Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Jekyll Island’s Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival

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The Shrimp & Grits Festival is about combining two Southern favorites foods – shrimp and grits. The festival weekend is a wild mix of events, from cooking demonstrations, to shrimp eating contest, entertainment, Frisbee dogs, three races and much more.

The shrimp & Grits Festival takes place on Jekyll Island, Georgia, September 18 – 20, 2009. The festival kicks off on Friday with samples and votes. This is how it works: come to the festival and buy samples from vendors for $3 and cast your vote for your favorite dish.


Friday September 18
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
$3 sample night – Friday
Enjoy $3 samples of Shrimp & Grits from each of the Shrimp & Grits vendors and choose which one you want to enjoy for dinner.
Arts & Crafts Vendors and Kids Zone
Live Music

Saturday, September 19
10:00 AM Start of Amateur Cooking Competition
10:00 – 11:30 AM Live Music, Band TBD
11:30 – 12:00 PM Shrimp Eating Contest I
12:00 – 12:30 PM Big Dawg and Paul Gameshow
12:30-2:30 PM Live Music, Band TBD
2:30 PM Awards for Amateur Cooking Competition
3:00-3:30 PM Big Dawg and Paul Gameshow
3:30 – 4:00 PM Shrimp Eating Contest II
4:00 – 6:00 PM Live Music, Band TBD
6:00 – 6:30 PM Big Dawg and Paul Gameshow
6:30 – 7:00 PM Shrimp Eating Contest III
7:00-9:00 PM Randall Bramblett Band
Disconnected K9s Frisbee Dog Show – Near Historic Morgan Tennis Center; 10 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM

Sunday, September 20
11:00 AM Start of Professional Cooking Competition
11:00-11:30 AM Big Dawg and Paul Gameshow
11:30 – 1:30 PM Live Music, TBD
1:30 – 2:00 PM Shrimp Eating Contest I
2:00 – 4:00 PM Live Music, TBD
3:00-3:30 PM Awards for Professional Cooking Competition
4:00 PM Festival Grounds Close
Disconnected K9s Frisbee Dog Show – Near Historic Morgan Tennis Center; 11 AM, 2 PM

Call 1-877-4JEKYLL or visit www.jekyllisland.com

Shrimp & Grits Festival on Jekyll Island, GA
Photo: www.JekyllIsland.com

Labor Day Weekend in Coastal Georgia

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Labor Day Weekend in Coastal Georgia

Many of us like to take spend extra time with friends and family for Labor Day Weekend. Here on the coast, it’s usually a great time to celebrate the end of summer and spend some time on the beach. We’re just hoping that the weather will cooperate; we’ve had a lot of rain here on the coast lately.

There is a lot happening on the coast for Labor Day weekend, from antiques, to beer, and even southern fried catfish.

Here is our list:

First Friday Fireworks on the River – Savannah
September 4th, 9:30pm

Savannah River Boat SmallRiver street is where it all happens. Come down to River Street to kick off the weekend with First Friday Fireworks and fun! There’s always a lot going on, from vendors, to music and performances. This is a great place to hang out for the evening. You can always find a nice place to sit and have a bite to eat or a drink and just enjoy the ambiance.

Savannah Craft Brew Fest Logo

Savannah Craft Brew Fest
September 4-5, 2009

Held on Labor Day Weekend, the Savannah Craft Brew Fest features the best of American craft brews. The two-day event begins with a gourmet food and brew pairings dinner on Friday evening and a beer tasting event on Saturday featuring about 35 breweries with more than 100 of their tastiest craft brews to sample. For more information or to purchase tickets visit Savannah Craft Brew Fest website.

River Street Labor Day Celebration – Savannah
September 5th, 9am-9pm & September 6th, 9am-7pm

Head downtown for the Labor Day River Street Style in downtown with Arts and Crafts, Entertainment and fun for the entire family.

tybeelighthouse_smallTybee Island Labor Day Beach Bash
Sunday, September 6, 2009

This events features a concert with our favorite band the Swingin’ Medallions, this band has been called “the party band of the South”, and rightfully so. They are a lot of fun and always put on a great show. Come to Tybee Island to end the summer with a blast. Enjoy the ocean breezes, the beach, live music and fireworks on Sunday, September 6th from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Swingin’ Medallions go on at 7:30pm and the fireworks begin at approximately 9:15pm or at dark. This event is free.

Kingsland Catfish Festival
Saturday, September 5 – Monday, September 7

Kingsland Catfish Festival CookingIn Camden County, this is the big one, and no wonder. Annual Labor Day Weekend Catfish Festival which runs from Saturday through Monday and it’s the largest festival in Southeast Georgia. This 3-day event includes a parade, free concerts, arts & crafts booths, southern fried and Cajun catfish, a variety of food booths, antiques and collectibles, entertainment, children’s amusement area, a 5K run, a classic car & tractor exhibition, and the annual Lion Club’s Pancake Breakfast.

