JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The first weekend of May is traditionally one of the busiest weekends for outdoor events around Northeast Florida. With some areas receiving 8 inches of rainfall and more coming, some events will be starting late or moving indoors. Other go on "rain or shine."
The World of Nations at Metropolitan Park and the Jacksonville Jaguars' mini-camp are continuing on schedule Friday, although attendance was sparse at both events.
After organizers huddled to review the weather, the 50th Annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival opened on schedule Friday afternoon in Fernandina Beach. The Mayport Ferry will remain open until midnight on Friday and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to help with traffic leaving the shrimp festival.
The World of Nations, the mini-camp and the shrimp festival continue Saturday and Sunday.
The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival has cancelled its Friday evening schedule, but will proceed with its events on Saturday and Sunday.
Movies in the Park's free showing of "Brave" on the lawn of the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk has been moved indoors. The showing will now take place in the hotel's lobby at 8 p.m. Lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets will still be allowed, but no pets.
Jacksonville University has decided to move its Saturday morning commencement from an outdoor ceremony on campus to the main auditorium of First Baptist Church at 119 West Beaver Street.
The First Coast Kids Triathalon that was scheduled for this weekend on the JU campus was postponed to June 1 and 2.
The Championship Course at Sawgrass was closed due to standing water on the fairways after more than 5 inches of rain. While the water is draining due to 26 miles of pipelines buried under the fairways in 2006, plans for next week's Players Championship have been altered. The first day of practice rounds and public access to the tournament until Tuesday," to allow the course to drain property, minimize any damage that would affect the competition and give the course maintenance team as much time as possible to prepare the golf course."
The tournament issued a statement saying tickets to Monday's event would be honored on Tuesday.
The Players 5K with Donna was also postponed until May 18.
The Players' downtown kickoff event that was scheduled at the Shipyards property along the river on Bay Street east of downtown was moved into the East Club of EverBank Field.
The Jacksonville United soccer game set for Friday night at Patton Park was cancelled.
The 30th Annual Wave Masters surfing competition set for Jacksonville Beach was postponed until next weekend due to high seas and severe weather conditions.
In Clay County, the Relay for Life in Fleming Island, the First Coast Horse Show in Green Cove Springs and Boy Scout Camporee were all cancelled.
And in what may be the most unusual weather cancellation, Florida Secretary of Corrections Michael Crews announced Friday that visitation would not happen this weekend at Lawtey Correctional Institution due to weather conditions in the area and possible localized flooding.