A few weeks ago, Jacksonville (along with several other cities in Florida) suffered a week-long heatwave. Temperatures reached stifling levels of 96–98 degrees Fahrenheit, and while Florida and summer often mean hot weather, it never usually reaches temperatures like that.

That said, in the midst of the heatwave, Neptune Beach still hosted its annual Dancin’ in the Street event. This all-day festival brings local bands to various stages along the streets of Neptune Beach. Free to enter, the event also featured stalls and tents of local companies and brands selling crafts, handmade items and clothes.

The heat was already too much for us when we got there around 1 p.m., so we headed into Pete’s Bar, a local favorite for decades that exudes old-school bar vibes with pool tables, vintage décor on the walls and old bottles lining the walls behind the bar. There’s also an expansive outdoor section in the back with its own bar, seats and umbrellas.

We spent a good bit of time here soaking up every second of air conditioning before heading back out to enjoy some of the local bands. Around dinner time we then ventured over to the food truck section, where I indulged in some chicken nachos and corn nuggets, a much-needed meal that was also tasty. After we all filled up on food, we made our way over to Lemon Bar, another popular bar in Neptune Beach located right along the beach.

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It was so warm, we all ordered a frozen cocktail made with lemonade and ice cream. By 8 p.m., I and a few others had had enough of the heat, so we headed home. If not for the heatwave, I would have stayed out much longer, but I craved nothing more in that moment than to take a cold shower and watch a movie.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor