KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Apr 4: Riverfront PALOOZA at Riverfront Plaza
Sat, Apr 4: 2026 Mandarin Art Festival
Sat, Apr 4: Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Cottontail Tea Party
Sun, Apr 5: Wicked Barley Brewing Company Easter Sunday Brunch and Egg Hunt
Fri, Apr 10: 34th Annual Springing the Blues Festival
Sat, Apr 11:
Berry Good Farms Weekend Festival at North Florida School of Special Education
Sun, Apr 12: Steve Trash - Science LIVE! | FSCJ Artist Series
Fri, Apr 17: Jacksonville Science Festival 2026
Sat, Apr 25: Taylorville: An Unofficial Live Tribute - Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
Fri, May 8: Pack Fitness
Mother's Night Out KNO
Fri, May 15: Beetlejuice the Musical (Broadway Series) - Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
Fri, May 15: Jax Parks Movie Night - Back to the Future at Riverside Artists Square
Sat, May 16: U-Pick Flowers & Flower Fest at Branford Farm Stand |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: Before I had kids, one of my colleagues told me that fundamentally, a parent’s job is to point. At first, you point physically: You point at the waterfall and say “waterfall,” at the moon and say “moon,” at the flower and say “flower.” You’re helping a child connect sounds to objects, words to concepts, language to reality. But later, and really all the way through, the
pointing becomes more metaphorical. Parenting is the ongoing work of connecting your child’s growing capacity to understand with a world that is, to them, forever expanding. As I had Madison and Ella, I came to think of this as being a tour guide to the world. A good tour guide needs to know the landscape, of course. But even more important, a good tour guide needs to know the traveler. What can this particular child see right now? What are they ready for? What do they care
about? What frightens them? What delights them? It's useful to remember that kids haven’t actually been here before: The world is brand-new to them over and over again, so what feels ordinary to us is often astonishing to a child. Tour guides who are doing their job well pay close attention to who their audience is and what they know, and that makes the pointing easier and more fun. Spring is the perfect season to practice pointing. In spring, the world changes fast enough for
kids to notice. Buds swell and burst. Birds return. Tiny green things push up through the dirt as if by magic. Day to day, the world becomes visibly more alive. If we point it out, kids can catch it happening in real time. And spring does not arrive quietly. It comes as an avalanche of the senses: color, smell, birdsong, mud, wind, sunlight, thunder, petals, pollen, rushing water. So maybe that’s part of the job, too: not just to point, but to lean into it. To stand beside our
kids in the rush of it all and say, Look! Here it comes.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Drive to the rural side of Jacksonville and savor the country roads along the way. Bring your friends and come shop some of the South’s favorite vendors, located in our beautiful barns pavilions and under the shaded oak hammocks. Come discover your newest Spring finds. There will be one of a kind pickins’ such as vintage treasures, farmhouse finds, home décor, re-loved furniture, handcrafted items, unique relics, antiques, tasty treats, unique gifts and more. Our show is a unique shopping experience that you and your shopping gals and pals won’t want to skip out on.
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Dave & Buster’s Jacksonville Grand Re-Opening & Ribbon Cutting! Join us as we celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Dave & Buster’s Jacksonville! We’re excited to welcome the community back to experience our newly updated venue, complete with upgraded games, refreshed spaces, and an even better entertainment experience.
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Northeast Florida’s Premier Anime, Comic Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, & Pop Culture Event returns for Year 11! Collective Con will be located at the PRIME F OSBORN III CONVENTION CENTER in Jacksonville, FL. Children 10 and under are FREE! Don’t miss out on this weekend of fun with Celebrity Guests, Voice Actors from some of your Favorite Anime/Video Game, Vendors, Fan Panels, Video Game Tournaments, Cosplay Contests, After Parties and more.
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Skip the sugar overload and give your child an active Easter celebration they’ll love. Our Huge Easter Party blends movement, learning, and imagination through egg hunts with purpose, bunny relays, and teamwork games that build coordination, balance, and social skills. Everything is coach-led and age-appropriate, so kids stay engaged and included from start to finish. It’s festive fun with structure, meaningful movement, and a night where kids leave smiling—and parents feel confident they made a great choice.
