logo
Black Rodeo coming to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center on Saturday

Black Rodeo coming to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center on Saturday

Yahoo2 days ago

The Black Rodeo is returning to town on Saturday.
The show is happening at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.
The event highlights African Americans' cultural impact in developing the West.
There is a show at 1 p.m. and a show at 7 p.m.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The 7 p.m. show is listed as sold out, but the 1 p.m. show still has tickets available.
For more information, click here. To purchase tickets, click here.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

St. Augustine considers stricter set of noise limits
St. Augustine considers stricter set of noise limits

Yahoo

time18 hours ago

  • Yahoo

St. Augustine considers stricter set of noise limits

The city of St. Augustine will soon go over a stricter round of rules for how much noise can be made by restaurants, bars, and even cars. Action News Jax reached out to the St. Augustine Police Department, which city leaders say has been the primary agency looking into the list of possible new rules, but the department wasn't able to speak with us. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The city, however, has released the add-ons and changes being considered to the existing noise rules, which include: No noise heard by a speaker or other sound-producing device by anyone at least 50 to 100 feet away in residential areas, depending on the day and time No noise heard by a speaker or other sound-producing device by anyone at least 100 to 150 away in Historical Preservation Districts 2-5, depending on the day and time No noise heard from a personal or commercial vehicle by anyone at least 25 feet away No noise heard from a personal or commercial boat by anyone at least 50 feet away Loudspeakers not allowed outside of cars or buildings anywhere on the beach - City code enforcement can relocate sound-producing devices or use soundproofing as an enforcement measure if rules are violated [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The city has gone over other changes to the noise rules at least two other times this year. Action News Jax told you back in April the last time the city was considering changing the rules. Some bars in the downtown area tell us they don't mind changes to the noise rules, but others are asking why they are being considered. 'I just wish they would figure out what they're going to do,' said Joe Schauer, a musician who plays live shows in St. Augustine's bars. 'We all want to be good neighbors. That's it, at the end of the day.' Schauer tells Action News Jax he's gone from bar to bar playing music for years and has seen the city work on changing its noise rules many times before. He is not exactly on the same wave this time around, but supports putting more restrictions on sound coming from cars. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'The person that's a block over sitting on their porch doesn't know if that's me playing music or if it's a guy on a motorcycle or in a truck. You just hear loud music and they're mad, so I get it,' Schauer said. The city is set to discuss the changes to the sound rules during the next meeting of the city commission, which is scheduled for next Monday at 5:00 PM inside City Hall. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

Apollo Theater Renovation: Behind the Scenes at the Historic Harlem Venue
Apollo Theater Renovation: Behind the Scenes at the Historic Harlem Venue

