Really enjoyed the festival. Had been to Amelia Island at least 5 times and finally made it to the…read morefestival. There are very good vendors at this one. Truly a focus on art. A large quantity of non profit food booths that raise money for great causes. Located in a beautiful community with extremely friendly people. Plenty of restrooms and also portapots. Entertainment at the waterfront. Boat cruises. Florida's oldest bar. Mostly paid parking during the 3 day festival. Many nice restaurants located throughout. No charge to go to the festival if you don't need to park.

Oh MY!!! Seriously, I have lived in Jacksonville almost 8 years now and I didn't know about this…read moreevent! Crazy. First- it is chaos, they estimated this year to have 150k visitors for the festival- that's right one hundred, fifty THOUSAND people descending on this little coastal town. They had so many vendors, mostly arts and plenty of food and drinks, not to mention all the great businesses in historic downtown! I went with my mom, we arrived around 10am and it took 30 minutes to find parking. Plenty of local business offered parking for a fee- but it was $10 (a church), $20- most perimeter businesses) & $30 for prime parking right off the main drag. Somehow my refusal to park in a paid lot worked out and we found a vacant street parking spot a few blocks away. AKA- be prepared to walk a lot and also prepared to pay for parking. The the festival- the entire main drag is shut down and every side street for a block both north and south filled to the brim with arts, antiques, garden art and more! They have two festival booths for shopping tshirts and other shrimp inspired merch. Mom ended up buying a pink shrimp festival t-shirt. I LOVED all the various art! Metal, glass, photography, painting, pottery, jewelry- you name it! Mom scored various items from $3 to $50 and I bought copper jewelry from 2 different artists. One from Key Largo- Metal and Fire Designs, I found a gorgeous torch patina cuff bracelet and big, gorgeous earrings. Another woman who lives in Clearwater (originally from Maui) does enamel coated metal jewelry- Uli Kai Designs- she was marvelous! I had a difficult time picking out one pair and ended up buying two! Crabby Patty Pottery was there too, a Fernandina local Potter & so many more. People come from all over too- Georgia, the Carolina's, all over Florida- it's really incredible. Years ago I went to a food festival in Jax and was very disappointed, this event was insanely better and I am adding this to my calendar for next year! Now that I have been, I will be more prepared! Oh & the food!!! Most of the food was on the waterfront, at the end of the main drag- plenty of food tents set up and mom and I had garlic parmesan shrimp from the Shrimp Pie boat. Long line, but moved quickly! I am grateful it was overcast most of the day- it was warm, but tolerable. A Gorgeous day for a festival! I'll have to check the brochure to see if they said how many vendors were there, because it was crazy! Highly recommend, wear comfy shoes, bring a hat, sunscreen and a bag for purchases!

This is a really cool area to walk around and explore while on Amelia Island. There are tons of…read morerestaurants, bars, gift shops, and art galleries within 50 blocks. The buildings have such beautiful architecture. They have a courthouse, post office, and a hotel that were built over a hundred years ago. The Palace Saloon is Florida's oldest bar. There is also a lighthouse nearby the district. My favorite thing to do was to grab a cup of coffee and walk in and out of gift shops. I also took strolls along the seaport and watched the boats go by. If you want to know more about the area, you can visit the Amelia Island Museum of History to learn more about its history. For food, there are plenty of dining options within the historic district. I highly recommend eating at the Salty Pelican. The Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

This has become my go to for bringing family and friends- the historic district is packed full of…read moregreat food, drinks, shopping and history. I'm still exploring and finding new businesses to fall in love with. I can say there is plenty I love about Amelia Island. Marlin & Barrel Distillery- Blueberry Lemon Zest Vodka Salty Pelican- tuna nachos AIBC- giant soft pretzel and excellent fish-n-chips Paisley Grace Makery- all your crafty needs Twisted Sisters - great home decor and gifts The Decantery- amazing craft cocktails in a lush bar The Principal's Office- fun twist on an old school! Bar in the principals office Timoti's- love their chowder and calamari Art on Centre- unique art from local artists Tasty's- burgers, dogs, fries and more Trailer Park Collectibles- my go to antique shop Cinnamon Bear Country Store (& Ice Cream)- gift shop and ice cream! The Spice & Tea Exchange- try the Florida blend Fort Clinch- for you history nerds And so many more businesses! Quieter than other tourist towns, just more laid back!

The artsy stairs are what drew me in- like a magical pathway up to more wonderment! The jockey…read moreriding a hummingbird painting was whimsical fun, the vibrant colors of paintings in each studio/gallery just enticed you more and the variety of art and artists was a win! I found myself wanting more pottery and hand woven baskets! They have photography, paintings, jewelry, cards, prints, pottery, baskets and more! It's a little reverent for me to walk into someone's studio space- it's a sacred space for creating, I understand this completely and I am always humbled to be in another artists space. I highly recommend you climb the stairs and explore for yourself!

