Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Rock Shrimp Festival in St Marys, Georgia

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The 37th Annual Rock Shrimp Festival takes place in St Marys, Georgia, on Saturday, October 3. St. Marys has often been recognized as the “Rock Shrimp Capital,” famous for the hard-shelled shrimp with the sweet lobster-like taste that is prevalent in the Coastal Georgia and Northeast Florida waters.

This year’s Rock Shrimp Festival dinner will feature the usual succulent rock shrimp, boiled shrimp, fish and side dishes. Dinner will be served from 11 am to 5:30 pm on the day of the festival.

Schedule:
7:00 am 1.5 K, 5 K, & 10 K Races

Arts & Crafts and Food

10:00 am Parade

Live Entertainment On The Stage  In The Waterfront Park All Day
Kids Games, Pony Rides, Classic Car, & Tractor Show
Choo Choo Rides For The Kids
Major Fireworks at Night, Biggest In Years
River Cruise @ 7:00 P.M. To Cumberland Island and return to view the Fireworks – $ 20.00 Donation
more info at www.smkiwanis.com

In addition food vendors will be offering their specialties along Osborne Street and the waterfront.

Dinner tickets are now on sale, advance dinner tickets are $9. On the day of the event, the price will be $12. Tickets can be purchased at the Camden County Chamber of Commerce, the St. Marys Welcome Center, Kingsland Welcome Center, and Camden Printing. According to Barbara Mizelle, Co-chair of this year’s festival, advance ticket sales have always been popular with groups and families, but this year have an even greater appeal.

For more information, please call 912-882-4000

St. Marys, Georgia

Build Your Scarecrow during Hay Days – St Marys, GA

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Hay Days comes to St. Marys and kicks off with “Build-A-Scarecrow”.  The annual Hay Days will takes place October 10 – 31, 2009,  with numerous events in downtown St Marys.

The main street in St. Marys, Osborn Street, will be decorated for the season with scarecrows from businesses, individuals and organizations. Every year locals have a great time coming up with the most innovative and creative scarecrows.

Build your own scarecrow at Orange Hall, St Marys, GA
Build your own scarecrow at Orange Hall, St Marys, GA

Kids of all ages are invited to Build-A-Scarecrow at Orange Hall on Saturday, October 10th at 10:00 AM. Purchase your own kit with everything you need to make the perfect Scarecrow available for only $20. Your Scarecrow might be selected to be placed downtown or take it home instead. Osborne Street the Scarecrows will welcome locals and visitors to downtown St. Marys throughout the Hay Days celebration.

Get Your Kit Now
To reserve your Build-A-Scarecrow kit, call the St. Marys Downtown Development Authority, (912) 882-8111 or email info@stmarysdda.com. Only fifty kits are available so hurry and make your reservations today to join in the fun. Any Scarecrow kits remaining will be assigned on a first come basis the day of the event at a cost of $25.

scarecrow Hay Days St Marys

Catfish Festival in Kingsland, Georgia 2009

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The annual Catfish Festival held in historic downtown Kingsland draws over 75,000 people over three days.
This festival celebrates catfish, and you just have to taste the catfish served at this event. How do they do it? Who knows, it’s actually a secret recipe that has been used for years. But we do know that 10,000 pounds of farm-raised catfish is prepared for the festival, so you know that this is a popular dish at the festival. The catfish go on sale at 12:00 noon on Saturday and Sunday and 11:00 a.m. on Labor Day. Other menu items include the famous deep-fried onion blossoms, oriental fare, barbecue, and homemade ice cream.

The festival opens, as many festivals do, on Saturday, September 5th with a 5K run so you can work up an appetite and really make room for those 10,000 pounds of catfish. Booths filled with art, antiques, crafts and collectibles will open at noon on Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. on Labor Day.

During the three days from Saturday September 5 – Monday September 7, people will flood the streets of downtown Kingsland, Georgia to browse over hundreds of arts and crafts and antiques, sample the foods of nearly 30 different food vendors, and most importantly, sit down to enjoy farm-raised Southern Fried Catfish, hushpuppies, grits, coleslaw, and sweetened iced tea.

Schedule of Events


Saturday, September 5, 2009

7:30am 5K Run Registration begins at 6:45AM and ends at 7:10 AM on Saturday September 5, 2009 at the corner of Williams
Avenue and Highway 17. The run will start promptly at 7:30 AM, rain or shine at the Municipal Office on Williams Avenue.
Official Annual Labor Day Catfish Festival T-shirt will be given to the first 20 PRE-REGISTERED participants. Race applications
are available for pickup at the Kingsland Welcome Center and Kingsland City Hall.

12:00pm Official Festival Start Time, Festival area opens: Children’s Amusement Area, Arts & Crafts Booths,
Antiques & Collectibles and Food Vendors Catfish Festival Dinners includes coleslaw, hushpuppies,
grits & iced tea – $10.00 Catfish Nuggets includes French fries – $8.00

6:00pm Festival Closes

Sunday, September 6, 2009

12:00pm Festival Opens, Children’s Amusement Area, Arts & Crafts Booths, Antiques & Collectibles and Food
Vendors Catfish Dinners includes coleslaw, hushpuppies, grits & iced tea- $10.00 available
Catfish Nuggets includes French fries – $8.00

1:45pm Free Concert at Main Stage Area Featuring Local Church & Gospel Groups including Jericho Road,
Kingsland 1st United Methodist Chamber Choir, & On the Edge Band

6:00pm Festival Closes

Monday, September 7, 2009

7:00am –11:00am
Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast – Tickets $4.00 each, include: Tall Stack of Fresh Pancakes, Thick
Southern Bacon, Sausage Patties, Coffee & Juice

9:00am Festival Opens, Children’s Amusement Area, Arts & Crafts Booths, Antiques & Collectibles and Food
Vendors

10:00am Official Annual Catfish Festival Parade , Hwy 17 South
Floats should be decorated with a theme of your choice. Lineup will begin at 9:30am on Highway 17 at Boone St. in Kingsland.
Parade applications are available for pickup at the Kingsland Welcome Center and Kingsland City Hall.

