John Oates, Moon Taxi and the Jaguars: Top 5 things to do this weekend in Jacksonville

Tom Szaroleta, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The Jaguars play their first home game of the year Sunday, welcoming the Indianapolis Colts to TIAA Bank Field. But that's hardly the only big thing going on around Jacksonville this weekend. The first haunted house of the year opens, it's finally cooling off enough for outdoor festivals and there is live music everywhere you turn.

Movie premiere: Paul Sorvino shot his last movie in Jacksonville. It debuts Saturday in San Marco.

Florida Fin Fest

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates plays Sunday at Florida Fin Fest in Jacksonville Beach.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates plays Sunday at Florida Fin Fest in Jacksonville Beach.

Learn about ocean conservation, sample some of the area's finest food trucks and rock out to Moon Taxi and John Oates of Hall & Oates at the Florida Fin Fest at Seawalk Pavilion and the Blue Jay Listening Room in Jacksonville Beach. The festival run from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Moon Taxi takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday; Oates goes on at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Free, but VIP tickets are available for $75-$100.

Bluegrass, Beer & BBQ fest

The Firewater Tent Revival plays Saturday at the Bluegrass, Beer & BBQ festival in downtown Jacksonville.
The Firewater Tent Revival plays Saturday at the Bluegrass, Beer & BBQ festival in downtown Jacksonville.

There's a good reason Saturday's festival at James Weldon Johnson Park in the heart of downtown Jacksonville is called Bluegrass, Beer & BBQ. It's got bluegrass music from Uproot Hootenany and Firewater Tent Revival, more than a dozen local craft beers and barbecue trucks serving up their finest. It's free and dog-friendly. 5-10 p.m. Saturday.

Halloween thrills

13th Floor Haunted House opens Saturday for the Halloween season.
13th Floor Haunted House opens Saturday for the Halloween season.

Screamin' season opens Saturday when 13th Floor Haunted House begins scaring people out of their shorts. They've got three scare houses this year — Chop House, All Hallows Eve and Legends of the Deep — plus mini escape games and axe throwing. It's at 9230 Arlington Expressway. Timed tickets are $19.99-$39.99.

Freidline does Chicago

Jazz man Noel Freidline is at the Ritz Theatre on Saturday, playing the music of Chicago.
Jazz man Noel Freidline is at the Ritz Theatre on Saturday, playing the music of Chicago.

Noel Freidline is a Jacksonville Jazz Festival Hall of Famer, a UNF grad and a hard-touring jazz artist. He's at the intimate Ritz Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday, playing the music of Chicago with his quintet. $25.

Live in concert

Conan Gray is at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Sunday.
Conan Gray is at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Sunday.

Looking for a concert this weekend? Heavy metal bands Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Baroness and Suicide Silence are at Daily's Place at 6 p.m. Saturday ($29.50-$69.50), '80s rockers the Fixx ("One Thing Leads to Another") are at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Saturday ($37.50-$62.50), Oklahoma rockers Wilderado are at Jack Rabbits at 8 p.m. Saturday ($18), Canadian punk rockers PUP are at Intuition Ale Works at 8 p.m. Saturday ($27), and red-hot pop singer Conan Gray is at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre at 7 p.m. Sunday ($29.50-$59.50).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Top 5 things to do in Jacksonville: John Oates, beer and BBQ fest