Amazing night great people. In my humble opinion I do believe that this was one of the best events ever. Jax Chamber of commerce you ROCKED this event. Over 700 people breaking bread together in the middle of downtown Jax on a beautiful night. Thank you to all the businesses who donated the food,drinks and desserts. read more

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I've seen this event for years, but always after it was over. First time I had a friend give me the heads up for tickets- shout out to the fabulous Debbie F! John and I snagged tickets, as did numerous other and we had a lovely evening downtown. Parking was free at the Vystar Garage, we walked the couple blocks down to the event. Right along the water front- the table stretched under the on ramp for the Main street Bridge. We were greeted and snagged beverages, found seats and waited for the intro, prayer and food. Conversations were about what our city could benefit from! I said a designated arts district to help bring our art community together better and be a destination for locals and vacationers. I was stunned by another suggestion- to have community pools. It didn't even dawn on me that there aren't community pools in Jax. I took swimming lessons at my childhood community pool where I grew up. You would think in a state that had so much water access would also have places for kids to learn water safety. Great idea. We also suggested a suggestion box for the next event! lol. Keep those community ideas rolling! This year the table was in zones- depending on what zone you sat in got you a specific dinner. We ended up seated in the Bono's section. Salad was already on the tables to pass around. Dinner rolls came next. Pulled pork, mac n cheese and green beans were passed out along with bbq sauces. We dug in and enjoyed excellent company, cool temps and good food. The desserts started rolling by- cookies, dessert bars and truffles (my fav). Debbie explained that usually there was more food- and that when we learned that they did zones. Guess I might have to ask questions before sitting next time! lol. I heard some got curry chicken and others got chicken parmesan. YUM! I will definitely be on the lookout for next year and I figure it will be a little easier now that I know where I am going & what to expect! read more

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Finally made it to the Longest Table and let me tell you it if for sure very long. We walked the full length of the table to make sure. I will say the best part of this event is the people you sit with and the people working the event. They are so helpful you really never need to get up during the whole dinner. We had salad, BBQ from Bono's, and amazing deserts from 4 River's. Let's just say you can't go wrong with a free dinner and great people. For sure will be coming back next year. read more

Jacksonville's Longest Table - Bono's for Dinner - Local Flavor Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Usually once a year the Chamber of Commerce organizes an experience on a long table (800 place settings) for citizens from all walks of Jax to met, greet and eat together. They have questions printed on the tablecloth to help with conversation...it was interesting talking to new people! The food was local eaters and good! read more

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FINALLY!!! For the lonnnnnngest time, I finally was able to attend this event which I have have missed many times over. And then Covid craziness snuck along and halted this event for another 2 years, making me wait for the lonnnnnngest. 2022 was THE year. The craziness subsided and the event was back in full stride. Jacksonville's Longest Table is an event hosted by Jax Chamber of Commerce. The name says it all "longest table" which is a unique event. Certain roads were blocked off, the red carpet rolled out to accommodate 700 people attending the event. Folk's that's alot of tables, chairs, foods, beverages and whatever comes to mind. For my 1st time experience, I really LOVED this event. What a better way to enjoy a night but to mingle and jingle with the fine folks of Jacksonville, community leaders, business owners, and councils... as well as run into some Yelper peeps along the way. This is one event I'll be looking forward to attending over and over. Thank you Jax Chamber !!!! read more

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Excellent Event put on the the City Council! This is an annual community dinner downtown, they line up tables on a street downtown to provide dinner for around 600 people getting its name the longest table! You have to get tickets online starting around 6am the day they are released, they have about 100 tickets for each zip code and the thought is they want all of Jacksoville to come together mingle, break bread and enjoy conversation with someone from another area of Jax you might not know! The food is all donated from local restaurants and served community style, everything was lovely! This last year was packed, they had more then expected turn out and everyone squeezed in together! We had a great time truly! The weather was perfect, food was great, but the feeling of community was even better! Def look forward to going again next year! read more

Jacksonville's Longest Table - Personalized fortune cookies! Love it! - Local Flavor Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Hear Ye Hear, Jacksonville, the longest table is back with a vengeance. Good food, Good people and goodies were had by all at the this event that has been gone since Covid happened. Community leaders, businesses owners and veterans were seated at the table to express themselves close up and personal. The event was free and catered by restaurants, supermarket etc. Can't wait to see what is in store for the longest table. More good times ahead in 2023. Kudos to Jax Chamber of commerce for hosting this terrific event. Neighbors getting to meet neighbors! Good Night all read more

