Brighten your day with our uplifting short features — feel‑good stories, local success, cultural discoveries, and creative highlights from across Northeast Florida.
Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Volunteer opportunities”
Volunteers clean a Jacksonville beachfront during a recent St. Johns River Celebration. | City of Jacksonville
April 23, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Volunteer opportunities

A volunteer expo Wednesday showcases opportunities to volunteer in Jacksonville.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Free vaccines for Clay County pets”
One pet who is both vaccinated and loved | Heather Henderson, Jacksonville Today
April 22, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Free vaccines for Clay County pets

Clay County is offering free vaccines for pets.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Neighborhoods United Cleanup”
Christine Watson-McCloud was one of more than 100 volunteers who participated in third annual Neighborhoods United Cleanup on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Watson-McCloud has lived in the Grand Park community for more than 50 years and says the cleanup was a way to spread love in her neighborhood. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
April 21, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Neighborhoods United Cleanup

More than 100 volunteers cleaned up trash in Northwest Jacksonville Saturday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Friendship Fountain reopens”
Friendship Fountain has been closed since April 1 for maintenance. | Heather Henderson, Jacksonville Today
April 16, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Friendship Fountain reopens

Friendship Fountain reopens Thursday, and the adjacent playground has its grand opening Saturday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Extra time to file taxes”
Haven't filled out one of these yet? Don't worry, you still have time.
April 15, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Extra time to file taxes

Floridians have an extra two weeks to file taxes this year.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Spoonbill spotting”
A banded Roseate Spoonbill. | Audubon Florida
April 14, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Spoonbill spotting

This one’s for the bird enthusiasts. Audubon’s Everglades Science Center team is asking for help identifying banded Roseate Spoonbills that…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Student entrepreneur”
EverBank volunteers with winning student Joaquin Gasca from First Coast High School. | Submitted
April 10, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Student entrepreneur

A student from First Coast High School won a Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge with his snack company.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | JU students selected as finalists in NASA competition”
Jacksonville University students work on their concept for storing cryogenic fuel in space. | Jacksonville University
April 9, 2025

BIT OF JOY | JU students selected as finalists in NASA competition

Two student teams from Jacksonville University are finalists in NASA’s Human Lander Challenge.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Jax athlete reps the U.S.”
Jacksonville native Avery Patterson is representing the country on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. | USWNT via X
April 8, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Jax athlete reps the U.S.

Jacksonville native Avery Patterson is representing the country on the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Haiku contest winners”
April 7, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Haiku contest winners

The St. Johns Cultural Council announced the winners of its 5th annual Haiku Contest.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Sea turtles released”
South Carolina Aquarium volunteers and a Little Talbot Island State Park ranger carried some of the recuperated sea turtles back into the ocean on Wednesday morning. | South Carolina Aquarium
April 4, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Sea turtles released

Five rehabilitated sea turtles were released at Little Talbot Island this week.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | A fair, a circus and a festival”
UniverSoul Circus is in Jax until April 20. | Tim Pethel
April 3, 2025

BIT OF JOY | A fair, a circus and a festival

The Clay County Agricultural Fair and the UniverSoul Circus start Thursday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Student musicians win big”
The CAP String Orchestra took home awards from a the Music in the Parks competition in Orlando last month. | Submitted
April 2, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Student musicians win big

Local students in the Cathedral Arts Project’s String Orchestra, made up of students in grades 4-12, recently took their act…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Jax Poetry Fest”
April 1, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Jax Poetry Fest

The 10th annual Jax Poetry Fest starts April 1 and runs all month long.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Dealership donates to hospital”
March 31, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Dealership donates to hospital

Subaru of Jacksonville donated $205,000 to Wolfson Children’s Hospital.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Manatee deaths down”
Florida's manatee population is bouncing back, thanks to conservationists and a lot of salad. | Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
March 28, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Manatee deaths down

State and federal officials intervened to stop a manatee die-off linked to a loss of seagrass.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | MOCA Family Day”
March 27, 2025

BIT OF JOY | MOCA Family Day

Enjoy Family Day at Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art this Saturday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Library book sale”
March 26, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Library book sale

The Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library will hold a book sale this week.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Sandcastle contest”
The sandcastle contest at the Opening of the Beaches celebration lets you flex your creativity. | Visit Jacksonville
March 25, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Sandcastle contest

Sign up to participate in the sandcastle contest at the Opening of the Beaches next month.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Iftar at MOSH”
March 24, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Iftar at MOSH

MOSH is hosting an educational Ramadan Iftar dinner on Tuesday.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Local Realtor honored”
Local Realtor Stacy Horst was honored at a recent Northeast Florida Association of Realtors event. | NEFAR via Facebook
March 21, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Local Realtor honored

Fernandina Beach Realtor Stacy Horst was awarded $20,000 to support her charity, Erin’s Hope For Friends.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Jax Zoo makes top 10”
Jacksonville Zoo staff gave Theo the capybara a special treat for his birthday this week. Think Theo would agree his home is one of the best in the country? | Jacksonville Zoo via Facebook
March 20, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Jax Zoo makes top 10

The Jacksonville Zoo was named No. 4 in the country.…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Record Symphony donation”
The Jacksonville Symphony has entertained Jacksonville for 75 years. | Submitted
March 19, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Record Symphony donation

If you thought you were the Jacksonville Symphony’s biggest fan, think again. An anonymous donor just gave the orchestra its…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Free movie night”
March 18, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Free movie night

What could be better than this? Find your way to the city of Jacksonville’s free movie night at the Riverside Arts Market Amphitheater…