Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Earth Day on Jekyll Island – Shell-E-Brate

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Shell-e-brate Earth Day’s 40th birthday at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island. The event features recycled crafts, earth-tastic activities and eco-entertainment for the whole family with a special turtle twist!

Also, The Georgia Conservancy and Right Whale Disentanglement Team will be on site for a whale of a time! You can view metal art by local artist Tyler Dominey, get your copy of Trouble on the St. John’s River signed by author Jane Wood or learn about wildfire safety with Jekyll Island Firewise.

Noon to 4pm in Jekyll Island’s historic district at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The event is free with paid admission to the Center. $6 for adults, $4 for children 4-12, and children 3 and under are free.

www.Georgia Sea Turtle Center.com

Starry Nights 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida

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Now you can enjoy great music under the stars in the city of Jacksonville during the 2010 Starry Nights series, produced by the City of Jacksonville. The next concert in the series takes place on Saturday, April 24, 2010.

Idina Menzel
The performance on April 24th features Broadway star Idina Menzel, the Tony award-winning “Elphaba” from the international blockbuster “Wicked.” With a diverse repertoire of classic pop, musical theater favorites (including hits from “Wicked” and “Rent”) as well as songs from her album “I Stand,” Idina Menzel demonstrates why she is one of the great vocal performers of our time. You’ll also be able to catch Idina this spring on the popular FOX television series “Glee!”

Starry Nights has become one of Jacksonville’s most popular music events for more than a decade. The outdoor event combines the music with a festive atmosphere at Metropolitan Park on the St. Johns River.

The next concert in the series takes place on Saturday, May 1.

The gates open at 5:30 pm and the music starts at 7:30pm.

For more information, call (904) 630-3690

Sheep to Shawl Demonstration at S.P.A.C.E Gallery, Savannah, GA

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Members of the Fiber Guild of the Savannahs will present works by their members, including spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, basketry quilting, dyeing and jewelry in their annual exhibition at Gallery S.P.A.C.E., Apr. 5 – Apr. 30. An artist reception and ‘sheep to shawl’ demonstration will be held Apr. 9 from 4-7 p.m.

Nel Adams at Gallery S.P.A.C.E in Savannah, GA
Nel Adams, Feather & Fan Cowl, Hand spun wool/handknit at Gallery S.P.A.C.E

Wool recently shorn from the sheep at Oatland Island Wildlife Center will be used by Guild members during a modified ‘Sheep to Shawl’ demonstration at the opening reception. The handspun yarn will be used in weaving, knitting and crocheting demonstrations. Reception attendees will have the opportunity to test the spinning wheels, floor looms and drop spindles.

Guild members will also be conducting lunch time demonstrations on Wednesdays throughout the month of April from 11am to 1pm. On April 14th spinners will demonstrate how to create handspun yarn using spinning wheels and drop spindles. On April 21st weavers will demonstrate weaving on a floor loom and more affordable frame and cardboard looms. On April 28th guild members will be demonstrate the fiber crafts of knitting, crocheting, and beading.

The exhibition, reception and lunch demonstrations are free and open to the public. S.P.A.C.E. is located at 9 W. Henry St. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free off-street parking is available. For information, contact 912-651-6783 or visit www.savannahga.gov/arts.

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival 2010, South Carolina

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One of the premier paddlesport events on the Atlantic Coast, the festival will be held at James Island County Park on April 16-18, 2010. Here you can find everything you need to know about canoeing and kayaking at the 20th Annual East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival (ECCKF).

Every year paddlers, instructors and equipment manufacturers are brought together at the action-packed South Carolina festival. The event includes a variety of on-water classes, lectures and demonstrations directed to the novice as well as the experienced paddler. Plus more than forty exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try the latest equipment before you buy.

Fun and Useful Instruction
The heart of the festival is the simultaneous running of four classrooms throughout the three-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the paddling world’s leading experts. Learn new strokes, rescues or rolls with expert instruction. Meet other knowledgeable paddle sport enthusiasts. A wide variety of topics include slide shows of exotic paddling locations, how-to sessions on navigation, selecting or repairing equipment, safety and preparing gourmet cuisine fresh from your dry bag.

A family-friendly weekend, children are welcome to the festival and are free with a paying adult. Learn how to paddle as a family in clinics, or register young paddlers in the full and half-day canoe and kayak camps (ages 6-12), featuring hands-on sessions, nature walks, crafts and more. Always a spectator favorite, families are invited to compete in a cardboard canoe race on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Filmmaker and Kayaker
New this year will be a free interactive presentation by adventure filmmaker and expedition kayaker Bryan Smith on Thursday, April 15 at James Island County Park. Join Smith for an inspirational and entertaining multi-media show of the first sea kayaking exploration of the Butze Tidal Rapids in northern British Columbia. On assignment for National Geographic Magazine, Smith captured some innovative and exciting kayaking footage, which will be presented on the big screen at 8 p.m. Admission to the presentation is free. Park admission is $1 per person; Gold Pass holders and those 2 years and younger are free.

Offering recreational and instructional programs for paddlers of all abilities and creating an inclusive paddling community are both major themes of this year’s festival. On Wednesday and Thursday prior to the festival, an ACA Adaptive Paddling Workshop (pre-registration required) is being offered for paddling instructors and other individuals interested in learning how to adapt equipment and work with paddlers who have various mobility impairments. On Friday evening, renowned paddler Marcus Demuth will present the keynote address on “Circumnavigating Tierra del Fuego for Disabled Paddlers,” an expedition raising funds to support programs that introduce people with disabilities to paddlesports. In addition, the festival will offer classroom sessions on inclusive paddling initiatives, and Charleston’s very own Special Olympics Kayak Team, which has been hosted by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission for the past three years, will be on hand at the event.

Also new for 2010 is Paddle Clean-Up Day, a volunteer service project in partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper. Paddlers and non-paddlers alike are invited to give back to the paddling community by cleaning up the waterway at Sol Legare Boat Landing. Paddlers will help clear debris by boat and walkers will help clear trash in the area on Sunday, April 18 from 4-6 p.m. Registration is free.

For just the $1 per person admission to the park, visitors can come to James Island County Park and enjoy the sights, sounds and shopping at the festival. Registration packages (and the opportunity to attend classes and test paddle boats) start at $15 and range from sampler passes to full-weekend passes – perfect for all levels and abilities! Children 17 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult registration. Consider staying on site at James Island County Park’s campsites. For more information, a daily ECCKF schedule and to register call (843) 795-4FUN or visit www.ccprc.com/ecckf

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, Charleston, South Carolina

Beaches Unplugged Music Series – Ponte Vedra, Fl

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In the summer there’s usually a lot of music performances on the coast. Ponte Vedra has its own series of free concerts called “The Beaches Unplugged”. This is a series of free community concerts held at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.

Each concert features up to 20 local musicians performing a variety of music from blues, jazz, Latin, classical and more. Beaches Unplugged, now in its 3rd year, is a tremendously popular event for all ages – usually standing room only in the Cultural Center’s ballroom.

Wine is served (donation) and coffee is provided from Fazzini’s Coffee and Tea. Piano provided by Keyboard Connection.
Admission is free.

The concert dates for 2010 are April 18th, June 13th, September 26th and December 12th from 6pm – 8pm.

For more information about the event visit www.ccpvb.org
Ponte Vedra cultural Center