With a total of 72 community- and student-decorated lifeguard chairs highlighting the 13th Season of Jax Beach Deck The Chairs benefiting students in the arts, organizers announced decorating awards on Saturday, Dec. 20.

Visitors voting on their favorites expressed that the 2025 display was the “best they have seen,“ making the choice of the top seven awards especially challenging.

Community-Decorated Chair Awards

  • Best of Show: Sawgrass Pet Resort  
  • First Place: American Legion Post 129
  • Second Place: Angel’s Construction
  • Honorable Mention: W.W. Gay
  • Honorable Mention: Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville

Deck The Chairs was excited to add two new programs to the popular Student Decorating Challenge featuring middle and high school arts and afterschool programs. Partnering for a second year with The Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens, the students followed a marine conservation theme.

Beginning in August, a total of 22 chairs were made available to select programs via application and review process. Deck The Chairs provided workshops, creative development and installation support. Twelve chairs were on display and 10 chairs were located at the zoo.

Two judges handled Best of Show selections, and social audiences voted for their Fan Favorites.

Student Decorating Challenge Awards

  • Best of Show Beaches: Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School
  • Fan Favorite Beaches: Fletcher High School Interact Club
  • Best of Show Zoo: Fort Caroline Urban Arts Academy
  • Fan Favorite Zoo: Daniel Kids Academy

The 22 student programs included: 

  • Beaches Exhibit — Beaches Chapel School, The Bolles School, The Discovery School, Duval Charter at Coastal, First Coast Deaf/HH Kids, Fletcher High School, Fletcher High Interact Club, Fletcher Middle School, Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School, Sandalwood High School, Seaside Charter School and The Art Garage.
  • Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Exhibit — Clay Charter Academy, Daniel Kids Academy, Darnell-Cookman Junior/Senior High, DePaul School of NE Florida, Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Fort Caroline Urban Arts Academy, Girls of Virtue, LaCore Christian Academy, LaVilla School of the Arts and Nease High School.