Hey Jax! 🧡
Happy Monday — and May the 4th be with you. 🚀
We are officially in the thick of spring in the 904, and this week is packed. The Shrimp Festival just wrapped in Fernandina Beach, the Great Fire anniversary had people talking all weekend, and we've got Cinco de Mayo, Soulja Boy, the Art Walk, and a Zillow Daydream that honestly made me stop mid-scroll. Plus Star Wars all day downtown if you need a reason to leave the house today.
This week in 904 & More:
🏠 How many homes are getting built in Jacksonville right now?
🔥 The Great Fire of 1901 — 125 years later
🦐 Fernandina Beach's Shrimp Festival is officially one of the Southeast's biggest events
🏡 Zillow Daydream: The house that hosted Mary Todd Lincoln
🗓️ Events all week — Cinco de Mayo, Art Walk, Soulja Boy, sports & more
Let's go. 🧡
— Austin
🏠 Jacksonville's Housing Boom: How Much Is Actually Getting Built?
If you've noticed new developments popping up all over the 904, you're not imagining it. A new Redfin analysis tracked the monthly housing permits issued across Jacksonville over the past year to measure where construction actually stands in 2026.
Here's what this means for you:
Jacksonville's median home price is sitting at $300K — essentially flat compared to last year, up just 0.003%
Homes are sitting on the market about 69 days on average, up from 65 days last year — meaning buyers have a bit more breathing room than they did
Jacksonville's median sale price per square foot is $180, down slightly (about 1%)
The national homebuilding shortage is real — construction has lagged demand since the Great Recession, and Jacksonville is no exception
New communities like Kings Preserve in Duval County (Lennar) are actively delivering homes now, with units ready as early as this summer
The takeaway: prices haven't crashed, but they've stopped climbing fast. If you've been sitting on the fence about buying, the slower pace of the market is giving buyers a better shot. Read the full Redfin data →
🔥 The Great Fire of 1901 — Jacksonville Marks 125 Years
Yesterday, May 3rd, marked exactly 125 years since one of the most defining moments in Jacksonville's history. On May 3, 1901, a spark from a drying Spanish moss pile at the Cleveland Fibre Factory in what is now LaVilla ignited a blaze that would tear through 146 city blocks in just over eight hours — destroying more than 2,400 buildings and leaving 10,000 residents without homes.
Here's what this means for Jax today:
The Great Fire remains the third largest urban fire in U.S. history, behind only the Great Chicago Fire and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake fire
The city's response was remarkable: legislation passed requiring downtown structures to be built with fireproof brick, fundamentally changing how Jacksonville approached architecture
Architect Henry John Klutho was brought in to help rebuild — and his Prairie Style buildings still define Riverside and downtown today. Jacksonville City Hall? That's one of his
The Jacksonville History Center held its inaugural Great Fire Gathering Friday night to mark the 125th anniversary — and historians note that the hot, dry, windy conditions of May 1901 eerily echo what we're watching in wildfires across Southeast Georgia right now
UNF has a digital exhibit worth bookmarking: "Acres of Ashes: The Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901"
The fire didn't break Jacksonville — it built it. Worth remembering as we watch our city keep growing. Learn more at Action News Jax →
🦐 Fernandina Beach's Shrimp Festival Just Drew 150,000 People
Source: First Coast News
If you were up in Fernandina this weekend, you already know — and if you weren't, you missed one of the First Coast's best annual events. The 61st Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival wrapped this weekend after drawing an estimated 150,000 people to historic downtown Fernandina Beach for seafood, live music, fine arts, pirates, and a first-ever drone show.
Here's why this matters beyond the shrimp:
The festival is run 100% by volunteers and all food booths are operated by nonprofits — last year they raised over $430,000 for local causes
Business owners describe it as bigger than Christmas for the area: "Bigger than Christmas, New Year's, July Fourth — it is THE weekend," said one Amelia Island shop owner
Shrimping was literally born in Fernandina Beach: Greek and Italian immigrants in 1913 pioneered the otter trawl net technique that modernized the entire industry
The shrimping industry has shrunk dramatically — from 300-400 boats to about 20 — but the festival keeps that heritage alive, including the Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday
The Swingin' Medallions closed out Sunday, as they do every year. Classic.
