Around Fernandina Beach: the Right Whale Festival, two parades and Dickens on Centre

The first week of November, and the mornings finally have some bite in them. From here the town runs straight from the veterans parade into the tree lighting without much of a pause. Here is what we found on the books between now and the middle of December.

November

Cross the Line Veterans 5k Run — Saturday, November 7. Seven to ten in the morning, starting from Central Park.

Community Appreciation Day — Saturday, November 7. Ten to one at the Fernandina Beach police department.

Right Whale Festival — Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8. At Main Beach Park, ten to six on Saturday with a movie in the park afterward, then ten to three on Sunday. The right whales calve off our beaches in the winter, so this one is properly local.

Veterans Day Parade — Wednesday, November 11. Steps off at eleven in the morning along the traditional route. Bring a chair.

Pétanque Amelia Island Open — Friday through Sunday, November 13 to 15. Three days of it at Waterfront Park downtown. Free to watch, and worth a half hour even if you have never seen it played.

The Golden Pickle Pickleball Tournament — Sunday, November 15. Nine to three on the pickleball courts at Central Park.

3rd on 3rd — Friday, November 20. Six to seven, with Adrienne Burke and Ennis Davis on Jacksonville's Gullah Geechee heritage.

Black Friday Pajama Party — Friday, November 27. Ten to two at Second Street and the train depot. Pajamas downtown the day after Thanksgiving.

Christmas Tree Lighting — Friday, November 27. Four to six at the waterfront park, with the tree lit at a quarter to six. Same evening as the pajama party, so you can make one trip of it.

December

Brown Bag Lunch — Wednesday, December 2. Noon to one in Baker Hall at the history museum. Bring your own lunch.

Holiday Home Tour — Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5. The history museum walks you through a handful of decorated homes in town.

Lighted Christmas Parade — Saturday, December 5. Six in the evening on the traditional parade route. Get your spot early.

Menorah Lighting — Tuesday, December 8. Five o'clock at Pocket Park downtown.

Tidings and Twinkle — Thursday, December 10. Five to seven at the Amelia River waterfront park.

Dickens on Centre — Friday through Sunday, December 11 to 13. The Christmas market takes over historic downtown for three days.

Shirts for the groups

Two parades, a 5k, a pickleball tournament and a pajama party inside of five weeks. In our experience that adds up to a lot of groups wanting to look like a group. We take custom shirt orders and we do the embroidery and monogramming right here in the store, so a team, a float, a church group or a family walking the parade together can go out in the same shirt.

It is not a same-day job, and the weeks around Thanksgiving are short ones. If you want shirts on people for the lighted parade on December 5, come talk to us by the last week of November and we will have the time to do it properly.

The date for our Annual Christmas Open House still is not settled. It will go on Facebook and Instagram first, so watch there.

We are at 1551 S 14th Street, Suite 1, open Monday through Friday, nine to six, closed weekends. Call us at (904) 261-3171 or come by and we will get it started.