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'The Barge' Floating Venue To Debut Downtown On St. Johns This Summer

drawing on easel
Jessica Palombo
/
WJCT News

Starting this summer, Jacksonville residents will have a new place to socialize downtown—on top of the St. Johns River. Plans for a mobile bar called The Barge were unveiled today at the ribbon-cutting for the new Southbank Riverwalk.

The Barge is the brainchild of Al and Dawn Emerick, who live downtown.

“The Barge is the region’s first-ever floating, place-making venue retrofitted and designed to activate the Southbank and connect the Northbank, unifying Jacksonville around her absolute gorgeous greatest asset, the St. Johns River," Al Emerick said. 

The Barge is scheduled to make its debut in June at an event called Beer, Bourbon and Bacon on the Southbank. It’s also set to float across to the Northbank for another event this fall. 

Jessica Palombo oversees local news at WJCT News 89.9 and Jacksonville Today. With a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and bachelor's in journalism from the University of Florida, Jessica is a nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville. You may have once seen her on a local community theater stage. These days, you can most likely catch her reading a book in a school pickup line.