Downtown Vision (DVI), the nonprofit Business Improvement District for Downtown Jacksonville, today unveiled its newest PlacemakingJax initiative: The Pop-Out, curated and hosted by DJ Larry Love. This free, family-friendly concert series—celebrating Black Music Month at Lift Ev’ry Voice & Sing Park in historic LaVilla—is made possible through the support of PlacemakingJax presenting sponsor VyStar Credit Union.
Set on the former homesite of brothers James Weldon and J. Rosamond Johnson, composers of the Black National Anthem, The Pop-Out will be a celebration of sound, soul and legacy. The series will showcase live performances by local and regional Black artists, honoring the rich cultural heritage of LaVilla through music and community.
Produced by DVI’s PlacemakingJax program in collaboration with the community-led Vibrant Places Collective, The Pop-Out is supported by presenting sponsor VyStar Credit Union. The concert series will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sundays, June 1, 8 and 29. Families, neighbors and music lovers are invited to come together in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets and their dancing shoes. The music series is free and open to all.
“The Pop-Out will transform Lift Ev’ry Voice & Sing Park into a living tribute to LaVilla’s musical legacy and will be a launchpad for Jacksonville’s next generation of Black artists,” said Kady Yellow, Vice President of Placemaking at Downtown Vision. “By centering their voices in this historic space, we’re weaving together past, present and future—showing that Downtown is not just a backdrop, but a stage where culture and community thrive.”
The Pop-Out will be more than just a concert series, it will be a reclamation and spiritual homecoming where music will be a vehicle for healing and transformation, while fostering community connection. Through this series, Jacksonville’s emerging Black musicians will be showcased in LaVilla, a neighborhood celebrated for its rich musical heritage.
“VyStar Credit Union is proud to support The Pop-Out as part of our ongoing partnership with Downtown Vision’s PlacemakingJax initiative,” said Kemal Gasper, Vice President Community Engagement at VyStar Credit Union. “This celebration at Lift Ev’ry Voice & Sing Park honors Jacksonville’s deep cultural roots and uplifts the voices of emerging artists. We believe in the power of music to bring people together, and we’re honored to help create spaces where community, history and creativity can thrive in the heart of Downtown.”
For more information about The Pop-Out music series and for event details, visit thepopoutjax.eventbrite.com. To learn more about Downtown Vision’s PlacemakingJax Presented by VyStar Credit Union initiatives, visit DTJax.com/placemaking.
###
About PlacemakingJax Presented by VyStar Credit Union
Introduced in 2022, PlacemakingJax Presented by VyStar Credit Union is a highly collaborative initiative that empowers Jacksonville residents to create pop-up activations or large-scale interventions in Downtown Jacksonville, transforming underused public spaces into celebrated community places. PlacemakingJax is facilitated by Downtown Vision and is funded in part by the DTJax Gala held each February, along with support from sponsors including the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, JAX Chamber, Community First and the Community Foundation of Northeast Florida. For more information, visit DTJax.com/placemaking.
About VyStar Credit Union
VyStar Credit Union is the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida, with 78 full-service branches across Florida and Georgia, 1 million members and assets of over $14 billion. VyStar is the top mortgage lender in Northeast Florida and a major employer in the region with over 2,300 employees across the communities it serves. VyStar membership is open to everyone who lives or works in the 49 contiguous counties of Central to North Florida, 29 Georgia counties, and past and present military members and their families all over the world. VyStar members have access to 55,000 surcharge free ATMs worldwide. For more information, visit vystarcu.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.
About Downtown Vision
Downtown Vision is a not-for-profit organization revitalizing Downtown Jacksonville through district services, stakeholder support, marketing, research, events and placemaking. Primarily funded by a self-assessment of Downtown property owners and governed by a board representing a diverse array Downtown stakeholders and community leaders, DVI administers a 1.3 square mile Business Improvement District. For more information, visit DTJax.com/DVI.
About The Vibrant Spaces Collective
Vibrant Places Collective (“the Collective”) is a community-led partnership of LaVilla legacy business owners, residents, and historians that curates free weekly programming at Lift Ev’ry Voice & Sing Park. United by purpose, creativity, and community impact, the Collective activates public space while celebrating LaVilla’s cultural heritage and fostering vibrant, inclusive experiences in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville—creating vibrant spaces of interconnectedness and belonging where all members of our communities can thrive. For more information, visit dupontfund.org/vibrant-spaces.