Jacksonville’s Oct. 16-18 weekend calendar includes a free air show at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, a beachside Oktoberfest, live music and games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
The NAS Jax Air Show returns Saturday and Sunday, with gates opening at 9 a.m. and programming beginning at 11 a.m. The annual event is free and will feature both the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Organizers expect large crowds, and every adult attending will need a valid Real ID to enter the base.
Beaches Oktoberfest runs from 5 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. Admission is free, though VIP packages are available. The festival includes food and beer, two live-music stages, polka and oompah acts, Sister Hazel on Friday, the Hip Abduction on Saturday, and Saturday afternoon stein-hoisting contests.
Southern rock band Molly Hatchet plays Ponte Vedra Concert Hall at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are listed at $54 to $63. The Jacksonville-rooted band has a new album, Lost Horizon, due next month.
Sports fans can see the Florida Gators men’s basketball team face the Baylor Bears in an exhibition game at 2 p.m. Sunday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Tickets range from $30 to $124. The Jacksonville Icemen also play at the arena at 7 p.m. Saturday against the South Carolina Stingrays; that game is a white-out, with fans encouraged to wear white. Tickets are listed at $44 to $77.