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Attend this amazing day of activities throughout the Garden Club campus. Activities include a Sprout Sale, Green Market, Budding Gardeners Class, Garden Club Academy, Plant Pick-Up, Food Trucks, and more! Free and open to the public.
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Come on over to The Foundation Academy, where who you become matters, for a FREE block party with food, fun, treats, and an Easter egg hunt. Faculty and staff will be on hand to give guided campus tours and answers your questions. Discover how project-based learning can enhance your students' academic journey!
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Celebrate Atlantic Beach’s Centennial with a fun-filled Americana Day for the whole family! Enjoy a vintage car show and vote for your favorite car, jump into a friendly wiffleball game with the Atlantic Beach Police Department, and take part in classic activities throughout the park. Face painting and food trucks will be available, making this a perfect afternoon of community fun.
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Join us on March 28th for our Easter Celebration. Enjoy all-day activities, including a Bounce House, Easter Egg Decorating, Easter Games, Coloring Sheets, Candy Giveaway, and Photo Booth! Easter event and activities will be located at the F-Row Field.
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5th Annual Jacksonville Spring Fest on March 29th from 11-4pm at Riverwalk Art Square (Under the Bridge) Celebrate spring and enjoy a day full of family fun and joyful memories! Reserve Your Free Ticket Reminder for a chance to win $25 market bucks.
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You and your family are invited to join us for a fun and festive Community Easter Egg Hunt at Southside Methodist Church on Sunday, March 29 at 4:00 PM. It will be a joyful afternoon filled with laughter and celebration. All are welcome, so invite your neighbors and friends and bring your own basket for the hunt. We are excited to gather together and enjoy this special time as we look ahead to Easter Sunday.
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Come join One Church Jax Beach for a great afternoon of fun & community merrymaking.
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The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on, open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families.
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Jacksonville - Shoott - Jacksonville, FL, March 27-29, 2026, See link for times
- Dave & Buster’s Jacksonville Grand Re-Opening & Ribbon Cutting! - Dave & Buster's Jacksonville, Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, FL, March 27, 2026, 10:45 a.m.
- Blooms Galore & More at the Garden Club of Jacksonville - Garden Club of Jacksonville, 1005 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204, March 28, 2026, 9:00AM - 3:00PM
- Springfield Farmers & Arts Market - 1352 North Main Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206, March 28, 2026, 11AM - 5PM
- Egg Hunt & Open House Block Party - The Foundation Academy 3675 San Pablo Rd. S., Jacksonville, FL 32224,
March 28, 2026, 11:00am - 1:00pm
- City of Atlantic Beach Americana Day - 716 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach, FL, March 28, 2026, 10AM - 2PM
- Mandarin Market Spring Fling - 2955 Orange Picker Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223, March 28, 2026, 10AM - 3PM
- Ramona Flea Market Easter Celebration - Ramona Flea Market, 7059 Ramona Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32205, March 28,
2026, 11AM - 3PM
- 28th Annual Bradford County Strawberry Festival - Bradford County Public Defender, 945 N Temple Ave, Starke, Bradford County, FL 32091, March 28-29, 2026, Saturday: 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
- Old Town Art Show 2026 - 25 West Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, FL, March 28-29, 2026, Saturday 10 am - 5 pm | Sunday 10 am - 4 pm
- 5th Annual Jacksonville
Spring Fest - Jacksonville Business Journal, West Adams Street, Jacksonville, FL, March 29, 2026, 11 am - 4 pm
- EGGSTRAVAGANZA & Easter Egg Hunt - One Church Jacksonville Beach, 324 5th St N, Jacksonville Beach, FL, March 29, 2026, 04:00 pm- 06:00 pm
- Celebrate Earth Day with the Meridian Waste Children’s Coloring Contest! ***Contest entry ends April 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT - Meridian Waste - Submit your artwork online., March 27-29, 2026, Any time.
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Jacksonville area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, &
more. Our guide puts summer fun right at your…
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Jacksonville area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Jacksonville area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're
escaping a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Jacksonville area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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