News from Britt Hill – October 2026

DEAR FRIENDS, with another Britt season in the books, it’s time to take a moment of gratitude. Every year, I’m amazed and humbled by the community that shows up for Britt: the attendees, the volunteers, the orchestra musician hosts, the performers, the full-time and seasonal staff, and so many community members who offer their words of encouragement.

This year, I’m especially grateful to the incredible folks at the Jacksonville Police and Fire Departments, and I’d like to dedicate this column to them.

Britt is a significant undertaking, and bringing a few thousand people to a show 28-ish times a year brings a host of challenges. We are staffed by dedicated and trained security personnel and event staff, but sometimes we need a little bit of extra support.

Since my arrival in 2022, the Jacksonville Police Department has been in rebuilding mode, and this summer was my first that we’ve had a fully-staffed police department down the road. At our pre-season planning meeting with various city officials, Chief Hannum empowered Britt to work proactively with JPD to ensure the safety and well-being of our entire community and visitors.

You’ve undoubtedly seen the impact of this partnership in the weekly police service call statement, but the biggest impact is what isn’t seen. JPD has assisted us with several evictions of ill-mannered or belligerent patrons, and their presence has reduced the annual number of negative patron incidents we’ve experienced on the Britt hill, making our events safer and more enjoyable for all. Police officers have also come to our aid when we’ve experienced theft and vandalism on the hill, helping us outline next steps for ourselves when our sense of security has been violated by those with bad intentions. Working hand-in-hand with JPD has let us both course-correct and get ahead of safety concerns early, ensuring open and transparent communication every step of the way.

We’re also grateful to our wonderful Jacksonville Fire Department. Fire department personnel have been on the hill several times this summer for medical incidents, and their lightning-fast responses have, among other things, helped multiple stroke victims make it to the hospital in record time, resulting in extraordinary recoveries.

Living in this wonderful community also means many of our interactions with police and fire personnel are tinged with “only in a small town” humor; recently, during a false alarm from our smoke detection system backstage, I received a near-immediate text from Fire Chief Wayne Painter. “Is that a real alarm? I’m in the audience if you need me,” he texted. I replied that no assistance was needed, but my heart warmed at what it is to be part of this special town.

As a small team of nonprofit arts professionals, we at Britt are bolstered by having professional fire and law enforcement to call when things get rough. I know this entire community shares our gratitude for having these robust services staffed by people who genuinely care about making this community the best place it can possibly be. Thank you to them, and to all of you, for making the 2026 Britt season an excellent one!

All best, Abby