Whether you’re totally booze-free, sober curious, or just looking for new experiences that may not be centered around alcohol, there are plenty of dry evening activities to enjoy in the Jacksonville area. We’ve got five great options of sober-friendly activities happening nightly in Jax, whether you want to get active and join a social sports league or bolster your culinary skills with one of several cooking classes happening each night around town.

Check out literary events at independent bookstores

Independent bookstores like Bookmark Beach in Neptune Beach and the two Chamblin locations in Jacksonville feature several live events a month, like in-person book signings from renowned authors touring in promotion of their newest book and workshops hosted by established Jax-area writers. These events are both great ways to discover new authors and meet new people outside of the typical bar scene. Various locations.

Try a social sports league

Your friend at JAX Fray are, as we speak, organizing winter leagues for their 2023 season, for sports ranging from basketball and soccer to pickleball and kickball. You can sign up as an individual and be assigned a team or gather a whole squad together yourself and sign up as a group. Many games happen weekly in the evenings, giving you a great reason to stay active and get out and socialize at night without worrying about a hangover the next morning. Various locations.

Take an evening cooking class

There are a variety of spots offering cooking classes in Jacksonville, including independently owned hub Jax Cooking Studio, well-loved kitchen gear chain Sur La Table, even Publix offers a handful of educational events each week at their Publix Aprons Cooking School. Whether you barely know your way around a microwave or if you’re a total foodie looking to advance your skills, there’s a class for your skill level and taste. Jax Cooking Studio’s multiple nightly classes are available in hyper-specific focuses like plant-based Mexican cooking or more open-ended affairs, like their private team cooking experiences, where you and a group of friends can book a night together to learn some new culinary skills. Various locations. 

Go for after-hours “afternoon” tea

While most tea shops in the area keep pretty modest hours, closing in the early afternoon, a few spots stay open later, like the relaxing day spa/tea room Wild Berry Tea Spa and the well-loved plant-based Chinese spot Hakka Kitchen. Hakka Kitchen’s Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony, complete with an introduction to the art of tea and tastings of several varieties, can be enjoyed individually or in groups as large as 12 people in their private Zen Room. More laid-back tea experiences can be enjoyed at Hakka until they close at 9 p.m., where you can select from a wide variety of premium teas and organic blends. Various locations.

Visit a museum after dark

While understandably, most museums in the Jax area close in the late afternoon, many of our favorite spots feature monthly events where they keep their doors open into the evening, often featuring live entertainment, food vendors, and more. Events like the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Third Thursdays at MOCA and MOSH After Dark, an annual 21+ event that allows grownups to engage with the frequently kid-dominated exhibits at the Museum of Science & History are unique ways to check out the mind-expanding cultural offerings available to you in Jacksonville without having to take the day off work. Various locations.

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