Jaguars fans, concertgoers should expect heavy traffic, full parking lots on Saturday

Tom Szaroleta, Florida Times-Union
·3 min read

If you're heading to downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, you might want to leave a little early.

The Jaguars' first home playoff game since 2018 kicks off at 8:15 p.m., drawing a capacity crowd to TIAA Bank Field. But that is hardly the only thing going on downtown on Saturday.

A few blocks from the stadium — and utilizing many of the same parking lots — comedian Katt Williams performs at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena at 8 p.m. Saturday. They are only using the lower bowl of the arena for the show, but that's still thousands of fans.

Also downtown, the Jacksonville Fairgrounds is playing host to a home and garden show that runs from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, "Aladdin" is at the Moran Theater at 2 and 8 p.m., Jacksonville metal band Haxprocess holds an album release party at 1904 Music Hall starting at 7 p.m., the Jacksonville Symphony performs a salute to Duke Ellington at 7:30 p.m. in the Jacoby Symphony Hall and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons play a show at the Florida Theatre at 7 p.m.

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The Jaguars have a playoff game at the same time as events at other downtown Jacksonville venues. Fans should expect traffic delays.
The Jaguars have a playoff game at the same time as events at other downtown Jacksonville venues. Fans should expect traffic delays.

The Jaguars are advising fans going to the game to leave home early. Stadium parking lots will open at 4:15 p.m. and close two hours after the game ends.

"Jaguars fans are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and arrive early with construction around the sports complex impacting traffic patterns and a big crowd expected to attend," reads a release from the team. "Parking lots open four hours prior to kickoff. All parking passes have QR codes on the back that provide specific directions to each parking lot. Fans can also find parking information here."

ASM Global, the company that manages the arena, also warned fans to arrive early for Williams' show.

Parking at lots near the arena and stadium is going for $50 per vehicle on Saturday. For many lots near the arena, only credit card payment will be accepted.

Fans can ride JTA's Gameday Shuttle from the Kings Avenue parking garage, Wingate Park in Jacksonville Beach or Park-n-Ride lots at 7000 Philips Highway and 3191 Armsdale Road. The shuttle costs $10 for a round trip from the Kings Avenue lot and $15 from the other lots, and riders must purchase tickets in advance through the MyJTA app. The shuttles will start running at 5:15 p.m. and end 90 minutes after the end of the game. They will drop off and pick up passengers in the stadium's Lot B, off Haines Street.

Rideshares will pick up and drop off passengers at Lot Z, across Duval Street from the arena.

The Jacksonville River Taxi will run from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Rides cost $15 for a roundtrip. Riders can purchase tickets online in advance or pay cash on gameday. It will pick up passengers at Friendship Park, the Doubletree Jacksonville Riverfront hotel, the Marriott Jacksonville Downtown hotel and Riverfront Plaza. Postgame, it will only drop passengers at Riverfront Plaza and the two hotels.

Shuttles will also run to the arena from the Yates Parking Garage on Adams Street and the Ford on Bay lot on Bay Street.

The JTA Skyway runs from the King Street garage and the JTA headquarters building near the Prime Osborn Center to downtown, but does not run as far as the arena or the stadium. It will run until 1 a.m. Rides are free.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Expect heavy traffic for Jaguars playoff game Saturday in Jacksonville