Based on presentations made Thursday at Downtown Vision Inc.'s quarterly operations meeting, the phrase "there's really nothing to do Downtown" should not apply in April.
The month's calendar of events begins Wednesday with First Wednesday Art Walk, which will have an Earth Day theme.
The 2013 edition of the outdoor family film festival "Movies in the Park" debuts April 12 with a screening of "Mary Poppins" on the lawn near the Wyndham Hotel on the Southbank. It's followed by "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" April 19, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" April 26 and "Brave" May 3.
For details, visit downtownjacksonville.org.
The centerpiece of the month will be April 17-21 when the inaugural One Spark crowdfunding festival will bring more than 450 artists, inventors and musicians Downtown to show off their work at 50 venues.
While it's difficult to predict the size of the audience, the geographical area that comprises One Spark is equal to that of the annual Jacksonville Jazz Festival and organizers are expecting a jazz festival-level crowd.
Aschelle Morgan, One Spark community outreach and engagement manager, said the process of setting up for the event will begin April 13 with the installation of stages and the arrival of creators and sponsors who have extensive setup requirements.
She said April 16 is scheduled to have the largest single-day load-in impact.
"Expect heavier traffic than usual and expect to see some odd things on the sidewalk," said Morgan.
City Council on Tuesday approved a waiver of the open container law until 9 p.m. April 17-20 and until 5 p.m. April 21 for the festival's Creator Zone bounded by City Hall on the north, the St. Johns River on the south, Pearl Street on the west and Ocean Street on the east.
The waiver was granted until 2 a.m. for the One Spark Entertainment District, the area around Downtown nightlife venues from Burro Bar to the Florida Theatre to East Bay Street.
Morgan said street closures will be implemented April 17 at 7 p.m., along with patrols all day by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
She said attendees are encouraged to park in the Osborn Center lot and use the Skyway. Shuttles will be available from the One Spark parking area in Lot E at Everbank Field.
For more information on creators, venues and logistics, visit beonespark.com.
The Florida Theatre's inaugural fundraising gala, "Rock the Bridge," will take over the Main Street Bridge on April 20.
Cocktails and dinner will be served to 250 benefactors on the bridge, which will be closed from 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. After dinner, guests will be shuttled to the theater for dessert and a concert by the O'Jays.
For details, visit floridatheatre.com.
At the Landing, the annual 99.9 Gator Country Free Spring Concert Series kicks off April 12 with Joe Nichols and Rachel Farley. It's the first of four consecutive free Friday night concerts at the Landing.
For concert details and information about the Landing's annual Earth Day celebration April 20, visit jacksonvillelanding.com.
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