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I'd heard rumors that this event was the bomb! Thanks to the rescheduling, I made it this year to bear witness to that fact! This year was the 3rd annual event, and I'm so happy I was able to eat with the 500! It's literally the longest table that I've ever eaten at, and all of Jacksonville's area codes are represented here to talk local, network, break bread, and share ideas about the betterment of the Jacksonville community at large! -- pretty dope! More city Chambers should adopt the "Longest Table," it's a sure winner! It's a free event, as local sponsors are on board and in full support of the mission! The food was great, provided by local restaurants (sponsors), served family style, and there was plenty of it! Favorite dish of the night: Mr. Potato Spread's chicken, loaded mashed potatoes! (So good!) Honorable mention: The steak was pretty good also! Truthfully, I didn't expect to be, but I was fully engaged in talking to my local stranger/(part-time)neighbors! As I'm still a Jax homeowner, this is a great community event that oozes what the true spirit of community should be. Sharing, learning, and growing together-- I was proud to be a part of it all! Brava, JAX chamber! Brava. read more

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This is a fabulous event to get residents from different neighborhoods together to meet and mingle over dinner. This was arranged by the Jax Chamber of Commerce and their employees pretty much ran the whole thing, with donations of food from restaurants around town. The original date was cancelled due to rain and rescheduled for last night, which was colder and they brought out the portable heaters. We all came bundled up but it just added to the ambiance. There were plenty of photographers and drone operators and the city was bright and shiny. We were color coded by our areas and the seating was arranged as such. I met up with some other Yelpers and we sat where we could be near each other but still have plenty of seating to meet new people. We ended up making friends and having a wonderful time. The food was pretty good, but the event really wasn't about the food - although we did enjoy it and talk a lot about it. We chatted about our neighborhoods and other similar topics. I really had a great time and I think it proved that even with all it's problems, Jacksonville is full of people who love this city and want it to succeed and do well. read more

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About 400 people dined outside along Independent Drive for Jacksonville's Longest Table. The dinner, inspired by diversity and unity, was hosted by Jax Chamber. The event was created as a way to connect diverse groups from across Jacksonville and to get people talking to one another. Great concept! We enjoyed meeting and talking with other guests. We shared a family-style meal from 9 local restaurants which included fried chicken, pulled pork, ham, roasted potatoes, salad, corn, chicken & rice, mixed veggies, pasta, and even dessert. I definitely enjoyed the Stella Artois Euro Pale Lager. Some of the sponsors included Bono's BBQ, Blue Bamboo, Maple Street Biscuit Co, Indochine, Seasons 52, and Publix. I can't wait to sign up again next year and hopefully, the weather will be nicer as it was a little windy, damp, and cold that day and hence approximately 200 no-shows. read more

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This was my first longest table event. Although I arrived maybe 10 minutes late, the event went very fast. I would say we were in and out within two hours. The idea to have multiple colors in multiple areas was great, but some neighbors in surrounding zip codes don't even know one another. Perhaps maybe introducing the questions during maybe an appetiser would've sparked more conversation. The fact that it was chilly and our fire tower wasn't working, gave me the idea to grub and go. Food portions were plenty although many times I missed the potatoes lol. I got the feeling that the employees of the Chambers didn't know what they were handing out and looking at plates to see what we've already eaten. Overall the concept was great, can't say I got enough to eat. We all looked at the menu to ensure we'd had all they had to offer. Conversations were few because we were all rushing to eat in the cold. Suggestions should follow indoors when weather inclined. read more

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Whoever thought of doing this needs a trophy.What a idea! I would love to see this also in our neighborhoods. The food was fabulous and plentiful. Seasons 52 made a perfect salad with pepitas in it. We had Pork. Chicken....Ham..noodles...rice...corn...bread.. And ate with our neighbors and that was so fun. Thank you JAX Chamber and voluteers for your hard work and vision. My teammates are now all interested in next year's. I told them sign up early so you don't get the "Sold out" Good Job!!!! read more