Newsweek

timea day ago

  • Newsweek

Apollo Theater Renovation: Behind the Scenes at the Historic Harlem Venue

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Apollo Theater at 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in the night. The Apollo Theater at 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in the night. Osmany Torres Martín/Getty Like any New York City neighborhood, Harlem is in a constant state of change, wrestling with gentrification while seeking to protect its history. In among that flux has been a constant—the Apollo Theater. First opened under a different name as a vaudeville and burlesque venue which excluded African Americans, the Apollo emerged in 1934 as a place for variety revues targeted at Harlem's growing Black population. It became a cultural cornerstone, with artists including Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Sammy Davis, Jr. among the early career stars to take to its stage, which has also been graced by comedians, actors and the man who would go on to be the first Black U.S. president, then-Senator Barack Obama. Now, the Apollo is about to close its doors, but just for a while, as it embarks on the next phase of a multimillion-dollar refurbishment and expansion, which leaders hope will help it last beyond what they say is a challenging time for the arts and Black history. "We have lived through periods of segregation, political unrest, the pandemic. So much of the richness of what has made the Apollo what it is, is steeped in its history and legacy," Joy Profet, chief growth officer at the Apollo, told Newsweek. That legacy will be honored in multiple ways in the coming months and years: in the physical changes and preservations about to take place at the 91-year-old theater, a recently opened performing arts venue in the former Victoria Theater next door and in a new streaming platform with hundreds of pieces of archival footage and photos from decades past. 'It Has Stood for the Best in Black Music' On Wednesday, June 4, the Apollo gave its current form a glittering send-off. Stars including rapper Busta Rhymes, actress Kym Whitley and fashion designer Dapper Dan walked the red carpet beneath the theater's brightly lit sign on Harlem's famous 125th Street for the venue's annual Spring Benefit. Many spoke of the Apollo's place as a vital cultural institution for the Black community, with Rhymes telling reporters that future generations needed to continue to have access to the venue's historic and nurturing environment. "It's not only important in this moment, but it's also necessary that they get that education so they know how to evolve the culture, the way they need to contribute to the history," the rapper said. A legend and a newcomer were among those honored during the evening, symbolizing the venue's ongoing commitment to fostering new talent and acknowledging its past. (L-R) Larry Jackson, Clive Davis and Busta Rhymes attend the 2025 Apollo Theater Spring Benefit at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria on June 04, 2025 in New York City. (L-R) Larry Jackson, Clive Davis and Busta Rhymes attend the 2025 Apollo Theater Spring Benefit at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria on June 04, 2025 in New York City. Shahar Azran/Getty Record producer Clive Davis, now 93, was given the Apollo's Legacy Award, having launched and nurtured the careers of many Black artists, from Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys to Earth, Wind & Fire. "When you think of all the artists—Stevie [Wonder], Ella, Thand the Supremes, Gladys Knight—it has stood for the best in Black music," Davis told Newsweek after being inducted into the theater's Walk of Fame. "So, it has symbolically been the real thing, it is the real thing. So, I look forward to it freshening up and resuming being the real thing." In a new award for 2025, Harlem's own Teyana Taylor, a singer, songwriter and actress, was handed the inaugural Innovator Award. "Many of the quotes say that this is where stars are born and dreams are made," Profet said. "And that's really what has kept this institution so relevant." Apollo Theater's Refurbishment and Future As the party got started at the event, there were signs of work underway, with the Apollo's lobby already walled off for construction, which fully begins in early July. While upgrades have happened piecemeal over the decades, this will be the theater's first top-to-bottom refurbishment. "The lobby, as currently built—I think it was done in the 1980s—it is fairly dated, really not up to a landmark building, which the Apollo is," Chris Cowan, principal at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, or BBB, told Newsweek. But in seeking to reflect the original 1914 building, all the team had to work with was a grainy black-and-white photo. So BBB delved into the records the theater has, while also seeking to create a space that is viable for the coming decades. The lobby will be expanded to twice its size, allowing it to be open day-round for visitors to grab a souvenir or use the new café/bar. Those new offerings will be surrounded by art deco-inspired finishes and set against a backdrop which has long been a fixture of the Apollo's entrance—a wall of fame showcasing photos of stars which have graced the stage over the years. But now it will be enhanced, Cowan said, with new digital experiences. "The history is so deep there, but we were able to bring in technology like touchscreen displays in the lobby. People will learn and be able to see the performers that made the Apollo what it is today, going back to the 1930s when the Apollo first started to allow African-American performers to perform there," Cowan said. The auditorium is where some of the biggest changes will take place. Standing at the back of the orchestra seating with Newsweek, as technicians got ready for the Spring Benefit, Profet explained that while much of the decoration in the space will remain, performances will be very different when the Apollo reopens. "A lot of those original landmarked pieces of the historic theater will be preserved, but this is an opportunity to really integrate interactivity into the experience, as well as technology, and to digitize a lot of what happens here," Profet said. While a wall filled with around 1,000 signatures of musicians, comedians and speakers—including former President Obama—will remain as it is, tucked in the wings, big technology upgrades are coming to a space designed in a time when electric lighting was relatively new and amplified sound wasn't imagined. "Right now, it's high volume. That's all they can do is blast sound," Cowan explained. "It doesn't get to all the points in the theater it needs to get to, so this is a way to really make a huge improvement for the patrons in terms of the sound, which is what people go to the Apollo for, right? It's to hear music and see shows." Seating, lighting and stage mechanics will all be upgraded, with the latter especially needed as scene changes are still manually driven with hemp rope—a practice most theaters have swapped for mechanics. For Cowan and the wider team working on the Apollo's next chapter, it is seen as "paramount" that the project enables the theater to survive. "With the loss of so many theaters on 125th Street, if you look at photographs from the 1930s and 40s it was lined with theaters like 42nd Street back in the day and they were all lost. All the grand old theaters were lost to development of various kinds, or just decay, and the Apollo, to me, it's like the last theater standing," he told Newsweek. Renderings of the foyer of The Apollo Theatre Renderings of the foyer of The Apollo Theatre Renderings courtesy of Charcoalblue, Flyleaf Creative, and Beyer Blinder Belle. 'It Extends Beyond Culture' All this work to expand and enhance the Apollo as a landmark arts venue in the heart of a historic Black neighborhood comes at a time when arts funding is in crisis. President Donald Trump recently targeted the Smithsonian Institution, which operates more than 20 museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in a recent executive order entitled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." For producer Larry Jackson, who has worked alongside Davis for over 20 years, it is vital that the Apollo remains strong. "It's a cultural church, it's a cultural mecca, it's a real sanctuary for Black culture," Jackson told Newsweek on the red carpet. "To me, maybe it's lofty and sacrilegious to say, I think the Apollo [is] on the same level as the White House. It's a landmark and a national treasure that should always remain." Profet told Newsweek she was confident in the Apollo's future, because of its past. "There were times in our history, in full transparency, where it really wasn't clear whether or not the Apollo would have survived," she said. But the Harlem and wider New York community came together, as well as city and state leaders, and those in Congress. One of the Apollo's long-time advocates was Democratic Representative Charles Rangel, who died in May. He described the theater as "like the Mecca" during an interview in 2007 and fought for its survival in the 1990s. That work is now being carried out by Harlem's current representatives at city, state and federal levels, along with community members. "We're all enthusiasts of culture, but we also recognize the unique role in the Apollo in shaping all things that have made America survive and thrive," Profet said. "It extends, in my opinion, beyond culture. It's about advocacy. It's about advocacy for humanity. It's about advocacy for the arts."

