"We gave it our all, but I've come to believe Tuesday afternoons simply weren't the right day and time to consistently bring enough shoppers out to support our incredible vendors."
That was how the organizers of the Jacksonville Beach Farmers Market said goodbye in July, according to the Beach Gazette. The market opened at Seawalk Pavilion on Feb. 10 and ran from 3 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Vendors sold produce, locally raised meats, bread, honey, flowers and handmade goods. It closed for good after five months because too few people came. The Beach Gazette also reported that the market was part of the city's effort to use the Seawalk plaza between festivals and other special events.
That detail explains how the plaza works this fall. Between now and Thanksgiving, Seawalk Pavilion and the stretch of sand around the pier have something on the calendar almost every week. All of it falls on specific dates. A good fall downtown takes a calendar, and the businesses a block or two away are changing at the same time.
What the weekly market left behind
The organizers didn't leave the Beaches. They moved their energy to the Neptune Beach Farmers Market, held Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Neptune Beach Elementary School.
For a weekly market inside Jacksonville Beach, the Dig Local Network runs the Beaches Green Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Penman Park, 321 Penman Road. The city calendar lists it every Saturday this fall: Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, then Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Dig Local also took over the Atlantic Beach Green Market on July 5. That market runs Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jack Russell Park, 850 Seminole Road.
Penman Park is across town from the oceanfront, so Saturday morning shopping and the Seawalk events now happen in two different places. That matters most on the Saturdays when both are busy.
The Seawalk calendar, date by date
These dates come from the City of Jacksonville Beach's Parks and Recreation calendar and from each event organizer. Seawalk Pavilion is at 75 1st St. N., and the Jacksonville Beach Pier is at 503 1st St. N.
- Saturday, Oct. 3. The Wavemasters Surf Contest runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the beach just south of the pier.
- Wednesday, Oct. 7. Seawalk Sessions with Perry Bechtle is a free show at Latham Plaza and Seawalk Pavilion from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 10. The DSAJ Buddy Walk takes over Latham Plaza and Seawalk Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 15. MindTravel's Silent Piano Concert runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the beach just north of the pier.
- Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17. The 11th Annual Beaches Oktoberfest comes to Seawalk Pavilion with German food, local and international beers, live music and non-alcoholic options.
- Saturday, Oct. 24. The Jax Beach Arts Market fills Seawalk Pavilion with local artists from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27. The free Jax Beach Classic Car Cruise runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at Seawalk Pavilion and Latham Plaza.
- Wednesday, Nov. 4. Seawalk Sessions returns with Trent Fowler, free, from 5 to 7 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7 and 8. The Super Girl Surf Festival brings surf and beach sports to the pier and puts its festival village and concerts at Seawalk Pavilion.
- Saturday, Nov. 21. The Jax Beach Arts Market returns, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25. Deck The Chairs begins. The organizer lists an opening week of Nov. 25 through Dec. 1 and an overall display through Jan. 1, and it notes that dates and times may change.
A few details that don't fit in the list:
- Car cruise. It still meets on a Tuesday, the same day the weekly market couldn't fill. The city describes it as a monthly event on the fourth Tuesday. The November city calendar doesn't list a cruise, so I wouldn't plan on one for Nov. 24 until it shows up there.
- Super Girl dates. Use the festival's main page. Its detailed schedule page still labels sessions "Saturday, Nov. 8" and "Sunday, Nov. 9," which don't match this year's calendar.
- Arts Market dates for 2027. The organizer has already posted next year's dates, starting Jan. 9.
Three Saturdays overlap. On Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21, the Green Market at Penman Park and a Seawalk event both run in the morning. Getting to Penman Road by 10 a.m. and the oceanfront by late morning makes both work. Oct. 17 is the other busy Saturday, with Oktoberfest on the Seawalk and the Green Market at Penman Park.
