Category: Around The County - The County Insider

The County Insider

Dining Down Centre

1/2/2025

1/2/25 @ 2:15 p.m. - Happy 200th Birthday to the City of Fernandina Beach! Incorporated on January 1, 1825, the City of Fernandina Beach is the largest incorporated City in Nassau County with an estimated population of of 13,053 (2020 Census).

To celebrate the City's 200th Birthday, Fernandina Beach Main Street and the City of Fernandina Beach hosted Dining Down Centre for nearly 1,000 attendees. The event featured a ticketed community dinner provided by approximately one dozen local restaurants including, but not limited to, AIBC the Tavern, Arte Pizza, Baba's Mediterranean Grill, The Boathouse, The Crab Trap and more. Though tickets to the dinner were sold out, hundreds of others gathered downtown to enjoy additional activities at the event which included live music by the Honey Badgers, speakers from the City of Fernandina Beach, historical characters from the Amelia Island Museum, and the Fernandina Beach Pirates.

Congratulations to Fernandina Beach Main Street and the City of Fernandina Beach on a very successful event.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Vietnam Voices

1/2/2025

1/2/25 @ 9:00 a.m.

The Town of Hilliard and VFW Post 10095 have partnered to bring "Vietnam Voices", a special program to honor Veterans in Nassau County. This will include a heartwarming display of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall which will be placed at the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds from April 17 - April 21, 2025. The Vietnam Traveling Wall is a 3/5 scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. and honors the sacrifices made by those who served in the Vietnam War. Having it placed in Nassau County will give our community the opportunity to reflect, honor and remember.

"Vietnam Voices" will also include a special Veteran Dinner on April 18, 2025 from 5:00-700 p.m. at the Callahan Fairgrounds. This heartfelt evening will feature a delicious meal provided by Mission BBQ and allow Veterans to come together, share stories and enjoy a memorable evening. All Nassau County Veterans are invited to participate. Pre-registration is required. Reserve your spot today by clicking here. There is no cost to participate.

If you have any questions, please contact the Town of Hilliard at (904) 845-3555.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Shrimp Drop Voted No. 3 Best NYE Event

12/17/2024

Amelia Island’s Shrimp Drop was has been ranked as the No. 3 Best NYE Drop in the U.S. by USA Today's 10 Best: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-new-years-eve-drop-2024/.

Amelia Island’s New Year’s Eve Shrimp Drop is a unique local tradition where residents and visitors alike gather along the dazzling riverfront in downtown Fernandina Beach (N Front St) to watch a giant shrimp covered in lights fall from the sky to welcome a new year. Coordinated by non-profit organization Light Up Amelia, this crustacean sensation takes place from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST on December 31st and features live music, food vendors, family-friendly festivities, fireworks, and more, as crowds gather to enjoy Amelia Island’s own unique “shrimp-sized” take on the Times Square Ball Drop. The shrimp is dropped at a family-friendly time of 7 p.m. EST (Greenwich time).

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Dickens on Centre Returns for 10th Year

12/10/2024

12/10/24 @ 10:45 a.m.

The Amelia Island and Convention & Visitors Bureau will host the 10th Annual Dickens on Centre Event from December 12-15, 2024. This event transforms downtown Fernandina Beach into Victorian-ear London. It features live entertainment, vendors, holiday movies, giant snow globes, costumed characters, pictures with Santa, and more. The weekend begins with the Dickens Illuminated Procession on December 12th and is followed by three days of holiday fun. For a full schedule of events, please click here.

The AICVB would like to remind everyone about parking lot and road closures in downtown Fernandina Beach for this event, as well as a site map for the event. (see below)

Dickens on Centre generates a local economic impact of several million dollars each year and directly benefits the 30% of tourism-related jobs in Nassau County. Even better is that this event is funded 100% by Tourist Development Taxes paid for by our out-of-county guests. So Nassau County residents get to enjoy the event and get into the holiday spirit at no-cost to the local taxpayers.

To learn more about the AICVB, please visit their website.

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Light Up Yulee Decorating Contest

11/21/2024

11/21/24 @ 6:00 a.m.

The Community Stewards of Yulee, Inc. is a local non-profit organization who serves the Yulee community by hosting charity events and promoting community engagement. For the second year, they are hosting a holiday light decorating contest, "Light Up Yulee" and are encouraging homeowners and businesses west of the Shave Bridge to east of I-95 and on US 17 south and north to the County line to decorate their properties for the holiday season.

To enter the contest, email a photo of your decorated property to [email protected] anytime between November 24 and December 20, 2024. Entries will be judged on attractiveness, creativity and scale of holiday-themed decor. Decorations should be tasteful and kid friendly. Entries will be judged by a judging committee and will be announced to the public in January 2025.

For additional information, please contact the Community Stewards of Yulee, Inc. at (904) 524-3758 or via email at [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Veterans Day Parade

11/12/2024

11/12/24 @ 1:30 p.m. - Below are photos from the Veterans Day Parade held in Fernandina Beach on Monday, November 11, 2024. Enjoy!

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Independence Day Celebration

7/5/2024

7/5/24 @ 10:00 a.m. - We had a great time celebrating Independence Day at the Callahan Fairgrounds yesterday. Thank you to the Towns of Callahan and Hilliard for organizing the event and for allowing Nassau County to be a part of it. Thank you as well to everyone who took time to visit our Nassau Vision 2050 tent to provide feedback that will guide the County in updating policies that will promote and manage growth, protect and enhance key areas of importance, help the County to accommodate future trends, and provide the necessary baseline for an update to the County Comprehensive Plan.

If you were unable to visit the Nassau Vision 2050 tent, you can still provide your feedback by completing the Community Building Blocks survey on our Nassau Vision 2050 website. Here you can also find information about the timelines of process, project updates, and information about upcoming Nassau Vision 2050 opportunities.

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Fourth of July Celebration in Callahan

6/3/2024

6/3/24 @ 10:00 a.m. - The County is pleased to partner with the Town of Callahan and Town of Hilliard for an extra special Independence Day Celebration in honor of the County's Bicentennial.

This event will feature live music by local artists, a watermelon eating contest, an apple pie baking contest, carnival games, a Patriotic People costume contest and an amazing fireworks show.

The event will also feature the County's Nassau Vision 2050 tent. For those that are not familiar with Nassau Vision 2050, the County kicked off an 18-month long process involving local leaders, residents, businesses and stakeholders to shape the future of our community. This has included interviews, community surveys and participation in community events so we can reach as much feedback from the public as possible. This is your opportunity to help chart the future of Nassau County. Stop by the tent, provide feedback and win some cool swag!

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Strategic Advancement at (904) 530-6019 or email [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Shrimp Festival Parade

5/3/2024

5/3/24 @ 2:15 p.m. - This weekend is the 59th Annual Shrimp Festival and we celebrated early by attending the parade on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Below are pictures from the event. This year's theme is "Peace, Love and Shrimping", a salute to shrimping in the 1960s.

For information about this year's event including vendors, the kids zone, contests and event schedule, please visit: https://www.shrimpfestival.com/

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

19th Annual Railroad Days Festival and Classic Car Show

4/26/2024

4/26/24 @ 2:30 p.m. - On Saturday, April 20, 2024, the West Nassau Historical Society hosted the 19th Annual Railroad Days Festival. This evenet featured food and craft vendors, music, classic cars, and displays of railroad antiques. The County also had its Nassau Vision 2050 tent. Over 100 people stopped by to participate in the Visioning exercise and provided input that will be used to shape Nassau County's future.

Below are some photos from the event.

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer