I moved to Jacksonville recently from California and I am always on the lookout for new places to…read morecheck out. There is a building I pass every day near my home which caught my eye right away. Its stone façade and bright yellow sign flanked by two Medieval Knights, with the words "The Arena" across it in large block lettering stood out in comparison to its neighbors, a church and a discount furniture store. I quickly put on my detective cap and began scouring the internet for any explanation or reviews but information was sparse. I eventually found the website... The Arena | Jacksonville's Premiere Concert Venue... "The Arena is definitely one of Jacksonville's premiere and edgiest night scenes. With four stages, and full audio-surround sound, you will be blown away..." I ear marked it as a place to check out in the future. As Halloween grew closer The Arena began to look more and more like an off-beat community haunted attraction. A giant, ominous, clown face appeared over the door along with some additional lights and carnival décor. A new sign was added, "Carnevil". Of course I got back on the internet and found, "Welcome to Carnevil! The darkest and final act of the circus empire..." From the description it sounded pretty scary, I don't really do scary, but it was Halloween and we had no other plans and it was FREE. Now let me tell you, the free thing immediately set off some red flags, nothing is free but curiosity got the best of us. We invited some friends, put on our costumes and headed to the Arena but it was completely full and they sent us away with priority tickets for the next showing. Sunday night just my fiancé and I went back. Like I said, I don't really do scary well and as I stood in line my heart was racing. They announce that we are about to go in and once we are inside we will not be allowed to leave until the end. Honestly, we were half convinced that this place lures unsuspecting people in and keeps them forever... how else does a "Premiere Concert Venue" have almost no internet presence and NO reviews? The whole experience started off great. Creepy ghosts shambled through the lines, small groups were let into the theatre at a time, entering through a miniature haunted maze with all the scares and screams as a professional haunted house. There were plenty of scares for the audience while we waited for the show to start. The play had a great campy/spooky community theatre feel complete with frightening clowns, quality makeup, sound and lighting effects. Over and over I kept thinking, "How is this free?" and then it started... "drugs", "sex", "rebelling against authority"... "sin". Suddenly I realized I was at church. A preacher dressed as a cop stood center stage asking the audience to raise their hands, come up and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to avoid a hell worse than the clown camp we just witnessed. I want to be clear... I do not have a problem with this being a church function; I appreciate the local church for pulling together a great community event... I do have a problem with being completely ambushed. Nowhere on TheArenaJax.com does it mention its affiliation with Victory Church. To solicit itself as one of the country's premier, edgy music venue, "showcasing a spectrum of internationally renowned artists" is more than slightly misleading. I have to say, I felt a bit violated to be lured into what appeared to be a fun community theatre, told I could not leave until it was over and then force fed a religious message while adults in scary masks and makeup stood blocking the exit. Here is the TL;DR: The production quality is great for a free event. I really enjoyed the first hour and a half of my experience. I would even encourage people to check out one of their events but be advised... this is a religious venue affiliated with its neighboring church. You will be held inside the building and asked to approach the stage to accept their message.

I have seen the Carnevil show twice now and I absolutely love it. Yes, it wasn't for the faint of…read moreheart, but it was awesome nonetheless. I am not one to like scary things but after seeing the show I had to see it again. The storyline and characters are well-made and very nice people. They put all they had into making this show work and after the show you get to meet them and get to know them personally. The theatrics of it were stunning and very luring and the sound effects blew me away. I loved how well the actors dressed up and scared people. They'd pop out of the dark, they sang along to hit songs from Slipknot and they made it a very good memorable experience. Along with the thrills they made some funny remarks during the show which made it more enjoyable and fun. If they were able to keep the show going on for more days I would go to all of them. For free it was worth it- if I had to pay, it would've been totally worth it. At the end of the show there was a part where a character made a statement about being "lost" and how he was able to come to terms with himself. Yes, they help people to believe but even if you aren't into Christianity or religion at all it didn't matter. They wanted people to remember the show and to tell everyone else back home about it. They wanted to inspire people to not be afraid and to become more than what people think of you. They don't force any part of religion on anyone and they don't force people into a prayer at all. They merely want to help people and for the people who were just there for the show, they got to see how much hard work and dedication the actors put into this to make it fun and memorable and thrilling. I absolutely loved it and would go to many more shows for the rest of my life for the experience. Amazing job well done.

I attended an Icemen Ice game here at the VyStar Veterans Memorial…read more We love coming to the arena; especially since it's new!!!! The old was terrible! Everyone here is friendly. It's easy to navigate around while inside to find restrooms and places to eat. It's easy to enter the arena and navigate up to the seating areas. Once the venue is over it has easy access to the escalator to get back to lower level to exit out. The parking lot across the street is great and has easy in and out for small vehicles and pickups. * My only complaint is when I drive the bus for church (40 passenger motor coach bus) to an event here at the arena it's hard for bus drivers to drop off and park and then enter in to attend with their group and then go back to the bus and then come back to pick everyone back up. Bus parking is hard here unless I just haven't been communicated properly where to go.

One thing I like about vystar are the shows. the place always seem to to get great shows. also…read moreare the seats. i always get the club level seats. once you are in there, you really can't leave unless you show them your tickets again. but they have food, the bar, comfortable seats in the lounge area. very nice. went and saw gabriel iglesias last night and show was fantastic. always a good time when you go to the arean

Take me out the ball game and buy some peanuts and crackerjacks!! The Florida Ballpark otherwise…read moreknown as Condron Ballpark is a beautiful and excellent facility in the Gainesville community. This ballpark hosts the Florida Gators baseball team, and it opened about 2 years ago. This ballpark has an amazing 360 design view from the 3rd level which also serves as the floor for the press box and club seating. However on the 2nd level/concourse, that's where the main seating area is. There's more than enough seating and also there's berm seating for spectators who have the thrill to catch an out ball or even a homer! If you can get a chance to walk around, you'll be able to see the history of Gator baseball and the team's accolades. The concession stand has great food options ranging from the classic ballpark eats like hotdogs, peanuts, and popcorn to chicken caesar salad wraps, fried key lime cheesecake with a raspberry sauce, and a watermelon cooler. Also, the bathrooms are very clean which are amazing at a sporting event. My only issue is the parking, parking can be very tough especially if there's a tough competitor for the week/weekend, so I advise to get there early. I have been to several games this season, and I definitely enjoy the atmosphere and hanging out with the Gator fans.

Excellent new facilities conveniently located across the street from the softball field. If you…read moreplan your visit just right, you can catch 2 games and not have to change parking spaces. We came for an SEC game against lsu and unfortunately didn't fair very well. Parking is available at multiple locations within a short walk even with softball happening around the same time. We had some great times at the old ballpark but understand that we gotta keep progress moving. The cover over the majority of the seats is a welcome change for those sweltering summer games.

We arrived at 8:30 a.m. on a Friday, and the track was already abuzz with movement. The skies were…read moreclear, and the sun was shining, but it was only 58°. I recall my uncle mentioning that if it's hot, the car will run slower. We could smell the food the vendors prepared for the day's crowd. Suddenly, the roar of the engines came to life, and the wife heard the announcer say, "Welcome to the Gaternationals; it is a gorgeous day for racing." The drag racers rolled to the staging lanes with their dragsters doing burnouts. They carefully pulled into the pre-stage beams. Finally, there was the first yellow, the second yellow, and the third yellow, and then it was full throttle down the track. We watched reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown produce a 3.685-seconds at 334.24 mph run in his 11K horsepower Matco Tools dragster. Also, Jack Beckman took the top qualifier in a Funny Car with 3.832 seconds at 334.65 mph in his 11K horsepower PEAK Chevy Camaro SS. Most importantly, every ticket is a pit pass for those who have never been to an NRHA event, meaning you can watch the crews prepare and adjust their dragsters. I noticed that we were lucky to sit in the stands without being surrounded by cigarette smokers. We've had a problem with several venues in the past overlooking smokers. The restrooms were well-maintained, the food vendors were ample, and currently, the venue allowed coolers at a max of 14" x 14" x 14". We took our seat cushions, but they can't be bigger than 18" x 10". However, alcohol, dope, and glass containers were not allowed. While we were there enjoying the event, I looked back at 2024 as a very challenging year since I lost my uncle to cancer, and being at an NHRA keeps his memory fresh for us.

My husband and I are from the Midwest and have traveled to nine NHRA tracks across the country…read more Unfortunately, the experience at Gainesville Raceway was the most disappointing of all the events we have attended. From the two hours it took to get into the track to the poor organization around the grandstands, the overall experience was extremely frustrating. While the email notifying attendees that traffic would be heavy was appreciated, it would have been much more helpful to give specific guidance--such as recommending that fans leave two hours before the time they hoped to arrive. There were also challenges with grandstand access. Each time fans went up the steps to their seats, they were required to show their tickets. At the B/C steps, for example, a staff member would not allow a teenager to return to his seat to rejoin his parents and instead made him step aside and call them. A simple hand-stamp system would have made re-entry far easier and avoided these situations. Additionally, during the Sunday finals a storm moved in that was clearly visible on radar. Despite the approaching weather, there was no announcement advising fans to leave the grandstands. Crowds were left sitting through a heavy downpour with significant lightning. From a safety standpoint--especially with so many people in the stands--this felt like very poor planning. NHRA events are always a great time, and we have had wonderful experiences at many other tracks across the country. Unfortunately, this particular venue did not live up to those standards, and based on our experience, we would recommend attending an NHRA event at a different track.

Five years... So many basketball games, gymnastics tournaments--and now this unforgettable moment:…read morewatching my son walk across the stage of the O'Connell Center to receive his master's degree. What a thrill to witness the Warrington College of Business graduation. UF makes it truly special--each graduate's name lit up on the scoreboard, a professional photographer capturing that proud walk across the stage, and a celebration that honors every achievement. UF really does it right--this was so well organized and there was plenty of parking available. What an incredible way to mark this milestone!

Was an Amazing Concert and Night of Worship at the Tim Tebow and Zach Williams Break the Chains…read more Entry was very smooth and easy. Staff was friendly and helpful guiding us to our seating area. Vendors were well laid out for you to buy swag. Concessions ran smoothly as well. Bathrooms were very clean and in working order. I would recommend this Venue , if there is a concert, Collegiate game here, it will be organized, clean, and well ran. When we left the staff were still super friendly and asked me to do a QR Code survey for the event and how it was run.

Great time great location security on point All of us had a great 5and go there oftenread more

EverBank Stadium is honestly one of the easiest stadiums…read moreI've been to navigate. Getting around feels simple and efficient, and for a stadium, the food and drink prices really aren't nearly as outrageous as you'd expect. One thing I especially love is that it's actually IN Jacksonville instead of being built 20+ miles outside the city it's named after like so many other stadiums. The downtown location adds so much to the experience and makes game days/events feel connected to the city itself. Already excited to see what it looks like after the renovations because the future plans sound incredible. Also, huge shoutout to Steve C. in the Gallagher Club -- hands down the best bartender in the entire stadium. Friendly, fast, and always makes the experience even better.

Want to experience College at its best? Go to Gainesville and walk into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium…read more Game day is like no other. Tailgating starts by 10 no matter what time the game is. There's plenty of excitement pre-game and when you enter the stadium the energy is crazy. Can you imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with 90,000 people with one common goal...A Gators Win! The sound is deafening, but so exciting. Every ones a fan, when you're inside and you will find yourself doing the Gator Chomp or screaming Go Gators. The Stadium is located on the north end of UF's campus. It's between University Avenue on the north side, Gale Lemerand Drive on the west, and Stadium Road on the south. One of the biggest stadiums in the country,, it can hold over 90,000 Gator fans. Nicknamed "The Swamp" it's where Gators live and the rumor has it...only Gators come out alive! If crowds aren't your thing, no worries, the stadium is open to the public almost every day except game day. If you're in Gainesville or just passing by, this is a must stop. On any given day, you can walk inside the stadium. sit in the stands, and watch the college students run the stairs and exercise. It's magical. Don't forget to walk past the bronze gator and touch his head for good luck!

A fitting, modern, expansive stadium for one of the South's great football legacies. Having been…read morerenovated and updated many times, the stadium and Florida Field still have their original location and a lot of the storied original ambience at hand plus all the modern amenities. It's just rough enough in places to remind you of its history yet gleaming enough in the right places (like the Bull Gator monument at the southwest corner) to feel impressive. The statues of UF's Heisman Trophy winners also are nicely done and very striking.

Exceptional!! The place is very "real farm" vibe. The animals are very well behaved..as you can get…read moreup close and in the area with them. Even the roosters were friendly and stand off-ish which is rare and that shows that the owners have pit the work into this environment. The store is adorable. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

We are here on a harvest host stay. What a phenomenal place with phenomenal people they have a…read morepetting zoo. You can pick all the blueberries you want at least while we're here this time of year. Everybody is accommodating. This is a definite stop.