I’m one. You may be one. If you’re not, I bet you wish you were. We live in a pretty awesome place. Jacksonville has a lot to offer if you know some of the right places to look. And if you have ever watched any of those traveling food shows, like that one called $40 a Day with Rachel Ray or the way cooler one on PBS with Rick Steve, they always say that the best way to find the best part of any city is to ask the locals.

Getting to know your locals lets you sink into the nitty gritty of the city. I really had no intention of that incredible rhyme, but moving on. You get to see the much more of what keeps the heart of our city beating. And you can get in on all those native tips and stories, like knowing where you’re going when people use Pic-n-Save as a reference point or if you need help with a Lynyrd Skynyrd sing-along.

But as great as this city is, sometimes, the locals themselves are the best part.

So as a Jacksonville local, I want to let you in on a few upcoming events where the locals take center stage, literally.

Next Friday, March 27, from 7 to 10 pm, we will be holding one of our favorite annual events, Art After Dark. This will mark the 12^th year we have held this visual arts showcase at our theatre. Initially it was started as a fundraiser for the theatre, and still continues to be the only one we hold each year, but over the past decade, it has become one of Jacksonville’s premier platforms for local artists who have yet to be “discovered.” It is a pure example of the artistic and creative life that is indigenous to our area. Sounds so primal, huh? Well, it certainly can be. It is really an event that can’t be missed for reasons that are actually tri-fold: 1. You are supporting on of Jacksonville’s most treasured venues, 2. You are enriching your own lives through art appreciation, and 3. You’re helping out the locals, which always in turn helps out our city. Plus there’s lots of yummy food and drinks and a pretty awesome silent auction on stage, so I know I will see you there.

Then the very next evening, we will present locals in a bit of a different way. Saturday, March 28 will see the live performance of Third Eye Blind. You know...  “I want something else, to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life baby baby...I’m not listening when you say goodbyyyeee.” Clearly I sing on paper just as well as I sing in real life. But Third Eye Blind were kings of the alternative rock stage in the ‘90s and are hitting it again with a newly released album.

The little jem about this concert is that we have local rockers Shawn Fisher and the Jukebox Gypsies. This band, made up of front man Shawn Fisher and mates Robbie, Scraggle, Blake and Casey, have been blowing up the Jacksonville music scene, recently opening for Little Big Town. These kids have been traveling to the big cities, like New York and Los Angeles, lately to spread the sound around, so you better catch them here first before they simply blow up.

But this is just what we do at the Florida Theatre. We are locals supporting locals. And it’s awesome. You should try it to—and Rachel Ray would approve—you can do both of these things with less than $40.

kat.berry.