Heather Henderson Newsletter Writer email
Heather Henderson is a writer, editor and artist. Originally hailing from South Florida, she has lived in Jax for close to 20 years. Previously a staff writer at Void Magazine, she also worked as a global trade researcher and wrote about trade policy for American Shipper. Most recently, she served as assistant editor for the National Culinary Review and We Are Chefs. In her free time she loves to paint, watch bad reality shows and read. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Florida.
Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Friday Night Safari”
Get wild at the Orange Park Mall's Friday Night Safari. | Submitted
January 15, 2026

BIT OF JOY | Friday Night Safari

Encounter wild animals at the Orange Park Mall’s Friday Night Safari.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Great Tree Giveaway”
Greenscape of Jacksonville is giving away free trees this Saturday. | Greenscape of Jacksonville
January 14, 2026

BIT OF JOY | Great Tree Giveaway

Greenscape of Jacksonville is hosting its Great Tree Giveaway this Saturday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | North Beach Park”
The new North Beach Park has a spot to hang love locks. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
January 13, 2026

BIT OF JOY | North Beach Park

St. Johns County officials opened the newly renovated North Beach Park.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Hospital gift exchange”
A patient at Wolfson Children's Hospital (left) enjoys a gift from Buffalo, and a patient at Golisano Children's Hospital of Buffalo enjoys a gift from Jacksonville. | Submitted
January 12, 2026

BIT OF JOY | Hospital gift exchange

Children’s hospitals in Jacksonville and Buffalo did a gift exchange to celebrate the Jaguars and Bills playoff game Sunday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Win a Super Bowl trip”
You could win a trip to the Super Bowl to cheer on a team that may or may not be from Jacksonville. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 8, 2026

BIT OF JOY | Win a Super Bowl trip

The Red Cross is giving blood donors a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LX.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Best Beaches thrift store”
BEAM Thrift was voted best thrift store at the Beaches. | Submitted
January 7, 2026

BIT OF JOY | Best Beaches thrift store

BEAM Thrift was voted best thrift store at the Beaches.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | 2026 YoungArts honorees”
(From left) Leila Warren, Jayden Giselle Register and Eiana Claire Nova are three of six Douglas Anderson School of the Arts students selected as 2026 YoungArts honorees. | Submitted
December 24, 2025

BIT OF JOY | 2026 YoungArts honorees

Six students from Jacksonville’s Douglas Anderson School of the Arts are 2026 YoungArts honorees.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | St. Johns Reads”
December 23, 2025

BIT OF JOY | St. Johns Reads

The “One Book, One Community” celebration, part of the St. Johns County Library’s St. Johns Reads program, begins in January.…

Featured image for “JTA wants to know what’s on your mind”
Two of the JTA’s autonomous NAVI shuttles are parked on North Georgia Street on June 27, 2025. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
December 23, 2025

JTA wants to know what’s on your mind

JTA will have a series of meetings next month to explain plans and solicit feedback from the community.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Edible St. Augustine Lighthouse”
December 22, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Edible St. Augustine Lighthouse

A replica of the St. Augustine Lighthouse made of canned food won a big prize for charity.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Jax Litter League winners”
Mayor Donna Deegan (third from left) with the team who won the second Jax Litter League challenge | Wes Lester, city of Jacksonville
December 18, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Jax Litter League winners

A team from the Northside won the 2nd Jax Litter League contest.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Shop with a Jaguar”
Jaguars nose tackle DaVon Hamilton is all smiles with 9-year-old Jayden Parker during the team's annual Shop with a Jaguar event on Monday. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 17, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Shop with a Jaguar

Jacksonville Jaguars players brought joy to kids at the annual Shop with a Jaguar event this week.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Family Literacy Night at the Cummer”
The River City Readers bookmobile brings free books to kids in Jacksonville. | Cummer Museum
December 16, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Family Literacy Night at the Cummer

The Cummer Museum will host a Family Literacy Night from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Naturalization ceremony”
More than 90 people took the oath of citizenship during halftime of yesterday's contest between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 15, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Naturalization ceremony

Nearly 100 people became U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony during Sunday’s Jaguars game.…

Featured image for “Porta-potties flushed at Nights of Lights”
Hundreds of people crowd downtown St. Augustine in November 2024 to see the annual Nights of Lights. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
September 24, 2025

Porta-potties flushed at Nights of Lights

The City Commission is reducing the number of portable bathrooms it had hoped to provide at Nights of Lights.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | 100 years of Winn-Dixie”
September 4, 2025

BIT OF JOY | 100 years of Winn-Dixie

Locally headquartered grocery chain Winn-Dixie is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month with special throwback pricing and a birthday bash.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Library Card Sign-up Month”
Clay County residents can get a limited-edition library card with a artwork from this year's Art the Card contest. | Clay County Public Library
September 2, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Library Card Sign-up Month

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and the St. Johns County Library is giving residents an extra incentive to join…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Nights of nostalgia”
August 21, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Nights of nostalgia

Home Alone (easily one of the top holiday movies ever) turns 35 this year, and the Florida Theatre is celebrating with…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Jaguars Fan of the Year”
Fans cheer on the Jags at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
August 18, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Jaguars Fan of the Year

Have you crossed oceans to see the Jaguars play? Do you have a portrait of Trevor Lawrence tattooed on your…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Jax students awarded scholarships”
Students accept their scholarship awards Monday at Edward Waters University. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
August 6, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Jax students awarded scholarships

This week, the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1408 — representing dock workers at JAXPORT — celebrated the 30th anniversary of…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Free zoo days for kids”
Take the kids to the zoo for free this month. | Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens
August 5, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Free zoo days for kids

This month, the Jacksonville Zoo is offering families a budget-friendly way to meet the city’s wildest residents. Through the end…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Carvill Park pool reopens”
August 4, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Carvill Park pool reopens

The public pool at Carvill Park in Northwest Jacksonville was shut down close to a decade ago, and the city…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Gift cards for teachers”
July 24, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Gift cards for teachers

Know a fabulous teacher in St. Johns County? Let them know Crabby’s Beachside in St. Augustine wants to help them…

Featured image for “Casey DeSantis has edge in governor’s race, UNF poll says”
Florida first lady Casey DeSantis speaks at a presidential campaign event for Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 2, 2023, in South Carolina. | Artie Walker Jr., AP
July 24, 2025

Casey DeSantis has edge in governor’s race, UNF poll says

Republicans polled favored the first lady slightly over U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.…