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This was a wonderful event! meeting new people while running into current friends is always productive. I got the opportunity to break bread with individuals share and listen to ideas and opinions. The menu was really nice and filling. It was a "chilly" evening but heaters were all around and it wasn't an issue. I really enjoyed the experience and look to arttend next year. read more

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Awe struck!!! I wanted to come last year, but did not get a ticket quick enough. I am so glad Debbie Zumba was kind enough to give me one this year. We had a wonderful time, a prayer was spoken before we ate dinner. It's always nice to meet new people. I was also blessed to run into so many of my Yelp Family, Kerry, Susan, Juliette, Kim&John, Larry&Kesha and many more. The food started coming and did not stop for a while. My favorite was the Mac n cheese! Thank you to everyone who donated theirselves to Volunteer to make this event happen in Jax. It was much appreciated and fun. I look forward to coming back next year, if I get lucky enough to get a ticket. read more

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I had heard about this event in years past, and I knew it was not to be missed. The day the tickets became available, myself and all the squad were ready at six am to get ours. With it being so fabulous, and free to boot, we knew they would go fast! It was actually rescheduled due to bad weather, and I'm really glad that they took that opportunity, since it was a clear sky the night we dined together, albeit quite chilly. When you walk up, you can hardly even believe what you are seeing. This is the longest table of life. I couldn't even see the end of it, and I just kept snapping pics of it in all its..long.. glory! I found my table mates pretty easy, as I was told to walk to the fourth heater! They had heaters out for us to try and not freeze to death while we mingled with strangers. Speaking of, I was sitting across from three fabulous new friends, and Debbie and I told them all of the fun we have with Yelp and how our squad of friends is from all different parts of town and how much we get around. It was so nice to meet people and talk about our city. With my Favorite Beard, Steve on my left and Debbie on my right, with Larry, Tesha and Juliet right down the row, we were already set up for an awesome night. We were able to chat and get to know the folks around us and also walk around and see some other Yelp folks that had come, and get a sneak peek of the food getting cooked and prepped. Soon it was time to be seated and hear from the members of Jax Chamber that had this as their vision and set it into motion. It really was amazing to listen to the way this all came to be such a huge popular event! The blessing of our meal was said, and in that cold air the way the word "Amen" hung in the air said in unison by all the hundreds of voices spanning this great City, it was inspiring. The food came upon us in waves of deliciousness and we were treated to dishes from several community favorites and there was something for everyone. The clear winner in our little spot of the table was the Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Mr Potato Spread, it was so good, we all kept passing the dish back and forth for more! I also liked the collard greens and the mac and cheese. There were some items that I did not try, as I was getting a little full, but the steak did not pass by without me grabbing some, and it was really good. Lastly were treated to the most adorable fudgey brownie with the Longest Table Logo on them. There was lots of photo ops as you can see, and that photo booth was the most hilarious time. My squad and I do love a good photo booth! We all left in the best of spirits, with full bellies and happy hearts.It was the most amazing evening, and I cant wait to see it happen next year! read more

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Jacksonville, FL, is an amazing city. One thing that makes it wonderful is its diverse population, and when you take that diversity and set it at a table, complete with food and a blueprint for dialogue, you take the first steps to making the city even better. Created as an avenue to foster community, as well as network both personally and professionally, this event - now in its third year - continued to demonstrate growth and openness to learning more about our fellow Jacksonvillians that we may have not know before, as well as brainstorm important issues affecting the city. The seating was pretty inventive. Tickets were limited, and maybe only 50-100 people from different zip codes were able to get them. But when you got there, the codes were color-coded to ensure that you say across from someone you didn't know. That being said, some people did "game" the system so that they were sure to have dinner with someone familiar, but for the most part, you were able to meet someone new. I lucked out and met a great group of folks. At dinner, we were able to parlay the general formalities into good dialogue about how the city fared in terms of sustainability and ways we could work towards making improvements. It was honestly a good time and made for an interesting meal. Food was on point! Served family style and provided courtesy of local businesses, we feasted on a variety of items - potato salad from Mr. Potato Spread, meats from Fogo de Chao, dessert from Mocha Misk'i, and the list goes on! Everything was delicious, and although it was a little of this, little of that, it was all quite filling in the end. Kudos to the Jax Chamber for hosting the event, and to all the volunteers and donors that helped make it happen! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and look forward to attending next year! read more

