Breakdancing in JWJ parkBreakdancing in JWJ park
A celebration of hip-hop and all its elements -- graffiti, DJ'ing, emceeing and (seen here) breakdancing -- is the main thrust of this weekend's Summer in the City held in James Weldon Johnson park | Photo by Toni Smailagic, courtesy of Cre8Jax

ARTS PICKS | July 28-30

Published on July 27, 2023 at 9:38 am
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Jacksonville Today Arts and Culture Editor Matt Shaw shares his arts and culture picks for the weekend.

Friday

Amplified Avondale 

St. Johns Avenue | Historic Avondale 

Businesses along Avondale’s main drag, St. Johns Avenue, host a lineup of local musicians and pop-up art experiences for Friday’s Amplified Avondale. Among other scheduled performances, singer-songwriter Tori Nance plays at Shores Liquor, gypsy-jazz group Junco Royals performs at Mellow Mushroom and world-music connoisseur DJ Papi Disco spins at the Casbah Cafe. The event is held from 6 p.m-9 p.m. It’s free to attend, though probably best enjoyed from one of the participating venues’ patios while sipping a drink. More info.  

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Friday & Saturday

No Exit 

Swisher Theater | Arlington 

Regional company Lumen Repertory Theatre brings Sartre’s 1944 play No Exit to Jacksonville University’s Swisher Theater, beginning with two performances on Friday and Saturday. An existentialist tale from the French intellectual who popularized the theory, No Exit tracks the story of three roommates cohabiting… well… let’s just say they live somewhere down South. Friday’s public premiere and Saturday’s performance are both at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and more info.


Saturday 

Summertime in the City 

James Weldon Johnson Park | Downtown Jacksonville 

The urban arts festival Summertime in the City comes to James Weldon Johnson Park on Saturday in celebration of hip-hop (which turns 50 years young this year). An open-style rap battle, graffiti exhibition, breakdancing and a lineup of emcees and DJ’s are all planned, as is a live podcast stage hosted by the local MPN Network, which will bring some of Jacksonville’s most-listened-to audio productions to life. The event is from 4 p.m.-9:30 p.m. It’s free to attend. More info.


author image Arts & Culture Editor email Matthew Shaw is a writer, editor and musician. His writing has appeared in Folio Weekly, Edible Northeast Florida, The Surfer's Journal, and SURFER Magazine, and he's reported on national stories for The New York Times. He was previously editor in chief of the Void Magazine.

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