Jacksonville covers 848 square miles with activities as wide and diverse as the landscape itself. Springtime is an excellent time to visit Northeast Florida with moderate temperatures and a variety of outdoor activities to take in the sunshine.

The highlight of spring in Jacksonville is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. The festival takes over downtown with four main stages spanning from The Jacksonville Landing to Hemming Plaza; it creates a festive, block party atmosphere. The festival is scheduled for May 27-30, 2010. This incredible event is mostly free, with a small admission fee for some special engagements. Visitors enjoy internationally acclaimed jazz performers, as well as the region’s best musicians during the event. Art at the Met, “Round Midnight Jazz Jam,” a wine tasting and Sunday jazz brunch adds another layer of cultural flavor. For more information, visit jaxjazzfest.com.

Additional family-friendly activities include, The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, featuring their newest exhibit, “Tuxedo Coast,” which includes eight new Magellanic penguins. Stingray Bay also returns to the zoo this spring. In addition to guests being able to pet stingrays, they will also be able to get up close and personal with sharks. Also check out the Asia Bamboo Gardens and Komodo Dragon exhibit, opened in 2009. Visit jacksonvillezoo.org for more information.

The Museum of Science and History (MOSH) will feature a fully immersive maze-based exhibit this spring. “A-Mazing Seas” compels visitors to climb into sea turtle shells, crawl through a whale's mouth and reach into an octopus cave while discovering simple solutions for challenges that face inhabitants of the deep blue and beyond. Visit themosh.org for details.

Arena football is returning to Jacksonville after an eight-year hiatus. The Jacksonville Sharks, an Area Football 1 (AF1) team, will host teams from across the country for nine home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Area during the 2010 season. Visit jaxsharks.com for the exciting details and schedules.