Mark your calendar for next May. This is a 904 bucket list event. Read the full story at First Coast News →
🏡 Zillow Historical Listing
River House | 2105 River Blvd, Riverside | $1,800,000
This one stopped me mid-scroll. River House is a three-story, 6,238 sq ft property built in 1869 sitting right on the St. Johns River in Riverside — fully renovated into five luxury apartments (3 beds, 2 beds, and three 1-beds) and currently fully leased and income-producing.
The history alone: this building once hosted Mary Todd Lincoln during her stay in Jacksonville between 1874 and 1875. The whole property was originally called the Rochester House, and it was literally moved to its current location via a barge trip down the St. Johns River in 1911.
It's listed at $1.8M — which for a fully leased riverfront landmark in Riverside, is honestly a fascinating number. Is it your next investment property? Probably not. But isn't it fun to look? See the listing →
🗓️ This Week in the 904
🌮 Cinco de Mayo — Tuesday, May 5th
There is no shortage of places to celebrate in Jax tomorrow. Here's the lineup:
Cinco de Mayo at Legacy Ale Works | Tuesday, May 5, 6–9 PM (Free) / Location: Legacy Ale Works / Celebrate with specials, drinks, and good vibes all evening. / → More Details
Cinco de Mayo at 1310 Tacos y Tequila | Tuesday, May 5 (Free) / Location: 1310 Tacos y Tequila / Your go-to taco spot goes all out for Cinco — no cover, just good food and great drinks. / → More Details
Cinco de Mayo Dinner at Jax Cooking Studio | Tuesday, May 5, 6:30–8:30 PM (Ticketed — limited spots!) / Location: Jax Cooking Studio / A hands-on cooking class dinner experience for Cinco — this one's intimate and almost sold out, so move fast if you're interested. / → Tickets
Tony's Cantina Live DJ | Tuesday, May 5, 4–8 PM (Free) / Location: Tony's Cantina / Live DJ from 4–8pm with Cinco specials all evening. Great for a happy hour kickoff. / → More Details
Top Dawg Tavern | Tuesday, May 5, All Day (Free) / Location: Top Dawg Tavern / Cinco de Mayo specials running all day — casual and easy. / → More Details
🎨 Arts & Culture
First Wednesday Art Walk | Wednesday, May 6, 5–9 PM (Free) / Location: James Weldon Johnson Park, Downtown Jacksonville / Jacksonville's beloved monthly art walk returns downtown — galleries, vendors, local artists, and that golden-hour energy we love in May. / → More Details
🎵 Live Music This Week
Soulja Boy: The Drip Tour | Thursday, May 7, Doors 7 PM / Show 8 PM / Location: FIVE, 1028 Park Street, Five Points / Soulja Boy and Lil Xan hit Jacksonville on The Drip Tour Thursday night. Whether you're a "Crank That" loyalist or just want a fun night out, this one's going to be a party. Heads up: parking is very limited around FIVE — rideshare is the move. / → Tickets
⚾🏃 Sports This Week
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp | Tuesday–Sunday at 121 Financial Ballpark / Home games all week long — check the schedule for first pitches and ticket options. / → Schedule & Tickets
Florida State Track & Field Championships | Wednesday–Saturday, May 6–9 / Location: TBA / Advance tickets: $14/day | Day-of: $17/day. High school athletes from across the state compete this week. / → More Info
Jacksonville Run Club | Tuesdays at 6 PM & Saturdays at 7 AM / Location: Friendship Fountain (Free) / Whether you're training or just looking to log some miles with good company, the Run Club is a great low-key weekly staple. / → Join the Group
⭐ May the 4th Be With You — TODAY ONLY
Keg & Coin Star Wars Marathon | Monday, May 4, All Day (Free) / Location: Keg & Coin, Downtown Jacksonville / All-day Star Wars film marathon — free to attend, no cover. Just show up, grab a drink, and embrace the Force. / → More Details
Star Wars Cosplay Pub Crawl | Monday, May 4, 6 PM / Location: Starting at Decca Live / Dust off your Jedi robes or Mandalorian helmet — the May the 4th Cosplay Pub Crawl kicks off at 6 PM with tickets online. /
That's your week, Jax. Go find something fun — this city's got plenty of it right now. 🧡
— Austin
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