New event venue opens in downtown Fernandina Beach

Poynter Family Holdings recently held the grand opening of its new event venue, The Pavilion, in downtown Fernandina Beach. Located at 116 N. Second St., the outdoor venue can host events of up to 400 individuals. A large corporate event was held in May, the first event at The Pavilion, followed by a Poynter family wedding held in June.

The Pavilion gives residents and visitors the opportunity to hold a large event downtown, says Tim Poynter, who with his wife Theresa are co-owners of Poynter Family Holdings. Tim Poynter is also a city of Fernandina Beach commissioner.

“There is virtually no place downtown where you can have an event of 250 or more people,” he says. “We thought it would be a great area. People can attend the venue and then walk to bars and restaurants downtown. It gives people more to do downtown.”

The Pavilion consists of an indoor area comprised of a large kitchen, restrooms, storage area, and bride’s and groom’s rooms. Events are held in the outdoor space, which has a stage that is partially covered. The space offers flexibility for seating and activities. A tent can be utilized in the event of inclement weather.

“It’s an outdoor venue with one-third of the space under the arch,” he says. “It’s all artificial grass. It’s got a beautiful fountain and is nicely landscaped. The ground is covered in artificial turf.”

The Poynter family are experts in entertainment. They also own several downtown establishments, including Gregor MacGregor's Mini Links & Drinks, Cafe Karibo and Timoti’s Seafood Shack. With the family’s restaurant experience, it was natural for the venue to offer catering, too, Poynter says.

“When you rent our place for a wedding, you get our foods,” he says. “We have an incredible chef, and we have a robust menu. We want to serve fantastic food.”

Large groups can also choose to rent packages that include use of the venue as well as the other Poynter Family Holdings properties. At one recent corporate event, the entire block was rented to provide food, drinks and entertainment.

While the venue does not provide parking, Poynter says large groups can be bused to the venue or out-of-town guests can find lodging downtown and walk to the venue.

“The rental cost for the venue is very reasonable compared to other venues,” he says. “It’s a really good value. And it’s a different kind of experience. “

The idea for a downtown venue began several years ago when the Poynter’s sought to preserve an empty petroleum warehouse on the waterfront. After realizing that moving the old building to preserve it wasn’t possible, they demolished it while preserving historic, arched joists that had supported the building’s roof.

“We had the idea of repurposing the joists and having a venue with an interesting, arched roof,” Poynter says. “Those arches turned out to be just what I envisioned, but repurposing it was more costly than I thought it would be.”

The company is invested in the history and well-being of the city, Poynter adds. The company built Duck Pinz bowling lanes on Third Street several years ago in a space that had been occupied for many years by a dance studio run by Joan Bean, the mother of Congressman Aaron Bean and a beloved member of the community. The Poynter family repurposed some materials from the dance studio, such as the wood flooring.

“Those kinds of things add to the community,” he says. “That’s the way our family likes to do things. It’s unique, and it has a nice story behind it.”