This week you can watch a kids’ movie under the stars in St. Johns Town Center, paint with your toddler in Fernandina or even leave your favorite stuffed animal at a local toy store for a toys-only sleepover.
Learn about all these and more fun events in our Top 10 list below. You can also check out our larger calendars using these buttons:
What’s new on Mamamelia.com:
Oldie but goodie: a couple years ago, a local mom gave us these fun recipes that will help you get through the first weeks of school. Get the recipes here.
- Stuffed animal sleepovers are the new thing! On Aug. 11 your child’s stuffed animal spend the night at a sleepover at Villa Villekulla toy store. Come back to find out the silly things that happened during the sleepover! Learn about this fun special event here.
- Meet the Piano Teacher: Dr. Anita Renfroe, an accomplished music professor, has retired to Fernandina Beach — and she’s looking for students to take piano lessons. Her lessons are open to all ages and levels. Learn more, including how you can sign your little one up for a free “interview lesson” to see if they’re a good fit, here.
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Mamamelia’s Top 10 Event Picks for the Week Ahead
1) 7:30 p.m. Saturday: St. Johns Town Center Kids’ Movie Under the Stars / Jacksonville
St. Johns Town Center is hosting the ultimate way for families to stretch their entertainment dollars in an event benefiting Wolfson Children’s Hospital! Bring the whole family to enjoy “The Boss Baby.” (Don’t forget a blanket and chairs.) Family activities will begin at 7:30 p.m., with various things for kids to do and special character appearances before the film begins at 8:30. Questions? Call (904) 998-7156.
2) 6:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday: Stuffed Animal Sleep Over / Fernandina Beach
Wear your pajamas and bring a stuffed animal for craft time and a bedtime story at Villa Villekulla Toy Store! Then, your stuffed animal can stay for a slumber party (optional), eating snacks, playing in the store, exploring downtown and probably staying up very late! Please bring an adult for craft and story time, chaperones will be provided for your plush friends overnight. Come back Saturday morning to pick up your friend between 10am and 12pm and find out what kind of shenanigans happen after dark at the toy store! Registration is required, space is very limited. Cost is $5 at the door (per stuffed animal). Proceeds to benefit the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy.
Call us at (904)432-8291 .
3) 6:30 p.m. Friday: Family Game Night at Monkey Barrel / Amelia Island
Monkey Barrel, a charming local shop featuring toys, kids’ clothes and gifts, is hosting a family game night! This free event, recommended for ages 4 and up, will offer a time for kids to meet kids and have fun playing with various games at the shop, which is located in Amelia Island Plantation’s Spa and Shops.
4) 6:30 p.m. Friday: Night at the Zoo / Jacksonville
See Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in a whole new light during their Night at the Zoo events! Join them from 6:30-10:00 pm for live music, food trucks, cash bars, plus your chance to see the animals on exhibit until 8:30 p.m. There will be animal encounters, keeper talks, bounce houses and more. Get tickets and details at jacksonvillezoo.org/nightatthezoo. Tonight will be a Back to School Bash: Music by the Navy Southeast Jazz Band. Jacksonville Kids Murals will be with us for an interactive mural. We will be hosting special stage for kids only musicians & dancers featuring kids from the following studios: Clevenger Creations, Miss Marie’s Kids and Kids from the DeCicco voice studio. Members: $5/adults and $3/children (3-12) Non-member: $10/adult and $5/children (3-12) Child 2 and under: free (but still require a ticket) Tickets are available by pre-sale, online purchase only.
5) 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday: Paisley Grace Designs Toddler Time: Paint & Create / Fernandina Beach
Join Paisley Grace Designs for a mini project (or two!) & fun music. These special toddler painting events are offered at 11 a.m. Thursdays and Saturdays all month long. Recommended for ages 2-6 (but YOU know your child- so ages won’t be strictly enforced). Learn more at https://www.paisleygracedesigns.com/collections/toddler-time. $15 per project.