Beachside Seafood goes market-only in October
One block over, an older downtown business is changing. Beachside Seafood Restaurant & Market at 120 Third St. S. dates to 1954. Pearl Hospitality Group bought it in May 2025. In an Aug. 28 news release, the group said it would end restaurant service "indefinitely" in October and keep the fish market open, the Jacksonville Daily Record reported.
The release gave two reasons. The 1954 building needs more renovation than the group could do while serving meals every day. The group also cited rising costs, more competition at the Beaches and "slower-than-anticipated growth in new customer traffic." The partners plan to improve the market, add to what it sells and look at prepared food, grab-and-go and retail items.
"We are not walking away from Beachside. We are giving ourselves the ability to figure out what this property and this brand need to become for the next generation, while protecting the part of the business that has always been at the heart of Beachside: the market."
Raymond De Padua, Pearl Hospitality Group partner, in the Aug. 28 release
As of the Aug. 31 report, the group hadn't set a last day for restaurant service or decided what the dining space will become. October starts tomorrow, so if you want one more sit-down meal there, call ahead this week instead of waiting for a final date. The market counter will stay open after the dining room closes.
The same group runs Izakaya Ko in Jacksonville Beach. Its website lists Chef Adi omakase on Thursdays at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. It also lists a Saturday late-night happy hour from 8 to 11 p.m. with a rotating guest DJ. On Oct. 15, that Thursday omakase could follow the Silent Piano Concert by the pier.
What opened near the plaza
The new businesses near Seawalk opened this summer, and they don't depend on the event calendar.
Alder & Oak opened July 15 at 131 First Ave. N., at the corner of Second Street North. It took over the former Jekyll Brewing space next to its sister restaurant, Oaxaca Club. More than 700 people came to the friends-and-family night before the opening. Owner Mark Janasik also runs Blueberry Artisan Bakery and the Southern Grounds coffee shops. The first Alder & Oak opened in January at The Hub, 400 Riverside Ave. From the Seawalk, it's a short walk inland on a show night.
Kava & Co. opened its third location at 223 Ninth Ave. S., at Third Street South, where the Third Street Diner used to be. It serves alcohol-free drinks with optional add-ins like CBD and kava. Jacksonville Today described it as a work-friendly spot by day with a bar feel at night. The co-owner told the paper that the business caters heavily to remote workers and young adults looking for a nightlife option without alcohol.
Some spots also left the area. Maple Street Biscuit Co. closed its 410 Third St. N. location in June after nearly 13 years, the Florida Times-Union reported. A new coffee shop is planned a few blocks north. Maggie's Coffeehouse is planned for 803 Third St. N. with a summer 2027 target, and permits were still pending as of a Sept. 22 Jacksonville Daily Record report.
Getting around in early October
One street issue may still affect getting downtown this week. A city notice closed 6th Ave. N. between Palm Tree Road and 11th Street N. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for underground water-main work. The closure started Aug. 18 and was set to run into early October, with detours posted. If you're driving through that area for the Oct. 7 Seawalk Sessions show, check the city's latest closure notice first.
Before each weekend this fall, here's what I'd check:
- Seawalk events. Check the Parks and Recreation calendar the week of. The city updates it, and the November listings already differ from the recurring descriptions.
- Beachside. Call ahead about a final restaurant date and current market hours.
- Overlapping Saturdays. On Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21, go to the Green Market first, then head to the oceanfront.
- Show-night dinner. Book Alder & Oak or the Izakaya Ko omakase ahead for the Oct. 7, Oct. 15 and Nov. 4 evening events.
- Deck The Chairs. Look up opening-night details closer to Nov. 25, since the organizer hasn't posted a time or venue address yet.
If you live near the Seawalk or Third Street and wonder how changes like Beachside's new direction and the openings on First Avenue North affect your property over time, I'm happy to talk it through with you. Christina McIntosh follows these downtown Jacksonville Beach changes closely. Let's connect and schedule a free consultation, or request an instant home valuation to see where your home stands this fall.
