A real sports fan would be hard-pressed to find a better city to be in this weekend than Jacksonville.
You want baseball? The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are playing the Nashville Sounds at 12:05 p.m. Friday, t:35 p.m. Saturday and 2:05 p.m. Sunday at VyStar Ballpark. They only have one more home stand this season, so catch them while you can.
![Jacksonville Waves center Adut Bulgak (2) drives to to the basket defended by Greensboro Groove forward Sahara Jones (24) during an Upshot League basketball game at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. [Gary Lloyd McCullough/Provided by the Jacksonville Waves]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2026/08/09/NFTU/91233137007-jax-080826-waves-03.jpg)
Football more your thing? The Jaguars welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to EverBank Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday. It's the final preseason game for both teams and the last night game at the stadium until December, when the Steelers come to town. The stadium is in the middle of a major reconstruction project, so the upper decks are closed and capacity is reduced by more than 27,000.
How about soccer? The Sporting
Jax women's team welcomes the Dallas Trinity to Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida at 7 p.m. Saturday. Sporting Jax is 2-0 this year in the Gainbridge Super League.
Women's basketball is your game, you say? Head down to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday for the Upshot League's inaugural championship game. The Jacksonville Waves, who finished the season with a league-best record of 25-9, will face off against theCharlotte Crown, who finished at 23-11.
Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy
6 and 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, and Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Thrasher-Horne Center in Orange Park. $55.
Ready for some tales of mystery and imagination? Organizers have set up a gloomy "speakeasy" in the center's intimate Studio Theater, where storytellers will share four of Poe's darker offerings while a mixologist creates a specific cocktail for each. It's for ages 21 and older only. Info: thcenter.org
MJ's birthday party
7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at the Ritz Theatre and Museum. $14.15.
Saturday would have been Michael Jackson's 68th birthday. Celebrate with a party that includes a costume contest, trivia quiz, moonwalk lessons and a screening of "Michael," the biopic released earlier this year. Info: theritz.jaxevents.com
Clear the Shelters
10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Jacksonville Animal Care & Protective Services.
NBC Universal launched a monthlong campaign in August to promote pet adoption and help clear out America's animal shelters. The drive comes to Jacksonville on Saturday, and the city's Animal Care & Protective Services staff will be on hand at 2020 Forest St. to help animals find their forever homes. On any given day, nearly 500 pets are waiting for adoption in Jacksonville. Info: jacksonville.gov
Front and Center Showcase
![The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, which has been undergoing renovations for more than a year, stands completed Wednesday July 30, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2025/07/30/NFTU/85446317007-jki-073025-ponte-vedra-concert-hallrenovations-03.JPG)
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. Sold out.
It's been just over a year since the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall reopened after a 15-month, $12.9 million collar renovation, and they're celebrating with performances by local favorites Red Magnolia, Lauren Woodall and Freddie Caicos and the Sunburns. The show is free, but all of the tickets have been spoken for. Info: pvconcerthall.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Pick a sport and you'll probably find it this weekend in Jacksonville