6) 10:30 a.m. to 1:15 various days through Aug. 17: Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team training / Jacksonville
Get FREE tickets to watch the Jags get ready for football season at Everbank Field for the upcoming season. All you have to do is reserve your space here. Even parking is free in lots M and N. Fans can attend the Jaguars training camp practices held at the Practice Fields at EverBank Field on July 27, 28, 31, and August 1, 2, 3, 14 (vs Bucs), 15 (vs Bucs). Gates open each day 30 minutes prior to practice beginning.
7) Final Shows Friday and Saturday: Into the Woods / Fernandina Beach
Who’s been fooling with classic fairy tales? Find out when Amelia Musical Playhouse presents Into the Woods, an award-winning musical that combines a number of familiar fairy tales and shows us what happened after they lived happily ever after. Familiar characters include Jack (and the Beanstalk), Little Red Ridinghood and the Wolf, Cinderella, and others, and have added the new tale of the Baker and his Wife to bind together all their stories into a cohesive whole. The show features a full pit orchestra. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Call 904.277.3455 or visit ameliamusicalplayhouse.com for more information.
Show dates are:
– 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, August 11-12
8) Tonight through Sunday: Jumbo Shrimp vs. Braves / Jacksonville
Jacksonville’s Minor League Baseball team takes on the Braves this week in Jacksonville. Friday games are followed by fireworks, and on Sunday kids can get on the field and run the bases. Details at jaxshrimp.com. Game times are:
- 7 p.m. tonight, Friday and Monday
- 6 p.m. Saturday
- 3 p.m. Sunday
9) 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday: 2nd Annual Back to School Bash in World Golf Village / St. Johns
Join World Golf Village for their 2nd Annual Back to School Bash! All ages are invited to celebrate the kick-off of the new school year with a Minion Character Meet & Greet, Scavenger hunt, 3-legged race, ready for school race, hula hoop games, ladder golf, I spy, and more. Entry is $10 for the first child in your family, $8 for each additional child.
10) Now through Sunday, Aug. 13: Annie at Alhambra Dinner Theatre / Jacksonville
A classic for the entire family is showing now though Aug. 13 at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre! Enjoy a delicious grown-up dinner while the kids dine on kid-friendly fare. Then relax as you see the story of this famous orphan unfold, complete with Miss Hannigan in the orphanage, “Daddy” Warbucks in his mansion, and of course fantastic songs along the way!
Evening Show Times:
- Doors open: 5:30 pm
- Meal served: 5:30 pm – 7:20 pm
- Curtain up: 7:30 pm
Details at alhambrajax.com.
Don’t forget this is just a roundup of our top 10 local family-friendly events. There are many more events listed in our special events calendar. Thanks for reading! ~ Mamamelia
Do you know about an event that should be on Mamamelia’s calendar? Tell us about it! This website is managed by busy moms on a bare-bones budget, so it’s a huge help when folks drop us a note about an event when it’s not already on the calendar. If you hear about a great local family-friendly event, send us an email at info@mamamelia.com, message us on Facebook or use the “Submit an Event” link on the website to make sure it gets added to the calendar.
A special thank you to all of the sponsors who help keep Mamamelia going! Please consider using these great local businesses, including:
- Two Sisters Travel Agency: Whether you’re planning the trip of a lifetime or a quick family getaway, Ginger Joiner can help you find the deals and details that will make it spectacular.
- Monkey Barrel: This charming shop found in the Spa and Shoppes area of Omni Amelia Island Plantation features babies’ and children’s clothes, toys and gifts.
- Surf Asylum: This fantastic Amelia Island-based business empowers boys and girls to learn to surf and understand water safety, as the two must go hand-in-hand. Offerings include lessons, summer camp, birthday parties and more!
- Krisit Garber, Licensed Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway Homesource Chaplin Williams Realty. Call 904-335-7512 or visit kristi.chaplinwilliams.com to talk about your real estate needs in the Fernandina Beach area.
