Every holiday season in Jacksonville Beach a unique Christmas light show takes place in Latham Plaza in the Seawalk Pavilion. Deck The Chairs is the brainchild of Kurtis Loftis, and is now in its twelfth year. Deck The Chairs was created to fill a void during the winter holiday season, and now in its twelfth year it has far surpassed that goal. Jacksonville Beach Mayor Christine Hoffman said, “Before Deck The Chairs, winter in downtown Jacksonville Beach was pretty glum. Deck The Chairs literally brought light, music, people and festivity, and there has been such a positive ripple effect for all the surrounding businesses as a result.”
Deck The Chairs was founded in North Florida and the Beaches area to provide a free, six-week holiday exhibit featuring decorated lifeguard chairs. Jacksonville Beach Deck The Chairs is the only exhibit of its kind anywhere in the world. The purpose of JBDTC is to promote children’s arts and arts education. Today the DTC Board works year-round with community leaders and volunteers to plan and develop the popular event that averages more than 100,000 annual visitors.
When it comes to community pride, Deck The Chairs showcases a creatively-engaged, North Florida community to the world. Being a one of a kind light exhibit, DTC has put Jacksonville Beach on the map all around the world as having an exhibit that celebrates the coastal lifestyle of our beach community. Partnerships include the City of Jax Beach, The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Jacksonville Jaguars, The Players, Publix and Greenwise Market, Visit Jacksonville, TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Beaches Go Green, Down Syndrome Association, The Boys And Girls Club of NE Florida, plus many other small business and nonprofits interested in community outreach.
One of those partnerships is with Here Tomorrow (heretomorrow.org) whose cause is suicide prevention. Here Tomorrow offers QPR training to anyone in our community twice a month to empower individuals to have conversations about mental health and support loved ones in crisis. They promote trust and relationship building on both sides through one-on-one mentorship, as well as support open and honest dialogue, between both their team and those seeking help. Whether you need to share your lowest low or your highest high, the Here Tomorrow team is always available.
This year there are several events tied in to the endeavor, with a worship night being held this Friday, December 20th, from 6:00 to 7:30pm. On Saturday the Let Young Hearts Shine program will take place from 3:00 until 8:00pm and features programs from the Fletcher High Dance Team, Fletcher Middle Dance Team, Ft. Caroline School of Arts, Bravo, Dynamics Dance, Hawkins School of Highland Dance, North FL Twirling Academy and Ballet Arts Center. After that there will be a Christmas Eve gathering from 5:00 until 7:00pm.
When asked about where his inspiration for Deck The Chairs came from, Kurtis Loftis told us, “The hope is that I can inspire young artists to engage with business to help design and decorate the chairs. The template for the arts engagement was based on other community arts projects where blank sculpture (i.e. jaguars, manatees, and sea turtles) are painted by artists and displayed in front of misc businesses. As DTC evolved, its nonprofit mission was simplified to focus on a primary beneficiary… children and the arts. The DTC Board was integral in helping define the objectives over 12 seasons. We all carry a simple statement of purpose… “DTC is for our children.”
Deck The Chairs runs until January 1, 2025 and is free to the public. Everyone is encouraged to attend at least once and take in the unique light exhibit found only right here in Jacksonville Beach. All events are free to the public as well and more information can be found at deckthechairs.org
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Mike is a native First Coaster and was a leading figure in surfing and skateboarding for most of his life. After promoting music for many years on the local music scene, Mike now brings a unique perspective to FirstCoast.Life as a contributing writer.
