A thank-you party to remember: JU’s Strom River Jam

 

 

 

With music and food on the menu, a generous champion of Jacksonville University in attendance, and a giant balloon hovering in the sky, Strom River Jam on the Dolphin Green was a thank-you party for the ages.

The free public music festival on Monday, Nov. 5 featured talented Dolphinium Records artists Chroma, A.J. Neaher, Whetherman and Safari Soundlab. Also, Jacksonville University alumnus Larry Strom, whose generous donation made possible the newly opened Larry Strom Amphitheatre on Dolphin Green, was honored on the stage he built by JU President Kerry Romesburg and others. Strom, of Tallahassee, played basketball for JU in 1955 and 1956 when it was still Jacksonville Junior College, then went on to graduate from Florida State University.

Rather than dining in the cafeteria, JU students, faculty, administrators, staff and visitors — many donned in event T-shirts that said “Thanks Larry” — ate a delicious Sodexo barbecue meal on the riverside as they took in the tunes from the new open-air amphitheatre. And although the moderate wind on the otherwise-perfect fall evening minimized the number of rides that were made available, the Strom River Jam’s aesthetic highlight was a giant hot air balloon that fittingly accented the evening’s festiveness and significance.

The event also served as a learning lab for JU Artist and Concert Management students, who helped plan its promotion, merchandising, sales and logistics.

Here are some photo highlights from Strom River Jam: