It’s hard to define, and in fact when I asked you exactly what One Spark is- the answers varied.
“A chance to get out there and actually have that one spark, and if that one spark sets a flame, then the whole fire starts roaring,” says Jake Boswell from Murray Hill.
“It’s a great way to get people together and raise awareness for a lot of organizations and things that you probably wouldn’t know about otherwise,” says Jenny Coalson of Atlantic Beach.
“Inspiration is from everything, I think that’s what I want people to take away,” says South Carolina sculptor Terry Brennan, who is showcasing his work at the festival.
But on the first day of the event, the overall agreement was that it’s something Jacksonville needs to see more.
“It’s the best thing that’s happened to Jacksonville, to get creators and innovators out,” says The Performers Academy Executive Director Kathryn McAvoy.
McAvoy tells me the city is long overdue for an injection of the arts, and she’s hoping to win the crowds support for the Academy’s pop-up performances.
But One Spark is about more than just the arts. The large chunk of Downtown features a "Food Village" with mobile food vendors, lots of children's activities, and small businesses, start-ups and inventors looking for your support, literally. You hold the key to deciding how much money these projects could win, by voting in a variety of ways. Those methods are all explained on the event website.
“This is just all small businesses coming together and merging as one to bring out all of their ideas on one huge street,” Boswell says.
He was, at first, not very interested in the festival- but rather came with family. After spending some time walking along the River Walk area, however, he changed his tune. And that could be one of the greatest benefits that comes from the event.
“There’s a Downtown but it’s not somewhere you wanna go and hang out, and I think this will definitely help draw people here,” Coalson says.
Coalson hadn’t spent time on the River Walk in her recent memory. And over at Hemming Plaza, one of the big hubs for the festival, there were a lot of new faces as well. Westside resident Ralph Holloway tells me he hasn’t been to the area in at least a year, and now has too much to see for just one day.
“I’ll probably be back,” he says.
That’s welcome news to not just the city, but area businesses hoping to shore up new clients.
“I don’t know what to expect right now,” says Garfield Cooper, who’s company ZenCog Bicycle Company is providing rental bikes and repairs for the five-day festival.
Cooper says he’s made a big investment in to the festival, but with event organizers expecting more than 100,000 people to come out for the event, the payoff he gets in networking and exposure could well pay off.
It may not be a long term fix just yet, but area Councilman Don Redman tells me it’s a definite step in the right direction, and one he hopes will lead to lasting change in how the city uses Downtown, and how people perceive it.
