of admission is $22 for nonmembers and $19 for JABG members. Tickets aren't available yet, but feel free to RSVP and I'll give you a heads up when they are.
This year's light display will be inspired by nature, so it'll definitely have a much different vibe. Here are some of the things we'll see:
- Glowing bromeliads
- Shimmering hummingbirds
- Sparkling woodland
- Majestically lit trees
- Curated light sculptures
- Ground display that looks like a river
There'll also be a BBQ food truck and some warm drinks available. If anyone's interested, we could grab dinner afterwards at Cracker Barrel. There's one right down the road in the Regency area. Might be a nice way to warm up and relax after walking around outdoors for a bit!
One more thing: You have to pay a premium to park at the Arboretum during this event. There is free parking at a church down the road and a shuttle available. Make sure to show up early (at least 30 minutes), so you have plenty of time to park and catch the shuttle over. We'll gather the group at the entrance and walk inside together.
- Outdoor Movie at Ed Austin Regional Park: A Christmas CarolEd Austin Regional Park, Jacksonville, FL
Although Jacksonville doesn't have any drive-in movie theaters, there are occasionally outdoor movie screenings we can enjoy!
On Friday, December 13, they'll be showing A Christmas Carol (the one with Jim Carrey) outside at Ed Austin Regional Park.
It's free to attend, but feel free to RSVP on the EventBrite page if you like.
While you can email the organizer to claim one of the "drive-in" spots, I thought it would be more fun if we got together as a group and sat outside to enjoy the evening. We'll just need to bring our own blankets and chairs.
There will be popcorn vendors and food trucks on site. Feel free to bring your own movie-watching snacks if you prefer!
The movie starts at 6, but we should show up early to claim a spot. I'm thinking we can meet around 5:30. The movie will be by the soccer fields and there will be signs when you enter the park to direct you there.
- Dinner at Forgotten Tonic (before Night of Lights)Forgotten Tonic, St. Augustine, FLUSD 5.00
Note: Only RSVP on this page if you are coming to dinner.
On December 14, St. Augustine will not only have Night of Lights going on, but they're also going to have the Regatta of Lights! Basically, a bunch of lighted yachts will fill up the bay.
I know that it's a huge commitment to go into St. Augustine this time of year what with how crazy it gets and how terrible the parking can be. Buuuut... This is a must see!
So, here's what I'm proposing:
4:00: Anyone who is interested, let's kick off the festivities during the daytime and meet for a very early dinner at Forgotten Tonic. Check out their Instagram to see how they're decking out the place for the holidays!
Dinner/drinks are optional. If you plan to join us for dinner and the walking tour, sign up on this event page and pay $5 to hold your spot. I'll be making a reservation and want to give the restaurant as accurate of a head count as possible. All of this money will go towards paying the tip at the end of the meal.
5:30: Once we finish dinner, we'll connect with everyone else. The sun sets just before 5:30, so this'll be a good time to start our self-guided walking tour around downtown.
If you only plan to do the walking tour and not dinner, sign up on the other event page. You don't need to RSVP on both pages.
6/6:30: The regatta starts at 6 and runs until 7:30. So we can wind our way down to the water any time we want to check out the boats.
Note about parking: Since we're getting there earlier in the day, you might be able to find some parking in the lots around town or in the big parking garage at the visitors' center. It'll cost you at least $20. If there's nothing available or you don't want to pay that much, there is a free park and ride shuttle, too.
- Night of Lights + Regatta in St. AugustineForgotten Tonic, St. Augustine, FL
Note: Only RSVP on this page if you doing the walking tour only (no dinner).
On December 14, St. Augustine will not only have Night of Lights going on, but they're also going to have the Regatta of Lights! Basically, a bunch of lighted yachts will fill up the bay.
I know that it's a huge commitment to go into St. Augustine this time of year what with how crazy it gets and how terrible the parking can be. Buuuut... This is a must see!
So, here's what I'm proposing:
4:00: We'll be going to Forgotten Tonic for dinner/drinks. This is OPTIONAL. If you plan to join us for dinner, sign up on the other event page and pay $5 to hold your spot.
If you only plan to do the walking tour, then RSVP on this page!
5:30: Once we finish dinner, we'll connect with the whole group outside of Forgotten Tonic. The sun sets just before 5:30, so this'll be a good time to start our self-guided walking tour around downtown.
6/6:30: The regatta starts at 6 and runs until 7:30. So we can wind our way down to the water any time we want to check out the boats.
Note about parking: Since we're getting there earlier in the day, you might be able to find some parking in the lots around town or in the big parking garage at the visitors' center. It'll cost you at least $20. If there's nothing available or you don't want to pay that much, there is a free park and ride shuttle, too.
