Billed as the world’s largest women’s sports, music, and lifestyle event, the Super Girl – Surf Festival takes place all over America, including Oceanside, Virginia Beach, and Jacksonville Beach. Thanks to funding comes from various companies, including Jersey Mike’s Sub, Florida Blue, Natural Life, Kroger, and Jacksonville Beach, the all-day event, produced by ASA Entertainment, is completely free.

I didn’t realize that Jacksonville Beach is its own city. I thought it was part of Jacksonville, but it is a small coastal city just east of Jax. On paper it is about 45-min to drive to from Jacksonville proper. The city is just north of Ponte Vedra Beach. The Seawalk Pavilion and its surrounding is quite busy and popular, so forget about parking nearby. The free all-day parking is about eight blocks away, which is a good hike. You’ll want to bike in or take an Uber or skateboard in or something. It was a beautiful day for a casual walk for me.

It is very impressive what Super Girl pulled off, organizing a massive concert at the Seawalk Pavilion, plenty of food options (Asian, Mexican, Greek, American food), drinks (plenty of free giveaway from energy drink companies), variety of vendors, food trucks (mostly refreshments), plenty of giveaways and contests, sports options, open lawn games, Jenga, Connect Four, free Zumba dance classes, and so much more. It drew in a good crowd. Everyone who went had a great time at this Surf Festival.

There was a roller skate competition that took place throughout the day, with the winners announced before sundown. I believe there may be other competitions nearby (such as the surfer competitions), but I did not venture outside my immediate area. Believe me, there was already enough going on to keep me busy all day.

The big draw for me was the music portion of the event. They had a great line-up of all-girls, or women-led bands, on the bill. This kind of thing reminded me of something like a Lilith Fair, so it was odd to see that the Plain White T’s are heading today (Nov 9) Super Girl Festival. Maybe Super Girl is trying expand its association.

The first band on the bill for Saturday is North Carolina’s Grom and the Jacks (or officially Grom & the One Eyed Jacks). There was a long delay in the soundcheck that actually extended their set well passed their original scheduled time.

They did a couple of covers, like The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way”. Original songs included “Open Window” and their set closer, “Love Queen.”

Next up was local group Sun Child, a last-minute replacement for Nashville’s Madison Hughes. The band is led by Brooke Garwood, who grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach (just south of Jacksonville Beach).

They played a few songs from their new album Waves (October 2025), including the title track and “Snooze”.

Cat Ridgeway at Jack Rabbits (May 1, 2025)

Next up was Orlando’s Cat Ridgeway and the Tourists, who we recently saw earlier on May 1, 2025 and describing their show as, “The band ended their set with their most upbeat and rocking song of the night, “Epilogue,” dancing and bopping and singing “whatever it takes, whatever awaits, whatever to get through…”

Their set is quite different from their headlining show, I suspect was put together for a casual audience (who may not know the band) and maybe also due to her band, The Tourists, not having bassist Thomas. Drummer Nat is still in the band, and she takes a bigger role… especially on the last song which had Nat and Cat switch instruments.

Again, the set included crowd pleasers cover lover songs like Nena’s “99 Luftballons” (English version) and The Cranberries’ “Dreams”.

Orlando’s Hello Sister, featuring real sisters Grace (bass), Gabriella (guitars) and Scarlett (drums), was really fun. You can tell the sister act love being on stage and all the rock ‘n roll things that comes with it. According to their biography, they started when they were 14, 15, and 16, so I think the youngest is now 17, which is one of their song titles.

They did a few covers, including a great Queen’s “Don’t Stop me Now” and Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!”, and their original songs sounded punk/pop.

Jewelry maker, painter, and psychedelic musician Hannah Wicklund came on stage next. She didn’t speak much, except to just let her guitar talk for her, especially through her instrumental songs. It came off a bit like Grateful Dead or Phish (or jam bands), but she mentioned that her number one man, who inspired all her music was Neil Young. So yeah, keep on “Rockin’ in the Free World”, indeed.

