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2nd Annual Community First<br />
Seawalk Music<br />
Festival<br />
BY LIZA MITCHELL<br />
There are so many reasons to love where<br />
we live, and the 2nd Annual Community First Saturday, June 14, Noon-10pm<br />
Seawalk Music Festival celebrates them in abundance.<br />
The event is held from noon to 10pm on<br />
75 North 1st Street, Jacksonville Beach<br />
June 14th at the Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville www.communityfirstseawalkmusicfest.com<br />
Beach.<br />
270-9301 or 249-3972 // Free<br />
The free festival spotlights local food vendors,<br />
artists and culture with an eclectic collection<br />
of the area’s top musicians, including Sidereal,<br />
On Guard, Ivey West Band, JacksonVegas, Herd of Watts, The Corbitt Brothers Band, S.P.O.R.E.,<br />
Be Easy, and Woody and the Peckers. With such a feel-good menu of reggae, funk, bluegrass, southern<br />
rock and blues, festival organizers are hoping to introduce up-and-coming local artists to a wider<br />
audience.<br />
“This year we will present a very eclectic lineup of local musical talent, as well as an increased<br />
variety of foods and goods that are local in origin,” says festival founder Sam Veal. “We designed the<br />
festival with the millennial in mind. The millennial generation has a genuine commitment to enhancing<br />
Jacksonville with their energy, inventiveness and optimistic outlook. We feel the musical lineup and<br />
other festival offerings reflect their interests and spirit.”<br />
Veal knows what it takes to put on a successful festival. As the executive director of Jax Beach<br />
Festivals, Veal is the driving force behind the successful Great Atlantic Music Festival and the internationally<br />
renowned George’s Music Springing the Blues Festival, which draws thousands of fans to the<br />
oceanfront pavilion each spring to celebrate the best in blues music.<br />
When planning for the Community First Seawalk Music Festival, Veal focused his attention on the<br />
talents and the culture right in our own backyard. “This festival is different from other events because<br />
its primary purpose is to be reflective of the outstanding and unique aspect of our local creative community,”<br />
Veal says. “It is important to have an all-local festival, because it creates the greatest sense<br />
of community through focusing on the many diverse talents that are a vibrant part of our community<br />
and sharing that collection of talent in a festival atmosphere.”<br />
As the city’s music scene continues to blossom, festival organizers want to emphasize the importance<br />
of supporting local artists by giving them a hometown venue to spread their wings. “Many<br />
of these young bands are on the cusp of a huge breakthrough,” says Terry Dixon, who serves as<br />
artistic director with Jax Beach Festivals. “They have tremendous energy, great stage presence, and<br />
deliver a feel that’s almost tangible. We’re excited to be able to give these artists a phenomenal venue<br />
where they can showcase their talent and gain new fans.”<br />
The inaugural Community First Seawalk Music Festival was held in 2013 in partnership with<br />
Community First Credit Union. “We sponsor and support this event because of the commitment to<br />
local artists and local small businesses,” says John Hirabayashi, president and CEO of Community<br />
First Credit Union. “The event is a fun and free day for all ages and families in our community.”<br />
For Veal, he is hopeful that “people can relax and enjoy themselves together with their friends<br />
and neighbors through the festival experience of local entertainment, local foods, local arts and crafts<br />
and exhibits of local goods and services by local businesses,” he says. “That is fundamental to fulfilling<br />
the purpose of our event.”<br />
eujacksonville.com | june 2014 29