Rooted Along the River - THE EVANS FAMILY
With deep roots along the St. Johns River, the Evans family has built a life centered on music, service, tradition, and the community they proudly call home.
Let's start with introductions!
We’re a busy family with deep roots in our community, and each of us seems to be in an exciting season of life right now!Jason, is a plumber who works throughout the community with and has been fortunate to build wonderful relationships with so many local families over the years. Stephanie is a partner at Local Wellness in Ponte Vedra, where she has found a second career that brings together her background in business with her passion for health and wellness. She loves being part of a locally owned business, building relationships with clients, and helping create a place where people can take a little time away from their busy lives to focus on feeling their best.Our oldest, Carter, serves in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed in Alaska. He recently married, and he and his wife are expecting a baby, so we’re very excited to be entering a whole new chapter as a family! Hayden works in sales with Ag-Pro and shares his dad’s love of country music, performing locally with him in the Jason Evans Band. Ethan is studying engineering and is transferring from UCF to UNF this fall, bringing him a little closer to home.Our youngest, Jackson, has followed a very different path through his love of dance. He is a member of the Florida Ballet Conservatory and also teaches ballet at Atlantic Coast Dance Studios in Ponte Vedra. Watching him grow from a student into a teacher and mentor to younger dancers has been incredibly special.With careers, college, the Army, ballet, a new marriage, and a baby on the way, there is rarely a dull moment in our family—but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re grateful to call this community home and especially grateful for the people who have become part of our family’s story over the years.
How did RiverTown become home?
We built our home in RiverTown in 2016, but our roots along the St Johns River go back much further. Jason was born and raised in the area, and Stephanie grew up in Palatka. We raised all four of our boys in St. Johns County, where three of them went on to graduate from Bartram Trail High School. Our youngest, Jackson, followed his passion for ballet and attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, where he graduated from the dance program.St. Johns County has been the backdrop for so much of our family’s story—from raising our boys and cheering on the Bartram Bears to watching Jackson pursue the arts. Building our home in RiverTown felt like putting down permanent roots in a place that had already been home to our family for many years.Choosing RiverTown felt especially meaningful to us because we were both raised on the St. Johns River—we affectionately call ourselves “river rats.” Some of our best memories growing up were made on or around the river, and we always dreamed of giving our own family that same connection.There is something special about coming home every day, seeing the beauty of the St. Johns, and knowing our family is building memories along the same river that shaped both of our childhoods. When we had the opportunity to build in RiverTown and raise our family on the banks of the St. Johns, it felt a little like coming full circle—and exactly where we were meant to be.
Tell us about your educational journey.
Stephanie graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Business, which ultimately gave her a foundation that has served her throughout her career and now with the new business opportunity. Jason’s path looked a little different. He began working at his family’s plumbing business at just 15 years old, learning the trade from the ground up. What started as a teenager working alongside his family grew into a lifelong career and a business we call Taylormade Home Solutions, which is built on decades of experience, hard work, and relationships within the community.We took very different paths—one through college and one through a family trade—but both taught us the value of hard work, relationships, and building something you’re proud of.
How did you and your spouse meet?
Fittingly, we met through music while Jason was performing, and that chance meeting eventually brought two families together. For the past 13 years, we’ve built our life as a blended family, raising our four boys and creating traditions and memories that are uniquely ours.Music may have been what brought us together, but family is what has defined our story ever since.
What do you do for a living?
Today, Jason continues to work as a plumber right here in the community where he was born and raised. Over the years, his work has become about much more than plumbing—it’s about relationships. Many of the families he serves have known him for years, and he takes a lot of pride in being someone his neighbors know they can call and trust.There’s something special about building a career in the same community that raised you. For Jason, being a local plumber means taking care of friends, neighbors, and families he may see again at the grocery store, at a local event, or while he’s playing country music around town. This community isn’t simply where he works—it’s home.
Tell us about your kids.
Our boys have always had very different interests, which has made raising them an adventure—and has taken our family into worlds we probably never expected!Music and faith are a big part of Hayden’s life. He loves performing country music with his dad in the Jason Evans Band, and he is very involved with Eleven22. Getting to watch Jason and Hayden share the stage together has been especially fun for our family.Carter and his wife, Kylie, have embraced life in Alaska and spend as much time as they can exploring the outdoors. They love camping, hiking, and taking in the incredible scenery, making the most of every opportunity to experience the adventure that comes with living there.Ethan’s latest adventure has taken him far beyond St. Johns County (which is why he is missing from the family photo). He travels around the country as part of his cousin’s crew on the World of Outlaws dirt track racing series. From long days at the track to traveling from city to city, he’s getting a firsthand look at the teamwork and dedication behind professional racing—and collecting some pretty great experiences along the way.And if our family isn’t at a racetrack or listening to country music, there’s a good chance we’re at the theater. Jackson’s passion has always been dance, and this year we’re especially excited that our neighbors will have the opportunity to see him again perform on stage during The Florida Ballet’s 2026–2027 season.Our boys have definitely kept life interesting. We’ve learned a lot about country music, race cars, ballet, and everything in between—and we wouldn’t trade the front-row seat to their adventures for anything.
Are there any furry family members?
