By Hana Ashchi, DVI Intern
Downtown Jacksonville is going to fire up your nights with three “Downtown Lights Up Your Summer Nights.” In an effort to bring even more people Downtown, The Jacksonville Landing, Pyro Shows, and the City of Jacksonville are sponsoring a spectacular fireworks show on the St. Johns River every month this summer.
Two men, 12 hours of manual labor and 450 pounds of explosives with more than 3,000 effects is what it will take for these fireworks to light up the skies.
The first fireworks show is set to blast off at 9:45 p.m. this Saturday, June 7, and will be launched from two barges on the St. Johns River. One will be located in the front of The Jacksonville Landing and the other will be east of the Main Street Bridge. Viewers can watch this beautiful back drop along the Northbank Riverwalk, as well as Friendship Fountain Park on the Southbank.
“We look forward to hosting thousands of people at each event and hope they will explore Downtown and experience it,” said Samantha Collins, marketing and public relations manager at The Jacksonville Landing.
Be sure to head Downtown for an evening of fireworks on these upcoming summer days as well: Friday, July 4, and Saturday, August 2. This month jam to I Love Music Tour until 9:30 p.m. followed by a performance by Something Distant.
“At The Landing, we have over 600 events a year and fireworks are by far our favorite,” said Collins. ” The atmosphere for a fireworks show is filled with excitement, anticipation, laughter, and people have fun. Everyone loves fireworks and we love being able to bring joy to our visitors summer nights.”
Make a night of it and plan to come before the show to have a nice dinner with a scenic view. Be sure to try out any of these restaurants that include the riverfront view at no extra cost:
- American Grill
- Benny’s Steak and Seafood
- Chart House
- Cinco de Mayo
- Fionn MacCool’s Irish Restaurant and Pub
- Hooters
- Koja Sushi
- River City Brewing Company
- Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
End the night with a nightcap by experiencing Downtown’s nightlife scene. You can catch additional shows in The Elbow at:
Don’t let parking keep you from enjoying a night out on the town, it’s free after 6 p.m and on weekends.