All photographs are copyrighted by Toni Smailagic | @ToniSmailagic. The use of any image for web / promotional / print / advertisement material is subject to a licensing agreement.
CoRK open studios 2023
Easily in the top 5 events of the year took place on November 18 & 19, 2023 from 12-6pm : CoRK Open Studios!
To those unfamiliar with CoRK (which stands for Corner of Rosselle & King) Arts District - it's a collection of warehouses in Riverside that span over 80,000 sq feet & center over 70 artist studios / galleries. Throughout the year these spaces are typically closed to the public & only open up on this one weekend! You get to roam throughout the warehouses, meet the artists, see what they've been working on, & even buy their original pieces (tip - many artists offer payment plans, so please don't hesitate to ask!). This is one of the BEST ways to get introduced to the art world in the city, as well as meet some of the thousands of likeminded visitors along the way.
Address : 9689 Rosselle St
All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
5th Annual ‘Viva la fiesta’ in downtown jax
‘Viva La Fiesta’ came back for it’s 5th year, and was the perfect way of wrapping up Hispanic Heritage Month! This year they returned to James Weldon Johnson Park on Saturday (Oct 14,2023) from 4-10pm. The festival ALWAYS draws in a massive crowd, especially with the growing Hispanic population & this being the only Hispanic festival in the city, so it was no surprise that every corner of the park was filled up.
* This year’s headliner was the legendary CHARLIE APONTE of El Gran Combo, with entertainment throughout the entire evening ranging from CaribeGroove - Venezuela Marka - La Legítima - Traditional Panama Dances - and of course, Dj Little Yankee .
Viva La Fiesta Jax is produced by Yaya Production / Yanira Cardona & presented by The Jessie
All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
Lafavre Celebration
“Leap & a net will appear” is the quote that comes to mind when discussing the five years of @Lafavre.us (pronounced Lah-fahv) - & not just because Kasey actually jumped off the Main Street Bridge 😅
Lafavre, created by 5th-generation Jacksonville native Kasey Faver, has built a cult-like following, & that was evident this past Monday morning, 9/04 Day, at 9:04am when the first 4 pieces of the 8-piece collaborative collection with the Jacksonville Jaguars was released, and completely SOLD OUT in a matter of seconds. This was the first official collab with the Jaguars, and the pictures in the feed give you a glimpse into the celebration of the historic moment the evening before the drop, held at TheLarkJax in Downtown.
Photography by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
Duvalfolx - Pride 2023 - Cummer museum
DuvalFolx is the only dance party in NE Florida that centers Black / Trans / and Queer folks - created by Geexella in 2018. To celebrate Pride 2023, we headed back to The Cummer Museum in Riverside with Sib (the band), DJ’s NickFresh & Geexella providing the soundtrack throughout the evening. Originally scheduled to be in the garden, but due to the rain the party was moved inside and was JUST as beautiful.
It’s the most joyous event I cover, on a consistent basis. The images don’t do the energy you feel justice!
Photography by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
River jams 2023 - shaggy, l.o.v.e culture, jeremy ryan, k.utie
Jax River Jams presented by Vystar Credit Union is a FREE concert series taking place in Downtown Jacksonville every Thursday night in April from 5:30-10pm at the Riverfront Plaza (old Landing). The images below are from week 2 (April 13) with Headliner : Shaggy & openers : L.O.V.E. Culture and Jeremy Ryan / K.UTIE
All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
The remaining lineup :
April 20:
Headliner : Grouplove | Openers : Faze Wave and Liza Attic
April 27:
Headliner : Chris Lane | Openers : Cumberland and Dylan Gerard
Winterland Music Festival - Vol 5
Winterland Presents Vol 5 was EXACTLY what I needed as the kickoff music festival for the year. I’ve covered Winterland for the past few years and have always been introduced to new bands (both local & national). This year, I was most excited to see Sudan Archives live, but was overwhelmed with the amount of new music I was furiously trying to add on my Spotify playlist in between taking pictures of the sets (with some favorites being Sasami, Jacuzzi Boys, The Nude Party, and Rudy De Anda).
*In the images below, the first time a specific band is shown (that has a caption underneath), that specific image can be clicked to go directly to the artist Instagram page
Consistency in quality / excellence has been the key component in the music curation of this FREE 2-day festival by Glenn, Lena, and Matt (more about them here) - and it didn’t stop at the music. From the carefully selected food, alcohol & merch vendors, to the addition of the Glitch Gallery (igloo in the middle) and the InstaRamp / Lady Skate Day were perfect to expand the festival into a true multi-sensory experience.
I highly suggest keeping up with Jacksonville Music Experience (JME) for all things related to music in the city, and Winterland for their continued music activation, including this Thursday’s show at The Walrus in Murray Hill with Thelma and the Sleeze & opening acts Sib & Bad Madonna (2 tickets for $6)
All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
MLK Parade in Downtown Jacksonville - 2023
The annual parade to commemorate Dr.Martin Luther King Jr was held on Monday, Jan 16th, 2023 in Downtown Jacksonville. This is a visual recap throughout the morning by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
Duvalfolx - NYE 2022 > 2023
DuvalFolx is the only dance party in NE Florida that centers Black / Trans / and Queer folks - created by Geexella in 2018. To celebrate NYE 2022 > 2023, we headed to my favorite bar in Murray Hill, The Walrus with DJ’s Geexella, Lunaxcel, CommonJudgement, OMY, and Comrade Panarica providing the soundtrack throughout the evening. We had THE Silent Disco company in the alley, Hush Hush, so people were listening to different stations, in and out of the building.
It’s the most joyous event I cover, on a consistent basis. The images don’t do the energy you feel justice!
Photography by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax
