Jacksonville’s weekend calendar for Nov. 6-8 includes the opening weekend of the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair at its new Normandy Boulevard grounds, plus free music in Springfield, a right whale festival in Fernandina Beach and more.
Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair: The fair opens at 3 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday and Sunday at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds. Admission is $15. Friday’s concert features Grace Potter, followed by Dwight Yoakam on Saturday and Chris Kirkpatrick on Sunday. Other listed attractions include skate shows, a bubble factory, strolling magicians and a 155-foot Ferris wheel. The adjacent Jacksonville Equestrian Center will host the Horses & Heroes Rodeo on Friday and Saturday; $46 admission includes entry to the fair.
PorchFest: Historic Springfield, just north of downtown Jacksonville, will host more than a dozen acts on front porches beginning at noon Saturday. The free event welcomes attendees to bring chairs and move between performances; well-behaved dogs are also welcome.
Right Whale Festival: Main Beach Park in Fernandina Beach will host the free festival from 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. A beach cleanup begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by live music, beach yoga, a dog parade and informational booths focused on North Atlantic right whales. Fewer than 400 of the endangered whales remain, and they gather off Florida’s coast each winter to breed, according to the event listing.
Teddy Bear Affair: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens will offer children’s stuffed animals make-believe medical exams, including eye checks, “x-rays,” casts and splints. Children carrying a favorite stuffed animal receive free admission.
Mahler’s Ninth: The Jacksonville Symphony, conducted by Courtney Lewis, performs Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Jacoby Symphony Hall. Tickets are listed at $39 to $89.
