Lil Duval Day Block Party permit denied by city, councilman working to relocate event

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A comedian and musician has hosted one of the biggest Duval Day block parties on Myrtle Avenue for nine years. But this year, the event is moving after the City of Jacksonville denied the permit.

Councilman Rahman Johnson said he’s working to find a new location for the event. This comes after the City emailed Lil Duval’s team, citing multiple violations from past events.

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Duval Day, hosted by actor, comedian, and musician Lil Duval, has traditionally been held on Myrtle Avenue.

However, Lil Duval’s team received an email stating their permit to host this year’s event on Myrtle Avenue was denied.

The email cited several violations from last year’s event, including attendance exceeding the 500-person limit—with more than 2,000 attendees—insufficient parking, lack of crowd control, and issues with portable restrooms.

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“His belief is that he wants to do something in the community for the community. I want to help him do that,” said Councilman Rahman Johnson.

Johnson released a statement saying he is personally working with various departments, including Mayor Donna Deegan’s office, to ensure Lil Duval Day happens, but at a new location.

“Now, where’s that gonna be? We are still working on that,” Johnson said.

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He also said he’s working to address some of the violations from past events.

“But we gotta make sure we’re doing it right and in order. Making sure there are parking plans that businesses can get their people in and out safely,” Johnson said.

Before the permit was denied, Johnson had already introduced a resolution for adoption by the City Council honoring Lil Duval’s contributions.

Action News Jax reached out to Lil Duval’s team for comment, but has not heard back at this time.

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