Around Fernandina Beach: the dance festival, Island Hop and a week of jazz in October

The first full week of September, and you can feel the calendar filling back up. School is settled in, the crowds have thinned a little, and the fall run of events is about to start in earnest. Here is what we found on the books over the next month.

September

Brown Bag Lunch — Wednesday, September 9. Noon to one at the Fernandina Beach branch of the library, with Dr. Roger Smith carrying on his talk about the American Revolution. Bring your own lunch. The museum runs these all year.

Amelia Island Dance Festival — Thursday to Sunday, September 10 to 13. Performances and master classes, with some of the classes open to the public.

Endless Summer Watermelon Ride — Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13. A weekend of riding, and about the last thing on the calendar still willing to call itself summer.

3rd on 3rd — Friday, September 18. Six to seven at the Fernandina Beach library, Dr. Steve Knoll on “Many Revolutions.” It is streamed online as well if you would rather watch from the couch.

Fourth Friday Art Gallery Tour — Friday, September 25. The downtown galleries stay open into the evening. It is a nice walk and it costs nothing.

October

Sounds on Centre — Friday, October 2. The first Friday concert downtown on Centre Street. This one closes out the season, so it is worth catching.

Island Hop Craft Beer & Spirits Fest — Saturday, October 3. One to four in the afternoon at Central Park on Atlantic Avenue, with early entry at noon for VIP tickets. Breweries, distilleries, food vendors and live music. Families and dogs are welcome.

Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival — October 4 to 11. A full week of it at venues around the island.

Brown Bag Lunch — Wednesday, October 7. Noon to one in Baker Hall, Robert Eberle and Tom Sintes on the Amelia Island Lighthouse and the family who kept it.

Graveside Chronicles — Saturday, October 10. Nine to four, the genealogical society's fourth year of walking the cemetery and telling the stories of the people buried in it.

In the gift shop

Fall is when the shower invitations start turning up, and a good part of our gift room is set up for exactly that. We do the embroidery and monogramming here in the store, so burp cloths, bibs and blankets can go out with a name already on them. It does not take long, but it does take a few days, so give us the week if a shower is coming up on a Saturday.

We are at 1551 S 14th Street, Suite 1, open Monday through Friday, nine to six, closed weekends. Come stand in front of the shelf for a few minutes and it usually sorts itself out, or call us at (904) 261-3171 and we will get it started.