Super friendly food on Christmas day, ham, turkey, and all the fixings…read more Lots of desserts

Our Virginia Moose membership covers this Florida lodge. Friendly folks + good wings (only deep…read morefryer available at our late arrival). Recommend if you are traveling through & have a membership.

The cast did an amazing amazing and worth repeating amazing job with this show! Not only the…read morecomedic timing being flawless, but the physical demands of their roles were spectacular! A special shout out to Neil and Chris , who were beyond words outstanding! If you want a good laugh, you must come see this show

I was very impressed with how this little theater presented Disenchanted. The setup was minimal…read morebut perfect and the sound was crisp and clear. The ladies in the play, the Princesses, were amazing and so very talented! Hearing their beautiful voices echo in the room was a treat to the ears. The characters were hilarious as well. I totally got lost in their story. If you haven't seen it, go get tickets before they sell out. It runs until 1/28. I plan to return to support and watch other productions. We had such a good time.

We give regularly to Tunnel to Towers and also give to Wounded Warriors, both amazing…read moreorganizations. These organizations offer programs and assistance to wounded vets and their families. Remember home of the free because of the brave. God bless our heroes and veterans. Highlyrecommended

After multiple attempts via snail mail donation to have the spelling of my name corrected (with…read morenegative results) - I emailed and requested the correction- and rather than correct my spelling - I was told she would just remove me from their mailing list. WOW. I regularly give to DAV, Tunnels to Towers and Wounded Warriors. I am retired law enforcement and my father was a Veteran- I was floored to receive such a flippant response from the donor care team person with the initials " S.S." It's such a disappointment that this great organization would employ a person of such low caliber to "represent" them as she appears to not give a care about being understanding or respectful to donors which I believe is a reflection on how little she truly cares about the Wounded Warrior mission. I guess clearing out the mountain of donor messages as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort is important to this horrid excuse for a "donor care" team member. Case in point, I emailed DAV about the SAME spelling issue and it was done immediately. Wounded Warriors Organization DO BETTER.

If you're looking for something truly unique in Jacksonville, The Cove Social Club is such a hidden…read moregem! Located in a 101-year-old building that used to be an A&P grocery store, this space perfectly blends history, creativity, and community. I love that so much of the original architecture has been preserved -- and the fact that it was designed by a woman architect back in the day makes it even more special. The Cove offers so much: daily coffee service, cooking and cake-decorating classes in "The Lab," yoga and meditation on Wellness Wednesdays, Social Sundays focused on mindfulness and connection, and even Art & Wine nights where you can sip, snack, and paint while listening to live music. They're also about to open Sticks & Stones, a private cigar club next door that will be available to members -- it's going to be such a great addition to the experience. The next membership cohort begins November 1st, and spots are limited to just 150 members to keep things community-focused and personal. They also host networking events, lectures, and business education workshops, so it's a great mix of social and professional. Whether you come for a coffee, an event, or to meet new people, The Cove Social Club is one of those places that makes you feel instantly connected and inspired.

We recently had an Art & Wine event at the Affluent Concierge for our good friend's birthday. Our…read moregroup had a fabulous time creating paintings and being pampered with lovely decor, enjoyable music, nice wine and delicious appetizers by our wonderful host, Nicole and her assistant, Sherlock. Our art experience included all the necessary art supplies and the privilege being guided through the creative process by our awesome art instructor, Mia. Mia was knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. She spent time with each one of us, explaining techniques and offering tips and motivation. The Affluent Concierge provided a unique and delightful experience, with great attention to detail and heartwarming personal touches. Thank you, Nicole, Mia and Mr. Sherlock, we look forward to our next event!

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 saw an event on Facebook happening at this studio close to my home and they needed one person to…read moresign up or the class wouldn't take place. My husband keeps telling me to get out of the house more so I signed up and paid for the class before I could change my mind. The day of the event, at my house decided to come, so I signed him up. I wanted to make sure children could come a message on their promptly returned within the hour assuring me he could. We arrived to the brightly lit small store front and were warmly greeted by a woman at the front desk I later learned was the owner. There were several long tables with seating on both sides. The materials for the project were in front of a spot already for us to sit down and begin class. What a fantastic time we had there were only four of us taking the class. I learned the business is fairly new but more people need to find out about this place because we couldn't buy the materials to make the holiday themed project for double the price of what we paid for the class. We will definitely be back and we are going to tell others.

I took the paint pouring class. I loved that there weren't too many people to attend so we could…read moreeach ask questions. The teacher knew her stuff and made it fun to create art when I'm not an artist. I will definitely take more classes here and 1000% recommend others do too! The space was clean and well lit too.

Can't believe we've never been here before? Or maybe I didn't review bec I felt like I had?!?!‍ the…read morelobby is cool in that it is round and Doris Weave was a provider with it. When we walked in the first thing I noticed was the smell...now they have said they need to repair the roof and have, or near enough funds, but...should put dehumidifiers/mildew-rid bags, etc all over before shows (my opinion). Next I noticed what a greatly designed stage-really nice and professional! The 5 actors were great...I'd say perfect in their parts, they gave their hearts into the play-Barefoot in the Park. If you need reminded what it was about- young couple facing the challenges of living together with two different types personalities (which is probably is what attracted them to each other) then add in a nosey neighbor, interfering mother and 5/6 flights of stairs and you have humor!

If you're looking for a thought-provoking show for a date night, this is where to go! The show is…read moreabout empowering women who find themselves and navigate the complexity of self-esteem self-worth and relationships. The cast is truly phenomenal! Passionate about what they do they truly make a difference. This costume design, stage design and backstage crew as well as tech crew truly Put a lot of effort into producing such a great show. Hats off to all those volunteers for getting back to our community outstanding way. We need positive things in today's society and coming here You will receive it!

A great tour. Rae was our guide and she has a great knowledge of the cities dark history. This is…read morea great way to get to know the city's connections to monsters and bootleggers and other more monstrous citizens while exploring the downtown. This is a great experience for visitors but also for native residence; most people never explore their own backyard.