Parking & Directions
ALERT: Both Sets of Instructions UPDATED October 6, 2025.
Cesery Bridge CLOSED to Traffic - Oct. 11
The Cesery Blvd. Bridge will be CLOSED to all vehicular traffic on Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. so that the bridge can be accessed by spectators.
It will be blocked off starting at the junction with University Blvd. to the south, then extend north across the bridge to the intersection with the Arlington Expressway service road. Police cars will be stationed at each blockade, with an officer directing traffic.
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Spectator / General Parking
How to Get Here
GPS Address: 644 Cesery Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32211
NOTE: Your GPS may try to route you over the Cesery Bridge, which will be CLOSED ON RACE DAY. If so, follow the detoured route (see image in this section) and your GPS will recalculate your route.
This is the parking lot of the multi-story office building on the property adjacent to Jacksonville Rowing Club.
Directions to GEneral Parking Lot
Cesery Bridge will be CLOSED to traffic on race day, so ALL attendees should enter from the Arlington Expressway service road (Colcord Avenue/State Road 115). There will be a stationed police car and officer directing traffic at the corner of Arlington and Cesery. Wait for the officer to direct you — all vehicles must wait in line to pass. NO CUTTING permitted through the corner lot next to the blockade — the officers greatly dislike this and have taken action in the past.
Proceed to the parking lot entrance on your RIGHT, midway down the road. We are NOT permitted to use the entrance or parking area closest to the office building due to a private event they are hosting on race day.
You have two options for how to get onto the service road:
Take the service road exit ramp from the eastbound Arlington Expressway
Take University Blvd. to the roundabout where it meets up with Colcord Avenue (the service road).
Detailed driving instructions can be found at the Jacksonville Rowing Club website, starting at nearby landmarks.
Off-Limits Parking Areas
Parking is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED in the cordoned-off areas of the parking lot of the 644 Cesery office building, as all those spots are reserved for a private event they are hosting on race day.
Likewise, NO parking is permitted in the small strip of parking spaces on the east side of the office building.
Event parking is also NOT permitted in the Trailer Parking Lot OR in front of the DCF building OR in the line of parallel spaces on the east-facing side of the DCF building. (The State of Florida Department of Children and Families is graciously allowing us to use most of their parking area for trailer & boat storage and boat staging, with the stipulation that designated sections remain open and available 24/7 for employees that are working over the weekend.)
$10 Parking Fee – Saturday ONLY
A $10.00 suggested CASH donation per vehicle will be collected for spectator parking next to the race site on Saturday only.
Cash (preferred) or Zelle option available on-site. Parking proceeds benefit the Arlington Rotary Club and Jacksonville Rowing Club.
Detour for Overflow Parking
Should BOTH the General Parking lot AND our two backup parking lots become completely full, overflow parking will be directed to loop around in order to get back onto the service road and park in a designated area to the west of the Trailer Parking lot along Arlington River Drive.
Do NOT park in this area UNLESS directed to do so — it needs to remain clear for trailers coming in and out, as well as to avoid disturbing the residents. If you are directed to the overflow parking area, take care you do NOT to park IN private driveways OR BLOCK those driveways. Do not park in the apartment complex.
Detour Directions for Overflow Parking
At the police barricade, turn LEFT/head NORTH across the overpass.
Turn LEFT at the light to access the north service road of the Arlington Expressway.
Exit the service road and MERGE LEFT onto the expressway. (If you miss the exit and end up on University heading north, you’ll have to turn into a shopping center so you can divert to drive south.)
Immediately after you pass under the overpass, exit RIGHT onto the loop that will place you on University Blvd. heading south.
At the roundabout, circle 3/4 of the way and turn onto Colcord Avenue/State Road 115.
Once on the service road, you will be taking a RIGHT turn onto Arlington River Drive, just past Cimmarron Apartments.
Pass the Trailer Parking lot entrance on the left.
Starting at the bend in the road, park along the street, leaving room on the road for traffic to pass. Do NOT block or park in the private driveways and do NOT park in the apartment complex.
TRailers / Car Toppers Parking
How to Get Here
GPS Address - Trailers & Car Toppers Parking Only:
5920 Arlington Expressway Jacksonville, FL 32211
The State of Florida Department of Children and Families is graciously allowing us to use most of their parking lot for trailer, car topper, and boat storage. We DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO USE THEIR LOT UNTIL AFTER 4:30PM on Friday.
Team Food Trailers
Please speak to a parking attendant upon arrival. Food trailers arriving on Friday will be stored in the trailer parking lot overnight, then moved in the morning to the food trailer setup area on Cesery, on the western side of the street across from the food trucks.
Accessing the Service Road
The location is easy to reach via main thoroughfares, however the access point for the Trailer/Car Topper Parking Lot is located off a one-way service road (Colcord Avenue/State Road 115). Once on the service road, you will be taking a RIGHT turn onto Arlington River Drive (pass Cimmarron Apartments).
You have two options for how to get onto the service road:
Take the service road exit ramp from the eastbound Arlington Expressway
Take University Blvd. to the roundabout where it meets up with Colcord Avenue (the service road).
Detailed driving instructions can be found at the Jacksonville Rowing Club website, starting at nearby landmarks.
Arrival Process at the Site
On Friday, October 10th, commencing at 4:30pm, there will be parking assistants to help guide you from Arlington River Drive and into an available parking spot for your trailer or car topper.
Tow Vehicles: The parking assistant will provide further instructions on where to move your tow vehicle after unhitching.
Off-Limits Parking Areas
The State of Florida Department of Children and Families is graciously allowing us to use the majority of their parking lot for trailer and boat storage. We DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO USE THEIR LOT UNTIL AFTER 4:30PM on Friday.
Do NOT park trailer or tow vehicle anywhere in FRONT of the DCF building.
AND
Do NOT park trailer or tow vehicle in — or block access to — the FIRST ROW of spaces in the back lot facing the DCF building.
AND
Do NOT park in the line of PARALLEL parking spaces along the east-facing side of the DCF building.
These areas are for DCF employees ONLY. They need 24/7 access to the parking lot and building to provide services to our community. Many will be working on-site (even over the weekend) while we’re basically hosting the regatta in DCF’s backyard.
Arrival Time
Please plan on ARRIVING AFTER 4:30 p.m. on Friday. NO trailers or other vehicles will be allowed into the parking lot prior to that time.
The parking lot belongs to the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the entire lot will be reserved for employee use only until the agreed-upon access time.
No Early Arrival Waiting Area
Due to limited room on the street leading up to the trailer parking/boat storage location, arriving early and waiting in line at the entrance is not an option. Please plan your travel accordingly.
There are large parking lots at nearby shopping centers if you arrive a bit too early and need a place to wait in the vicintiy, such as the Town & Country shopping center on the north side of the Arlington Expressway, accessible via University Blvd. (look for the McDonald’s and Winn-Dixie).
Trailers will be placed at the site on a FIRST-COME, FIRST SERVED basis. Alternate trailer parking and staging options will be available, if needed.
Tow Vehicle Parking
After parking the trailer, tow vehicles must unhook and move to an adjacent parking area. Please speak to a parking attendant when you are ready to park your tow vehicle.
Trailer Lot Security
Security will be provided Friday night by on-site police officers, however, leaving boats and equipment is at your own risk.