GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Thousands will descend to Spring Park for the sixth CalaVida Music & Arts Festival during a week of celebration of arts and culture.

The festival runs from Oct. 7-12. The five-day run up consists of music, dancing and readings spread out across Green Cove. The main event at Spring Park has live music, vendors, authors and artists on Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Organizer Sandra Royal said the slate of events were meant to be educating and entertaining. The second event is a staging of “Zona, The Ghost of Greenbrier” in the Historic Courtroom, on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.

“(The play) is based on a real court case,” Royal said. “We thought it would be kind of cool and an interesting take on it if we put it in the Historic Courtroom. The courtroom is just marvelous.”

Two days later is “Square Dancing with the Stars” at the Spring Park Pavilion. On Oct. 10 former Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts Director Tony Walsh will read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” at the Green Cove library branch. A tour of the Historic Jail will follow.

Royal said there was seven months of preparation. She called this year’s offering an interesting mix. This year’s gala is at the Clay Theatre Oct. 11, from 6-9 p.m.

“We’re trying to make sure a lot of organizations and everybody is a part of it,” she said.

Authors have reading times in pavilion, such as Wanda Duncan, who wrote “Cracker Gothic: A Florida Woman's Memoir.” The book chronicles Duncan’s adolescence in Green Cove Springs, why she left and the allure that brought her back.

Duncan said she was pleased the city had a way to showcase a broad spectrum of the arts.

“I’m so happy there’s an arts festival in Green Cove Springs. That means a lot to me having grown up here,” Duncan said. “It’s exciting to know in the community there’s people putting this together.”

The live music portion consists of blues act Kim Reteguiz & The Black Cat Bones, soul singer Mama Blue and several other acts. Blue sang at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ inauguration.

“(Mama Blue) is phenomenal,” Royal said. “The best part about her is, she not only has a great voice, but she’s a great entertainer. She draws her audience in.”

The Curt Towne Band will close festivities. Towne’s band has played CalaVida each year since its inception. Towne, who has opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd, said CalaVida wasn’t just another gig for the group. CalaVida was starting to build a reputation, he said.

“More people are getting used to it coming around in October,” Towne said. “A lot of people are asking me, ‘Hey, are you guys doing that thing in the park this year?’”

For a full list of events, visit calavida.com.