11:00am Festival Awards Ceremony (Main Stage Area) Antique / Classic Car, Truck & Tractor Exhibition
Catfish Festival Dinners includes coleslaw, hushpuppies, grits & iced tea – $10.00
Catfish Nuggets includes French fries – $8.00

1:45pm Free Concert at Main Stage Area Featuring Local Bands including Cumberland Blues Kings, Trigger
Happy Los guitaros sicarios , On the Edge Band

6:00pm Festival Closes

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We interviewed Tonya Rosado about the Catfish Festival in 2008. The video is included below.

Catfish Festival Kingsland Georgia

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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Fourth of July in Georgia

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Fantastic Fourth of July on River Street, Savannah, GA

In Savannah, the celebration takes place on River Street in the downtown district.

Celebrate the Fourth of July in River Street style in Savannah, Georgia. The party starts at 5 p.m. on the plaza with live entertainment, ice cream eating contests and more.

Fireworks will begin around 9:20 p.m.

Call 912.234.0295 or visit www.riverstreetsavannah.com

Click here to watch the new weekly show video for Fourth of July in Georgia

Savannah Swings!

This event has become a yearly tradition in Savannah, and no wonder. It’s definitely very special way to celebrate the 4th of July. Just listen to this.

First, start out with a delicious picnic catered by the First City Club in Reynolds Square. There is really no better way to get a feel for the first city than by spending time in the squares, and why not a picnic. It is after all Fourth of July.

After the picnic, it’s time to head inside the cool Lucas Theater. This time of year, heading inside, can be a great way to cool off. Now you’re going to experience a cool jazz concert with “Jeremy Davis and the Fabulous Equinox Jazz Orchestra” with singers Clay Johnson, Adam Jones, Trae Gurley and Huxsie Scott and Special Guest Kim Polote.
Don’t get too relaxed, because then it’s time to move to the beat, this time we’re following the band’s lead. We’re follwing the musicians in a New Orleans-style procession from the front of the Lucas, down the Abercorn ramp, all the way down to River Street. Here it’s time to sit again. This is where you’ll find the best seat in the town for fireworks viewing right on the river. Savannah swings!

Tickets for the concert, parade and seats are $25 for adults, and $10 children 12 and under. There is a $5 discount for military, fire & police.

Tickets for the picnic are available for an additional $20 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under.

The picnic is 3.30 – 5.oo pm and the concert starts at 6 p.m. at the Lucas Theatre.

All tickets are available by calling 912-525-5050.

Savannah Georgia Fourth of July

Fireworks Tybee Island Pier

Get an early start for the 4th of July weekend and head out to Tybee Island. Here the party starts already on Friday July 3rd with fireworks at Tybee Pier and Pavilion.

Call 912-786-5444 for more information.

Sunshine Festival Arts & Crafts Show, St Simons Island, Georgia

This arts and crafts festival takes place in Postell Park in the village. Come and get inspiration for your next art project, or find that perfect gift! Painting, pottery, jewelry, fiber art, garden art, wood craft, photography, sculpture, sweetgrass baskets, art glass and much much more.

July 3-5 from 10 am to 5 pm.

912.262.0628

Fireworks on St Simon’s at 9 pm!

Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration, Brunswick, GA

Come to Mary Ross Waterfront Park in downtown Brunswick for an Old Fashioned Independence Day celebration for the whole family. Lots of fun with games, contests, free watermelon and much more. Fireworks at dusk.

4th of July Celebration – Jekyll Island, GA

Jekyll Island is one of our favorite places to visit, and the beach is gorgeous. So if you have friends and family in town, it might be a great idea to head out to Jekyll Island. Take a quick tour of the historic Landmark district and then head to the beach deck. Jekyll Island hosts a family-fun party at the Beachdeck featuring the DeeJay game show – the Big Dawg and Paul Show. The fireworks finale is said to be one of the best in the area.

For more information contact The Jekyll Island Welcome Center: 877-4-JEKYLL

www.jekyllisland.com

Independence Day Festival, St Marys, Georgia

Come visit historic downtown St Marys, GA, for a delightful Independence Day complete with parade and fireworks.

The day starts early with a 5K/10K run, then it is time for the annual parade down main street. Arts and crafts, food vendors and entertainment all day. Fireworks at dusk.

For more information call 912.882-4000

Waterfront in Darien, Georgia

Why wait until Saturday, start your party already on Friday in Darien when Mason Waters and The Groove All-Stars perform on the Waterfront Stage in Darien on Friday July 3rd in celebration of Independence Day. Gates open at 6:00pm; Music begins at 7:00pm with FIREWORKS!! scheduled for 9:15pm.

Cannons Across the Marsh, Fort King George, Darien

Join the Garrison for a day of artillery drills, musket firings and soldier’s life activities to honor Independence Day. Free watermelon and lemonade will be served. $3.50-$5. (912) 437-4770.

Fourth of July