The 44th annual Orange Park Fall Festival is back Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18, filling Town Hall Park with more than 200 artists and vendors, 30+ food vendors, two stages and a Kids Zone. It runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and general admission is free.

Come hungry. The 2026 lineup includes Cousins Maine Lobster, Cedar River Seafood, Southern Smoke BBQ, Cely’s Filipino Food and Thigpen’s Turkey Legs, with Hendra’s Funnel Cakes, Churro Churro Jax and Southern Scoops for dessert. Eating before you go may be a tactical mistake.

For kids, a $15 wristband covers unlimited inflatables for the day, and $20 adds two activity tickets. The rock wall, Atomic Bungee and pony rides are $5 each.

Our best tip: park free at Moosehaven, 1701 Park Avenue, and ride the shuttle, which runs continuously until 5:30 p.m. Organizers ask visitors to skip the Winn-Dixie and CVS lot.

Wear comfortable shoes, bring sunscreen and water, and plan for a couple of hours at least.

Our full guide has the complete vendor list, Kids Zone details, accessible parking, pet and ATM info and more. Read it before you go.

Grumpy’s is now open on Fleming Island. The restaurant held its grand opening Monday, Oct. 12, at 1803 East West Parkway, in the former Dick’s Wings & Grill building near U.S. 17.

It’s the largest Grumpy’s yet and the first with a full bar, serving mimosas and Bloody Marys, plus a party room and a free game room for kids. Hours are 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

Grumpy’s started in Orange Park in 1999 as the retirement project of a Navy cook known as Chef Grumpy. Daniel and Morgan DeLeon bought it in 2017 and began franchising in 2019. Fleming Island is the sixth location, owned by the Hoard family, who also own the Middleburg Grumpy’s.

The menu sticks to diner classics, from big breakfasts, omelets and eggs Benedict to chicken and waffles, burgers and the red, white and blue waffle, with “a hungry-person’s portion at a working-class price.”

Why close at 2? The menu cover says it plainly: “all while closing at 2:00PM, providing the ultimate family, work and life balance.”

We went back Tuesday, met a few of the welcoming people behind the place and ordered the walnut pancakes with bacon. The food was great, and so was the service.

The What’s Good verdict? Two thumbs up. Good food. Good staff. I’ll definitely be back.

Halloween around Clay County has more going on than you might think, from an 1894 jail tour and a haunted trail to pumpkin patches, trunk-or-treats and a few Jacksonville and St. Augustine events worth the drive.

This guide has the dates, times, prices and details to know before you go, and we're updating it throughout October.

A Culver’s is planned for Orange Avenue (US 17) in Green Cove Springs. The Green Cove Springs City Council approved the site plan on July 21, 2026.

The property sits on the west side of US 17, just south of Burger King, between Park Street and Bayard Street, with Palmetto Avenue behind it. City documents put the site at about 1.75 acres.

Plans filed with the city show a drive-through, outdoor seating and about 55 parking spaces. Drivers would have three ways in and out: a right-in, right-out driveway on Orange Avenue, plus entrances on Park Street and Palmetto Avenue.

Clay Today reports the project was first proposed in December 2025. In May, the Planning and Zoning Board granted a special exception for a street wall, and in July the council signed off on the site plan. The application was filed on behalf of Culver Franchising System LLC.

Culver’s started in Sauk City, Wisconsin, and is known for ButterBurgers, cheese curds and Fresh Frozen Custard with a Flavor of the Day. If it opens, this would be Clay County’s second Culver’s, joining the one on Blanding Boulevard in Middleburg.

What’s still unknown: an opening date and a construction timeline. Additional permitting and pre-construction steps remain.

For now, it’s approved plans on paper, and the custard is still theoretical. We’ll share an update when there’s real movement.