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I am so glad this event came through in my social media feed! Mingling with hundreds of my fellow Jacksonville residents sounded like a wonderful idea. A great way to bring the city together for a night of food and fellowship. The night before the sold out event I got an informative email instructing me of the exact location (directly in front of Jax Chamber) and convenient parking in The Landing parking facility. Easy access, no traffic and the excitement of The Longest Table stretching beyond my vision made for a cool but lovely evening in our city. Lots of safety and security and a large check in table with volunteers giving me instructions and a name tag. There was a nice drink tent with soft drinks and a selection of light adult beverages. Once seated, the food began. A nice mixed green salad, Hawaiian Bread, rice, corn potatoes, mixed vegetables, Noodles that had everyone smiling, Pulled Pork, Fried Chicken legs, ham and a scrumptious assortment of desserts...pecan, pumpkin, chocolate parfaits all served in large shot glasses. And a nice little take home brownie. All through dinner I was introduced to city council members, chamber members, city leaders and lots of great people from all areas...Mandarin, Beaches, Springfield, Southside and Westside plus! Color coded seating was a splendid idea to ensure communication with new people therefore making new friends and maybe getting a new perspective. The Volunteer Staff was more than friendly! What a welcome. The atmosphere was so pleasant and full of laughter. We shared favorite restaurants, housing information, exchanged business cards, and talked about ways we believe Jacksonville can grow and prosper. I hope this will be a yearly tradition if not more often and larger! read more

Jacksonville's Longest Table - Local Flavor Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Last Night was so magical and beautiful. This was an awesome event given by the Jax Chamber. I ran into so many old friends and folks I have been trying to connect with. One major problem we have always had in Jax is how spread out we are and how generationally we will only communicate with people from our subcommunities this event completely debunks that and made you talk with a stranger and gave you warm up questions to have. Now I haven't even talked about the food yet. The food was great pulled pork turnip greens fried chicken seasonal salad and yummy pumpkin and chocolate coffee parfaits . I'm so proud of my city read more

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This is one of the greatest community ideas I've seen the City of Jacksonville put together. I missed it the first year (2016) and I have a conflict this year (2018) but last year will not soon be forgotten. Husband is going again this year & I plan to have it on my calendar for next year. Considering the (free) tickets were all claimed in less than 24 hours I will definitely have it on my radar around this time next year. To shut down the street and have one looooong table set up for people to come together and break bread was pretty frickin' cool. Check-in is grouped by ZIP code and the colored name tags correspond to spots at the table. The idea is to mix & match and sit next to people you might not know. While I can't say I think that was executed exactly right, the idea was cool. The food left a little to be desired. With so many GREAT local restaurants that I hope would be on board for an event like this, it was disappointing to feast on something I could pick up at the local Publix. I get it, they were a donating sponsor so it's going to happen. Just a tad disappointed. The great conversation far outweighed that one con. Good news is it looks like the event coming up this year might get a bump up in the food department. Either way - the JAX Chamber needs to keep putting on events like this. Bringing the people together for good is the best way to spend an evening. read more

What an awesome event to share food and conversation with different Jacksonville residents. We were assigned colors that represented the various zipcodes to encourage people to meet and converse outside their own circles and it worked. We shared dishes prepared by a variety of local restaurants as we shared conversations and eventually made new friends. So thankful to have had the opportunity to participate and I look forward to next year. read more

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I was so excited about this event! I thought the premise of it was amazing. I so wanted to love it. Unfortunately it wasn't what I expected. My first impression was the location was gorgeous! You could see the river, downtown skyline, and bridges in the distance. It was a little difficult to find- there were no signs marking the event or pointing to any entrances. When we found the actual table, there were not signs showing the check in table or where to go to check in. It took awhile just to find where to get name-tags. During check in we were given no instructions and had to ask questions because we were still confused how it all worked. We finally found our seats but our area of the table wasn't very talkative. The food served was good- not outstanding but good. We had salad, rolls, pulled pork, noodles, chicken fried rice, and pumpkin desserts. Each guest also got a free drink ticket for soda, beer, or canned margaritas. After dinner the event was over and many left right away. It would have been nice to have some sort of activity to interact. We were done 30 min plus before the event was over. While I love the concept of this event and think it could be outstanding some changes are required to really make it happen. read more