Just announced, the 2nd annual Florida Fin Festival, a free, 2-day ocean conservation, education and music festival is happening Saturday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. The event benefits OCEARCH at Jacksonville University, a nonprofit dedicated to research, education and outreach to accelerate the ocean’s return to balance.

John Oates from “Hall and Oates” and Moon Taxi will headline the music portion of the event, with support from regional favorites Honey Hounds, The Band Be Easy (performing a tribute to funk), The Ries Brothers and more.

Accompanying the music element is a robust Education Village presented by The Ocean Conservancy featuring an immersive underwater VR experience, a mobile planetarium from the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) and touch tanks from Jacksonville University. 

“Ocean Conservancy is thrilled to bring immersive, interactive experiences to this event through our Education Village,” said Florida Director of The Ocean Conservancy, J.P. Booker. “For Florida’s ocean and coasts, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Threats like water quality issues, marine debris, and climate change are all looming over Florida’s coasts. If we work together, there’s a lot that we can do to tackle these problems. Community events like the annual Florida Fin Festival provide the public with opportunities to bond with their neighbors and unite in our effort to protect our ocean and coasts,” Booker continued. 

Florida Fin Fest provides a family friendly environment with nationally touring music acts, one of a kind hands-on learning experiences, talks from renowned guest speakers & science experts, and a festival village full of brands with a focus on sustainability, conservation and environmentally-friendly practices. To round off the event, attendees can sit in on panel discussions featuring topics such as: Micro-plastics Micro-fibers & Marine Debris, Water Quality, and Marine Conservation.

“As Floridians who grew up on the water, my brother, Niko, and I created this event where awareness, education, and innovation intersect to propel our most powerful resource, people, into a more sustainable future. We hope to inspire our attendees to make one small change in their daily lives to improve our planet while enjoying an unforgettable experience immersed in music, conservation and education,” said Co-Founder of Florida Fin Fest, Lukas Costas.

The event is free to the public with VIP tickets availablefor purchase that include a shaded, seated private viewing area with complimentary food and beverage from The Local Neptune Beach.

Additional partners for the Florida Fin Festival include: The Ocean Conservancy, The Museum of Science and History (MOSH), Open Water,  iHeartMedia, NexGen, Gratitude Organic Ice Tea, Press Seltzer, 904HappyHour, Fur Ever Yum, John’s Automotive, Blue Jay Listening Room, and more.

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