I visited The Blue Door and the lovely town of Fernandina Beach to see all the artists and my…read morespecial friend, Charli. I was quite favorably impressed with the venue as well as the art, and spent a few hours perusing everything. What a super place and what lovely art. I bought a few items to bring home to California as souvenirs and presents for friends.

What an incredibly fun time we had! This place took us back to "old school" putt putt! No pirate…read moreships or windmills to fight! Yet was extremely challenging! Such an incredible location right on the beach and beside a lovely play park! The sweet girl behind the counter was fantastic! And they honor Veterans with a nice discount as well!

After a weekend where we went to place after place and we were met with nothing but incompetent or…read morenot existent customer service, we found the most accommodating worker on the island. Not only is this place right on the beach and us pro putting assoc certified but they employ Dustin. We walk in at 8:15 and they close at nine he still asked us if we wanted to play both sides for a total of 36 holes which would've kept him long after his designated time to go home. Even when we walked in at 8:59 he still made us ice cream cones and gave us time to choose our ice cream without rushing us or making us feel like we were keeping him. What would've been a four star review is a five star review because of him

If you're a history lover and in the area, you can't miss the Amelia Island Museum of History -…read morewhich is housed in the old historic jail building. THe museum itself isn't the largest but you'll be very surprised at just how much has gone down on this small island on the edge of the Georgia/Florida state line. If it's any indication of just how tumultuous this area was - 7 distinct flags have flown over the island throughout written history. From natives to pirates to Spaniards and Confederates and everyone in between - there's a lot more to Amelia Island than just million dollar beach homes and waterside dining. Admission is $10 for adults. Make sure that you arrive with enough time to enjoy one of the complimentary docent tours. It's included with your museum admission so to not take advantage is a big missed opportunity. The tour we had lasted over 1 hour and in that time our guide covered essentially most things you would learn from reading the exhibit displays but with added insight. As an added bonus, there is a parking lot attached to the museum and plenty of street parking as well. I'd recommend starting your Amelia Island vacation with a trip to the museum so you can appreciate the historical footsteps you're walking in while on the island.

Worth a stop if you want to learn the history of beautiful Amelia island !…read more The Amelia Island Museum of History offers a well done look at the island's past, from the Timucua Indians to Spanish and French explorers and even pirates. The exhibits are interesting and well presented, with videos and displays that make the history come to life ! There is a docent led tour, which is included with admission. Tours run Monday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., and they add great context and storytelling to the exhibits. Fun extras: there's a pressed penny machine for collectors and a passport stamps if you're tracking your travels. There's also a nicely stocked gift shop . Plan to spend at least 30 minutes here, though history lovers could easily stay longer depending on how much reading you want to do. Plenty of parking makes the visit even easier.

This is a beautiful, small outdoor garden area. There is a sign that I believe implies it is owned…read moreby the four seasons hotel which is across the street, but I know people can book this place to get married (based on what the internet says) so it seems as long as no event is in progress you can go look at it. The grounds are well up kept and the property is gorgeous. I knocked off a star since it's not the easiest to spot (it kind of just appears, and there's no sidewalk on the side of the street leading to it) but it's a cute spot. There is a similar nice looking garden just opposite the cloister at the entrance of the four seasons but there are security officers there and I think you can only go on the grounds if you're staying at the four seasons or have a reservation there.

I was surprised to see the less positive reviews on this place. We had an awesome experience!…read more It's the oldest bar in FL so the history aspect was cool. The inside of the bar had beautiful crown molding on the ceiling. I will say even tho the bar is big, seating was limited. They must keep it more open for dancing/standing when the music comes on. They had a decent selection of beers on draft. But they didn't have any ciders which wasn't too surprising. I've become spoiled with all the cideries in New England. I got a Big Wave and my hubby got a Guinness. Service was fast and friendly. The music was a vibe - Maroon 5. The patrons were friendly. Def check it out if you're in the area!

We went last night - May 7- best old fashion on the island. The young female bartender was…read moreabsolutely awesome. Girls enjoyed their pirate punch.

Really fun rainy day afternoon in Amelia Island. They have about two dozen machines from historic…read more50+ year old machines to new ones. Pricing is all you can play - no quarters needed! Admission is $14/day for adults or $12/day for kids. You can also play for 1 hour for $10 - which is what we did as we got there about an hour before they closed. We felt it was a fair price and a good value. Almost all of the machines were working, which is great (and not the case at some of the places like this I've been.) Both adults and teens had fun. The space is pretty basic. There are a few games in the front room, and about twenty in the back room. There is a bathroom in the far back. We'd go back even if it wasn't raining!

I brought my two kids here for Memorial Day Sunday. There was a good number of families and…read moreeveryone appeared to be having a blast! It is a lively opportunity to share with the kids a piece of my youth and the joy that comes with pinball machines! $10/hour is a reasonable price in this day and age for unlimited play. Come support this local pinball museum!

Didn't eat food but had drinks and the service was great and the atmosphere is spot on. Great…read morelittle bar downtown

Place is great but talk slow and loud to Corbinnnnn. Live music and drinks all day. Great service…read more This isn't Seth.