Riverside and Avondale are about to get really colorful this weekend.
The annual Jax River City Pride Parade winds through the neighborhoods Saturday afternoon, starting at 2 p.m. at Willow Branch Park and marching down Park, King, Post, Stockton and Margaret streets before ending at Riverside Park. Willow Branch Park was the site for the city's first LGBT Pride Picnic, in 1978. The parade covers 1.5 miles and entrants will start lining up at 9 a.m.
The Jax River City Pride Festival & Cabaret are scheduled for noon-9 p.m. Sunday at Riverside Park. Admission is free and the event includes a festival marketplace and live entertainment. Alabama singer Kristy Lee is the headliner, performing from 4-6 p.m. A cabaret show from 6-9 p.m. closes the fest.
Info: jaxrcpride.org
Jacksonville Home + Garden Show
10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2-Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. $12.
Need a new kitchen? Screens? Flooring? Closets? Roof? Fence? Whatever you need to spruce up the ol' domicile, you'll find someone to help here. Dozens of exhibitors will be on hand, plus the event includes workshops, giveaways, cooking and cocktail demonstrations and Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison from PBS' "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country". Info: jacksonvillehomeshow.com
Country conundrum
Country music fans have a big decision to make Friday night: Do they go see Whiskey Myers at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre (6:30 p.m., $71-$116., the Ransom Brothers open) or Zach Top at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (8 p.m., $51-$184, Jake Worthington opens)? Both are worthy shows — Whiskey Myers brings a rock-band vibe to its live shows, Top seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of country's biggest names in the last couple of years — but you can't see both. Decision time! Info: theamp.com, jaxevents.com
Stevie Wonder & More
7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, at Jacoby Symphony Hall. $44-$89.
Just because they play violas and piccolos doesn't mean the musicians in the Jacksonville Symphony can't rock. For this show, Na’Zir McFadden leads the symphony and guest singer Sherrod T. Brown handles the vocals for Stevie's "Superstition" and other hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s. Info: jaxsymphony.org
Crop mazes
A sure sign of fall in Northeast Florida is the opening of the crop mazes.
- Amazing Grace Family Farms opens its Pumpkin Festival on Friday. They have a pumpkin patch, sunflower and zinnia fields, a crop maze and funnel cakes. It's open 4-9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays through October. Amazing Grace is at 4251 SR 21 in Green Cove Springs. $25. Info: agcropmaze.com
- Conner's A-Maize-Ing Acres opens Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and will be open from 5-9 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays through October. They have a pumpkin patch, corn maze, wagon rides and farm animals. $23. Conner's is at 19856 County Road 121 in Hilliard. Info: connerscornmaze.com
- Sykes Family Farms is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. They will maintain those hours, plus Fridays from 6-10 p.m., through October. They'll have live music both days, plus axe-throwing on Saturday and a vendor's market Sunday. They have a 9-acre crop maze, hay rides, bounce pads and snack vendors. Sykes' is at 5995 Brough Road in Elkton. $17. Info:sycofarms.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Crop mazes, Pride Parade on Jacksonville's weekend to-do list
