Salt Life Fest brings music, market and fun to Seawalk Pavilion

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Jacksonville Beach’s Seawalk Pavilion welcomed another summer festival with local lifestyle brand Salt Life’s inaugural Salt Life Fest Saturday, June 18.

Beginning with a kick-off off party at the Salt Life Food Shack June 17 and a sunrise yoga session courtesy of Big Fish Yoga, the festival drew a large, beach-bound crowd with a lineup of music, a slew of vendors and several attractions for families to enjoy. Among them were festival openers Dirty Pete and J. Collins, Danka, Ramajay Intercoastal, The Band Be Easy, Split Tone and headliner Roosevelt Collier. Mama Blue and John Parkerurban also made appearances as special guests.

Despite Saturday’s intermittent storms, locals showed up for the beach festival in typical fashion with swimsuits and sunglasses in tow, enjoying food and drinks on the Seawalk Pavilion’s green. Activities including a bungee jump, a bull ride, a Jacksonville Armada kick booth and inflatable slides beckoned visitors to the oceanfront festival. Among them were Antoinette Cronk and her daughter, Lucy, who enjoyed a go on the bungee cords.

“It’s just nice to get to hang out with my family while doing something fun,” Cronk said.

As the event’s musicians took the stage, local businesses took to a maze of tents to sell their wares to the crowd. Salt Life Fest’s vendors included Life Scents Candle Company, jewelry designer Rebecca Fixel of Bobbles Bangles & Bling and Freak n’ Chic crafts by Sasha Friedman, who said she anticipated a large turnout and a good time.

“I come to festivals about as often as Jax Beach has them, and when I heard of the Salt Life Fest I knew I could look to have a great time,” Friedman said. “I’m looking forward to Salt Life bringing out a good crowd of down-to-earth people and watching everyone party.”

It’s a move Associate Producer of Jax Beach Festivals Shelly Speckman said came at the right time, and one that she hopes the community will be able to enjoy for years to come.

“We are hoping to make it a yearly event,” Speckman said. “It’s a good kick-off to summer, it’s great for business and it’s fun, with great music and a laidback Salt Life style.”