By NewsLine Staff
mail@floridanewsline.com
Many in the community will recall that the always highly anticipated annual Mandarin Art Festival was cancelled last year for the first time after more than 50 continuous years. It was a tough decision and a blow to the community and to the Mandarin Community Club, which relies heavily on the festival for fundraising.
The Mandarin Community Club made the very difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Easter weekend annual Mandarin Art Festival, which would have been held on April 3 – 4. The club board felt like it was the right thing to do in the best interest of all — volunteers, artist exhibitors, vendors, board members and patrons — since the recent positive developments in the fight against Covid did not come in time to plan and prepare months ahead for an Easter 2021 festival.
However, the club has rescheduled the festival for this fall: the weekend of Oct. 9 – 10, 2021. Plans are for a return to the 52-year Easter tradition in 2022.
“We are very optimistic that this fall festival will be a big success and greeted with as much anticipation as the spring show,” said Susie Scott, president of the Mandarin Community Club. “We are also excited at the unique opportunities a fall event will present for the show and want the community to share the experience.”
Contact the club at mandarinartfestival@gmail.com to be a part of this new October event and/or help prepare for the return of the continuing tradition in the spring of 2022.
The Mandarin Community Club has served the community since 1923 and is the oldest civic organization in Jacksonville. It has received countless awards over the decades for their community efforts and support. The purpose of the club is to foster and promote the appreciation, beautification and civic well-being of the Mandarin community and preserve the historic properties of the Mandarin Community Club for the benefit and education of its members, the public and future generations. The club is located on historic Mandarin Road in the 1872 Mandarin Freedom School building, founded originally by Harriett Beecher Stowe who resided across the street.
Mandarin Community Club is an independently operated, non profit 501c.3 organization managed by a volunteer board of directors. Visit www.mandarincommunityclub.org for more information.
Photo courtesy Mandarin Community Club
The Mandarin Art Festival will be postponed from its traditional Easter Weekend dates, but will be held under the oaks at the Mandarin Community Club on Oct. 9 – 10.