Her latest album is a live album called Live at the Troubadour, which I suspect a live show is probably the best way to experience Wicklund. The album was recorded in Los Angeles, during her Hell in the Hallway World Tour last year.

I was pretty impressed with Pearl (Pearl Aday), who came on stage after dusk. She had a full backing band, including her sister on acoustic guitar. Based on their routine and setup, they were a seasoned touring band, or at least in a middle of a long tour. Not at the beginning, where they’re still figuring it out, and not at the end, where they’re just exhausted. Somewhere in the middle, at their finest.

The set started in darkness/lowly lit set, with Pearl in an oversized Bob Marley T-Shirt. After the first song, she quickly discarded the shirt and just rocking in her undies. Their standard set (like I said I think they’re in a middle of a tour) ran a little too longer and so to keep on schedule, the sound director made the right call and asked them to wrap it up. So they cut a song off their set, and instead finishing with some guests on stage for a dance-off.

Pearl mentioned that it was not that long ago that she was robbed (several times), had no money, and was homeless. It’s a miracle that she’s turned her life around. My only suggestion is that she bills herself as another stagename (or use her full name), as it is nearly impossible to find her online with such a generic word.

Nashville’s Julia Cole was the penultimate act. The country musician became famous, or still famous, from YouTube, with a few viral hit songs for “Day Late & A Buck Short” and “Better Liar” (each clocking in around 3 million views). I can see why, they’re pretty witty and catchy songs.

She dedicated “Daddy Daughter Dance” to any father-figure, step-dad, and any guidance-catch-all, because the song meant something different to her fans. She ended her set with “He Got the Best of Me”, a Luke Combs cover, but re-written from a woman’s perspective. Much like how Donna Fargo re-wrote “I Wanna Learn a Love Song” to the wife’s side of the song.

The Band Perry at Mystic Lake Showroom (Oct 29, 2016)

Mississippi’s The Band Perry closed out the night. We previously saw the band in Oct 2016, when they were a sibling band: “The siblings (Kimberly Perry; Neil Perry; and Reid Perry) are no strangers to the stage (revealing they just celebrated their eighteenth year of playing live the week before) and has melded a polished hybrid of country-pop into several hit singles, presenting them in a well-paced and varied eighty-minute headlining performance.”

The country band had a #2 album (their debut) and a #1 album, their sophomore record Pioneer, but those were in 2010 and 2013! That’s a long time ago, but fans, who showed up still fondly remember the band, singing along to all their hits. So, why the long delay in new music? You might recall that band leader, the face of the Band Perry, Kimberly Perry wanted to return back to country music (the band was pop/country-pop) and decided to launch a solo career (and went on tour/cancelled a tour in 2024). At this point, Neil just wanted to do other things, so Reid and Kimberly re-signed a record deal with Big Machine Label Group (now Nashville Harbor Records) this year (2025).

But what is interesting, seeing The Band Perry on stage, it is just Kimberly Perry and her husband, Johnny Costello, along with other session guitarist, drummer, and a great fiddle player. I just found out that the month before this show, her brother, Reid, bailed out. The bassist said he was going focus on music management (working with country singer Ryan Coleman).

Still, it’s good to have the band back, in whatever iteration. Kimberly still looks amazing and full of energy as she bounces from one side of the stage to the other. Performing and singing is in her blood, ever since when she was a teenager, she would tour the country (and her brothers were her roadies). She’s still here and doing what she loves.

As much as I would like to return to Jacksonville Beach, for today’s event, the time and commitment is a lot for me. Especially, because I’m unfamiliar with any of the bands on the bill (except for The Plain White T’s). It’s also an hour drive away, so the decision to stay home, rest my back, and do laundry was an easy choice for me.

For those heading out, below are the scheduled line up. Have fun, and if you’re there and want to send me photos of the event, please send it and I will use it to promote those bands.

Sunday, November 9