We have three dogs who are very much part of our family: Emmy Lou, our Bernese Mountain Dog; Addison, our Chocolate Lab; and Mindy, our Morkie.Emmy Lou is our big, sweet, gentle girl, and Addison is everything you would expect from a Lab—loving, loyal, and always happy to be part of whatever the family is doing.And then there’s Mindy. If you’re on the RiverTown Facebook page, you may already know her. She has earned a bit of neighborhood fame as “the lost dog that isn’t nice.” She may be tiny, but she has a very big personality—and apparently no interest in making friends while on the run! Thankfully, our neighbors know her well enough by now to help point her home while respecting her personal space.Between the three of them, there’s never a shortage of personality—or dog hair—in our house!
What hobbies or talents make your family unique?
There are definitely a few passions in our family that have taken us to some pretty interesting places!Long before many of our neighbors knew Jason as their plumber, they might have found him on a very different kind of stage. Jason pursued a career in country music in Nashville, signed a record deal, and spent time touring and performing. Country music has remained a huge part of who he is, and these days he gets to share that passion with Hayden as they perform locally together with the Jason Evans Band. It’s pretty special to see something that began as Jason’s dream in Nashville now become something he and his son get to enjoy together.Ethan and Stephanie share a completely different obsession: the Green Bay Packers. They love traveling together to see them play and have made it a mission to experience games in different NFL stadiums around the country. What started with our love of the Packers has turned into some of our favorite mother-son adventures—and a lot of great memories along the way.I think that’s one of the fun things about our family. Whether it’s country music, football, racing, ballet, or whatever someone decides to pursue next, we tend to jump in, show up, and enjoy the adventure together.
What does family time look like?
For us, the best part of any holiday is simply having everyone together. As our kids have gotten older and their lives have taken them in different directions, those times when everyone comes home have become even more special.One of our favorite traditions is the night before Thanksgiving. When the boys are home for the holiday, we bring everyone together—our kids, their friends, girlfriends, spouses, and extended family. The house is full, there’s food everywhere, football is usually on, and people are coming and going. It’s loud, a little chaotic, and one of our favorite nights of the year.The holidays also wouldn’t feel complete without watching Jackson perform in The Nutcracker. Ballet has become part of our family’s Christmas tradition, and seeing him on stage each year is something we never tire of. His brothers might not exactly count The Nutcracker among their favorite holiday activities but they always show up to support Jackson. They may not love ballet, but they love their brother, and that’s what makes the tradition so special.Most of our traditions aren’t elaborate. Give us a full house, our family and friends around us, something good to eat, football on the TV, and everyone home under one roof—that’s a pretty perfect holiday for us.
Where can we find you around town?
We’re probably more likely to be found out and about because of work, music, or one of our kids than at any particular hangout spot! Jason and Hayden perform monthly at Iggy’s and at venues throughout the local area, so live music has become one of the ways we stay connected to the community—and we love seeing familiar faces come out to hear them play.We’re also proud Bartram Bears and love supporting Bartram Trail whenever we get the chance. After raising our boys in St. Johns County, there’s something special about still feeling connected to the schools and community that were such a big part of their lives growing up.Most days, though, we’re doing what so many families around here are doing—working, traveling to and from our jobs, keeping up with our kids, and enjoying the community along the way. We love that even on the busiest days, it’s hard to go far without running into someone we know.
Do you participate in any social activities or events in the neighborhood?
How do you stay connected in the neighborhood?
Giving back has always felt most meaningful to our family when there is a personal connection behind it.Jason has been fortunate to use his music as a way to support causes close to our community. Each year, he performs for the Addie Strong event and has also supported the Trenton Stewart Foundation. Being able to take something he loves—country music—and use it to help bring people together for families and causes that matter is something very special to him.The Coach Kirk Foundation holds an especially meaningful place in our family. Ethan lost his football coach, Coach Kirk, and that loss had a lasting impact on him. Rather than simply remembering someone who meant so much to him, Ethan has chosen to stay actively involved with the foundation created in Coach Kirk’s honor and help carry forward the impact his coach had on so many young people.For our family, community has always been about showing up for people. Whether that means lending Jason’s music to a fundraiser, supporting a cause that has touched our family personally, or simply being there when a neighbor needs help, we believe the strongest communities are built when people take care of one another.
Describe your favorite family memory in the neighborhood so far. What's your favorite part of living in the neighborhood?
One of our favorite RiverTown memories happened during COVID, when everyone was looking for ways to feel connected while still keeping their distance. Jason set the band up right in our driveway and started playing music for the neighborhood. Before we knew it, more than 50 golf carts had gathered around to listen!For a little while, it felt like the whole neighborhood had found a way to be together again—outside, spread out in golf carts, listening to live country music and enjoying some much-needed fun during such a strange time.And then the cops came.Thankfully, it has become one of those stories we still laugh about years later—and honestly, it sums up what we love most about living in RiverTown. It’s a neighborhood where people show up, have fun together, look out for one another, and somehow 50 golf carts can turn a driveway concert into a memory our family will never forget.
What do you like to do to relax or have fun? Do you have a favorite vacation destination or family trip?
Our favorite family getaway, hands down, is Helen, Georgia. We have a family cabin there, and going back each year has become one of those traditions everyone looks forward to.There’s something about getting to the mountains that makes us all slow down a little. Life at home tends to move in a hundred different directions, so the cabin is where we can unplug, relax, spend time together, and just enjoy being a family.Over the years, Helen has become much more than a vacation destination for us. It’s our place—the setting for so many family memories and a tradition we hope continues as our family grows. Now, with marriages and a new generation beginning, we’re excited to see those cabin trips take on a whole new chapter.