The Florida climate is mild in winter and hot in summer, attracting many visitors to its shores. Jackson Florida is the largest city in the state and is a pleasant place to live, offering culture and history along with its commercial enterprise. One of the most popular areas is known as Jacksonville Beaches, a district comprising of several towns and communities. It's the place to go for nightlife and shopping and has many bars, restaurants and stores.
The city boasts several prestigious annual events that serve to boost the local economy. The Jazz Festival in April is the second largest of its kind in the United States. The Spring Music Festival is a free concert and Planetfest is a favorite with rock fans. Springing the Blues is a free outdoors festival for blues fans, organized at Jacksonville Beach. The annual Film Festival is regularly visited by well known actors and directors and showcases independent films, shorts and documentaries. Independence Day is celebrated in style in Jacksonville Florida at the Freedom, Fanfare and Fireworks event. The fireworks displays are amongst the largest in the country.
World flora and fauna is on display at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. This collection of animals and botanical gardens is extremely impressive and the zoo is respected for its contribution to conservation. Popular animal exhibits include lions, elephants, great apes and jaguars. There is also an aviary, reptile houses and a collection of animals from the Australian outback, including kangaroos. The zoo also displays animals native to the Jacksonville Florida area, such as the formidable alligator, black bear and red wolves. There are also Florida panthers, bobcats and bald eagles.
Museums also play an important part of cultural life in the city. The Museum of Contemporary Art has recently re-located and expanded its collection to almost 800 exhibits. The permanent collection is supplemented by regular visiting exhibitions. The Museum of Science and History contains interactive displays of science subjects and the local history pertaining to Jacksonville Florida. It also has a Planetarium that is very popular with visitors.
Live entertainment is accommodated at several venues, including the recently opened Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, which has a capacity for 16,000 people. The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra has its base at the Times-Union Center for Performing Arts and the Alhambra Dinner Theatre offers a meal and a stage performance. Jacksonville Florida certainly has something for everyone and will continue to attract visitors with its action packed table of events.
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