By: Kate Kimmel
Alcohol could be served at Nassau County’s planned amphitheater in Westside Regional Park under a proposed ordinance change set for a public hearing later this month.
The amphitheater will be one of several amenities offered at Westside Regional Park, a 107.65-acre park in Hilliard that county officials expect to open to the public this summer. The $23 million project has been in the works since 2007, when the county acquired the land.
Along with the lakeside amphitheater, the park will include three regulation-size soccer fields, an airnasium, dog park, stargazing facility, walking trails and other recreational features.
County Manager Taco Pope told commissioners during the county’s winter strategic planning session that once completed, the park will be the “nicest facility in Nassau County.”
The park’s master plan, created in 2021, describes the amphitheater as a 90,000-square-foot lakeside space with a stage. In February 2025, Pope said the venue could accommodate as many as 3,500 people.
Commissioner A.M. Huppmann said he is particularly excited about the amphitheater’s potential to host large community events.
“It gives us the opportunity to hold events like graduations without people having to travel to Jacksonville,” Huppmann said.
County officials have said the project is intended to address growing demand for parks and recreation facilities as Nassau County’s population continues to increase.
Construction is continuing to move forward. The latest county newsletter reported that the soccer fields have been sodded, new sports lighting has been installed, and the amphitheater foundation has been poured. Roads within the park have also been paved, and tile work has been completed around the outfitter and restroom facilities.
According to the update, the contractor remains on track to complete Phase 1 of the project in early summer 2026.
As the park moves closer to opening, county commissioners are also considering whether to change local regulations governing alcohol consumption in public spaces.
A public hearing scheduled for March 23 will consider an ordinance amendment that would allow temporary, state-permitted alcohol sales at certain county-approved events.
The proposed ordinance specifically references Westside Regional Park, noting that the county anticipates the opening of the new park “equipped with an amphitheater and other event spaces utilization of which may include state permitted temporary sales of alcoholic beverages.”
The ordinance also cites the need to host authorized special events such as educational seminars, bar association functions, and ceremonial gatherings within courthouse facilities.
“The Board finds that allowing the temporary, regulated sale and consumption of alcohol at specific special events can support local economic vitality, tourism, and the successful execution of community gatherings,” the proposal states.
If approved, the amendment would modify the county code that currently prohibits public consumption of alcohol by adding an exception for “County or Judiciary approved functions, events, or celebrations” for the duration of those events.
While the proposal appears largely driven by plans for Westside Regional Park’s amphitheater and event spaces, the change would apply to other approved county or judicial events as well.
Commissioners will consider the ordinance at the March 23 hearing.
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