Click here to read our feature article about the 2009 Catfish Festival in Kingsland, Camden County, GA

For more information call 912-729-5999 or www.VisitKingsland.com

First Friday in Downtown Brunswick
Friday, September 4, 2009

Come to downtown Brunswick for the First Friday event. Mingle and visit the shops, galleries, restaurants of Historic Downtown Brunswick; “He Said Beer, She Said Wine” tasting at select shops; live music various locations. First Friday takes place on September 4th from 5 – 8 p.m., Newcastle and Gloucester Streets – Brunswick

For more information about the event, please call (912) 265-4032

St.Simons Island Antique Show
Saturday September 5, 2009 – Sunday, September 6, 2009

Take a trip to the Village on St Simons Island for Labor Day Weekend. Vendors from near and far are setting up their booths in Postell Park for the Antique Show. Here you can find all kinds of treasures from antiques, to collectibles and craft items.

St Simons Island Antique Show takes place Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th from 9 am – 5 pm. For more information call (912) 264-3254 or visit www.stsimonsantiqueshow.com

A Little Light Music at St Simons Lighthouse
Sunday, September 6, 2009

On Sunday you can plan to spend a relaxing evening at the lighthouse listening to The Sensational Sounds of Motown. Bring a picnic and lawn chair and your friends and family to the Lighthouse lawn at 7 pm. Admission is $10 per person. For more information call (912) 638-4666 or visit www.saintsimonslighthouse.org





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Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Festival 2009

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Life’s a Beach, at least on Jekyll Island in August. This has to be one of our favorite “last-chance-to-enjoy-summer” events. Lots of fun with live music, barbeque, shagging lessons and lots more.

Last year we visited the festival and made a video.  (Click here to view our video from last year’s event Jekyll Island Beach Music Festival)

Barbeque Bash
This year the festival has added a Barbecue Competition to the package.
The competition is sanctioned by the Georgia Barbecue Association, so this should be the great spot for some great tasting food.

GiveAways
Now you can win a special VIP Package to Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Bash.  Click here to participate and win four tickets to  Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Bash

If you’re interested in competing or need more info about the event, check out Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Bash website for the complete program.

beachmusic2009

Sea Turtle Walks at Edisto Beach

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Edisto Park is located in one of the most beautiful areas on the South Carolina coast. If you’re in the Charleston area – you should try to drive out for a visit.

edisto-seaturtle7You probably already know that the loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle that comes to our beaches in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to lay eggs. Many parks on the coast have special educational programs about the fascinating sea turtle. At Edisto Park you can learn all about these fascinating animals.

After a short program, the group will go down the beach in search of a nesting loggerhead sea turtle. Kids need to be 10 or older to participate, and you will of course have to be prepared to walk, so wear you’re best walking shoes.
There’s no guarantee that you will actually see sea turtles – or hatchlings, you might see tracks, and who knows? You might be one of the lucky ones who get to see a loggerhead sea turtle returning to the ocean after laying her eggs.
The loggerhead sea turtle is the South Carolina state reptile and is the most commonly observed sea turtle off the South Carolina coast.
In any case, nesting season lasts from May – August. Usually hatchlings emerge at night and head for the ocean.

Edisto park also has a campground, hiking trails, picnic areas and a playground. So why not bring the whole gang, a picnic basket, blankets and make a day of it. There is a lot to discover in this area.

The Edisto Interpretive Center helps promote the wise use of coastal resources. An exhibit features interactive displays, including a touch tank, and explains the fragile resources of the ACE Basin reserve, the largest such natural reserve on the East Coast.

The Sea Turtle Walks take place every week in July on Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 PM – till whenever. Tickets are $10. Please call (843) 869-4430 to make reservations for the Sea Turtle Walk. Spots go fast, so call now.

Click here to watch our weekly show with  The Sea Turtle Walk at Edisto Beach State Park, South Carolina. as the pick of the week.

Edisto-Sea-Turtle

Year Round Sea Turtles Program
Interested in learning more about the sea turtles? Sea turtles have lived on the earth for about 150 million years, before the time of the dinosaurs.

Don’t despair, beside the seasonal sea turtle walks, here are a few ideas for other interesting programs lasting year round.

South Carolina Aquarium
Find it more about sea turtles at the aquarium. Here you will meet current patients, learn from sea turtle experts speak, and you’ll find out what goes on behind-the-scenes at the sea turtle hospital.

Tours are offered Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
from 1:00-1:30
$10/adult, $5/child for the behind-the-scene tour + cost of admission to the aqurium. Adult admission is $17.00 and kids under 11 years of age $10.00.
Reservations are recommended, please call (843)577-FISH.

If live in the area, take a look at the yearly aquarium membership. It comes with a lot of extras, and if you’re planning to do any of the special programs it is definitely the best way to go.

For a family of four it’s $135/year – and you can bring 2 guests. Check the website for details.  www.scaquarium.org

Georgia Sea Turtle Center
In Georgia you can visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, a marine turtle rehabilitation, research, and education facility. The center opened in June 2007 and provided state-of-the-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles. Jekyll Island is unique among Georgia’s developed islands for its significant annual turtle nesting.

Visitors to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will learn about sea turtle conservation, rehabilitation, and the sea turtles fascinating journey from egg to adulthood.

There are different programs offered during the year; behind-the-scenes, sea turtle walk and more.

Check out the website   Georgia Sea Turtle Center or call 912-635-4444 for more details.