New Meeting Incentives, Events and More Highlight Jacksonville’s Start to 2022

Jacksonville, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2022) – Meeting planners and tourists have plenty of reasons to visit Jacksonville in 2022 – new meetings incentives, new hotels, new restaurants and plenty of special events. There will also be a big birthday celebration in June as the city celebrates its bicentennial.

Hotel happenings
Residence Inn Downtown Jacksonville – Located in close proximity to Downtown in the up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood, the 135-room Marriott property includes 650 square feet of meeting space, and recently had its grand opening celebration.

Salt Air Inn & Suites – The rebuilt boutique property in Atlantic Beach, which originally opened in 1946, is ready to start accepting guests in March. Offering 15 total rooms, the pet-friendly hotel also features an outdoor swimming pool and easy access to beach rentals.

Hotel Indigo – The recently renovated Tapestry Park hotel drew its inspiration from the history of the area, which was once known as Hollywood East. The property will feature Silent Sundays, in partnership with Norman Studios, offering silent movie showings and popcorn.

Meeting and conference incentives
Visit Jacksonville recently launched Big Ideas Need Big Spaces, an incentive program designed for qualifying meetings and conferences taking place in Duval County to encourage more meetings in 2022.

Eligibility is based on the meeting taking place in 2022 as new business, not an already negotiated or existing contract, and must be booked by September 30, 2022. If a multi-year meeting is booked, with the first meeting actualizing in 2022, the incentive payment will apply to each of the years booked. More information is available on the Meet in Jax site.

Upcoming special events

February
Bold City Con, February 25-27 at Regency Square Mall. Northeast Florida's boldest multi-day pop culture convention will feature celebrity guests of film, TV, comics, music, and video games, along with cosplay, gaming, vendors, and artists.

Seawalk Music Festival, February 26-27 at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. The festival showcases the regional music scene with food, drinks and local vendors.

Spartan Races, February 26-27 at WW Ranch Motocross Park. The obstacle races return with multiple events taking place throughout the weekend.

World of Nations, February 26-27 at Metropolitan Park in Downtown Jacksonville. This annual international festival is North Florida's largest multicultural festival and features exhibitions and events from numerous countries.

Riverside Craft Beer Festival, February 27 at the Riverside Arts Market. Local and national beer, food trucks and live music highlight this annual event.

March
El Cheapo Sheephead Tournament, March 5. El Cheapo has become the largest sheepshead tournament in the world and one of the largest fishing tournaments in the United States. Hundreds of anglers will compete in the tournament.

GATE River Run, March 5 in Downtown Jacksonville. The annual 15-kilometer road running event has been the US National 15K Championship since 1994. The race attracts both competitive and recreational runners and was voted as one of the top US Road Races for the last 20 years by Runner's World Magazine.

THE PLAYERS Championship, March 7-13 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. THE PLAYERS is the PGA TOUR’s flagship event where the world’s greatest golfers compete.

April
Springing the Blues, April 1-3 at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. The free, outdoor blues music festival celebrates America’s indigenous musical form. The three-day oceanfront event features national, regional and local blues artists on two stages.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Opening Day, April 5 at 121 Financial Ballpark in Downtown Jacksonville. Shrimp season begins with the team facing the Worchester Red Sox.

UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie, April 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Downtown Jacksonville. UFC returns with a world championship doubleheader that will see UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defend against No. 4 ranked contender Chan Sung Jung. Also, UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling runs it back with interim titleholder Petr Yan.

Woofstock, April 23 at Kanine Social in Riverside. One day of peace, music and dogs. This dog-friendly event will feature multiple stages of amazing music, some of the area's top vendors and food trucks, a full array of delicious beverages. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Jacksonville Humane Society.

Save the date
Jacksonville Jazz Fest, May 26-29 in Downtown Jacksonville. The Jazz Fest, which began in 1981, is one of the largest free jazz fests in the country.

Bicentennial Celebration, June 11 in Downtown Jacksonville. The celebration will include food, live music, fireworks and more as Jacksonville officially turns 200.

Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe/Poison/Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, July 2 at TIAA Bank Field in Downtown Jacksonville. The Stadium Tour comes to Jacksonville and tickets are on sale now.

Visit the events page to learn more about these events and others in the coming months.

Now open
While planning a trip for a special event, don’t forget to plan your culinary itinerary as well. Try some of the new restaurants, bars and dessert places that have opened in the past few months:

M Brothers at Mayo Clinic – The new a full service restaurant and bar also features grab and go section.

1928 Cuban Bistro - Roosevelt Blvd. – This is the third location for the popular, local favorite serving Cuban cuisine and coffee.

Carolina Chicken – Serving Carolina BBQ style chicken and sides, the restaurant is located on the Northside.

One Night Taco Stand – The taco-themed restaurant on the Southside is the third location in the area.

O-Ku – The upscale sushi restaurant, complete with a rooftop bar, is now open in Jacksonville Beach.

Taqueria Solazo – Serving fresh Mexican food, the restaurant is located in Murray Hill at the corner of Post & Edgewood.

For a larger list of recent openings, visit the new Jacksonville openings page on our website.

About Visit Jacksonville
Visit Jacksonville is a Destinations International accredited Destination Marketing Organization contracted by the Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Jacksonville. For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to http://www.VisitJacksonville.com or contact 800-733-2668.

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