Jaguars' Travis Hunter is not looking to become trendsetter, just being himself
Jaguars' Travis Hunter is not looking to become trendsetter, just being himself

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Jaguars' Travis Hunter is not looking to become trendsetter, just being himself

WATCH THE FULL ACTION SPORTS JAX INTERVIEW WITH TRAVIS HUNTER IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE From a young age, Travis Hunter, the 2025 first-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, knew his dream was to play in the NFL. Advertisement Growing up in South Florida, his father was a football and track athlete for Boynton Beach Community High School, so football was simply a part of who Hunter was as a young boy. 'Since I first picked up a football, when I was about four years old, always wanted to be on the biggest stage,' Hunter said. Hunter has played with that same level of energy his entire life. It's fairly common to play both sides of the ball in high school. The twelve-minute quarters, running clock, and simplicity of the game at that level make it far more of a possibility than in college or the NFL. Advertisement RELATED: 1-On-1 with Jaguars' Travis Hunter: To understand the player, you must first understand the man While Hunter might have been an elite athlete playing on both sides of the ball, it was simply his love for the game that led him to become who he is today. 'I think because a lot of people tell me I can't do it, but also I love just being on the football field, I grew up playing both sides of the ball, and never coming off the football field. I have high energy, as you can tell. I just love being on the football field and do my job,' Hunter told Action News Jax. RELATED: 'Beyond the Smile:' Travis Hunter scoring points in Duval before taking his first snap with the Jags Advertisement Wherever Hunter seems to go, dreams become reality and success follows. Whether it's his five-star rating, state championship, Heisman trophy, or draft pedigree, Hunter's success and the way he plays the game have never been seen before in the modern era. It's that propensity to break records and to change the way the sport is played that makes Hunter so intriguing as a player. Every play, Hunter is doing something never before seen. RELATED: Jaguars' Travis Hunter is fitting in just fine in Jacksonville It certainly helps that he does it out of pure joy. Few seem to enjoy the game as much as Hunter. Advertisement It's wholesome and endearing. That said, Hunter isn't looking to become a trendsetter and get more young athletes to attempt to play both sides of the ball. It's just the path he chose. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'A lot of people play high school ball or Pop Warner and play both sides of the ball pretty natural thing for an elite athlete, but do you think more people will try to do what you're doing?' Action Sports Jax's Brent Martineau asked. 'I don't think they will try to do what I do. I hope they go out and be themself and if it comes to them, they go and do it, but I'm not trying to be a trendsetter, my journey is what I do,' Hunter said. Advertisement While it isn't Hunter's intention, it might be naive to think that kids won't be looking to emulate the Heisman winner's ability to play both sides. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Hunter has immediately become one of the NFL's most popular players, and intriguing stories. Much like Shoehei Ohtani opened the way for two-way players in MLB, Travis Hunter has made the impossible possible in football. The jury is still out as to what extent Hunter will play both sides of the ball, however, he's certainly got the talent, and if his prior success is any indication, NFL fans may see history being made in Jacksonville. Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store