Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Jekyll Island’s Christmas Tree Lighting Festival

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Jekyll Island’s Christmas Tree Lighting Festival takes place on November 28 4:30pm – 7:30pm, Jekyll Island, Georgia with lots of activities for the whole family.
The event takes place in the Jekyll Island Historic District.Bring the entire family for fun, live entertainment, and holiday cheer!

The festival itself is free, but some activities charge a fee. The parking fee to enter Jekyll Island is $5 per vehicle.

* Holiday stage performances
* Arts and crafts for holiday shopping
* Games and activities for children
* Hayrides
* Delicious hot chocolate
* Fireworks finale
* Santa will be on site for pictures

For more information visit www.JekyllIsland.com/HolidayIsland
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Santas of the Old World – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl

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A most unique holiday exhibition will take place at the Cultural Center from December 2nd through December 9th, 2009, when Dannehl M. Twomey’s wonderfully creative “Santas of the Old World: Toys, Legends & Traditions” will be display. Dannehl creates Santas that appear to have been made in the 1800’s and sculpts each head individually and adds antique textiles and toys to create a unique Santa that reflects that time period.

Featured in Southern Living, Dannehl’s Santa figures are created to look as though they were created by your great-great-grandmother and handed down through the family for generations.

This exhibit will appeal to children and adults of all ages. The Cultural Center is open Monday through Friday, 9am – 5pm; Saturday 10am – 4pm.

For more information please call The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach at (904) 280-0614 or visit www.ccpvb.org

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Rotary Gingerbread House Extravaganza – Jacksonville

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The Gingerbread House Extravaganza opens on November 28 through to December 23 at the Jacksonville Historical Society (formerly the Old St. Andrews Episcopal Church) at 317 Phillip A. Randolph Blvd. Over half a million dollars has been raised for more than 30 charities in the past six years!

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This annual event features a variety of large gingerbread creations made of 75% edible materials displayed in a village atmosphere in the Historic Society’s old church. Over 40 gingerbread structures are expected to be submitted for competition. Gingerbread houses displayed are built by local individuals and organizations, as well as area country club chefs, restaurants, bakeries, architects and various non-profits and area schools.

Winners of the competition will be awarded $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place and $500 for third place. A “People’s Choice Award” will be announced at the end of the show when ballots cast by the public are tallied.
This event is organized by the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of North Jacksonville and Rotaract Club of Florida’s First Coast.

This year’s Gingerbread Judges include: Michael Bump, Pastry Chef, Restaurant Orsay; Cinda Sherman, Publisher, Arbus Magazine; and Hope McMath, Director, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

Charities that will receive funds raised from the event include the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville, HabiJax and the Jacksonville Historical Society. For additional information www.rotarycharity.org.

The 2009 Gingerbread House Extravaganza
November 28 – December 22, 2009

Jacksonville Historical Society
317 A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32202

OPENING DAY – Saturday, November 28: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday – Saturday only: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Also Open December 21 and 22: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Open on Tuesdays by appointment only.

Admission:
Adults – $5.00 donation
Children (3 – 16) – $3.00 donation
Infants – Free
Special – $10.00 Polio Plus Tickets (to help Rotary and the World Health Organization eradicate polio globally) includes $5.00 donated to Polio Plus.

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Thanksgiving Weekend in Savannah

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The weekend following Thanksgiving, celebrates the holiday season with Savannah Holly Days on Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28.

On Friday, November 27 from 6-9 p.m., there will be skating under the stars, a delicious wine tasting, an outdoor holiday movie, a festive marketplace and shopping on Broughton Street.

On Saturday, November 28, start the holidays off right with cookies and milk with Santa Claus in Santa’s Workshop from 9:15-10 a.m. From 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., the Savannah Holly Days will have a snow area for playing in Reynolds Square, a skating rink on Broughton Street, shopping in a festive marketplace with great downtown shops and local artisans.

There will also be holiday movies at The Lucas Theatre as well as live entertainment including music and dance performances. Santa will be on hand for photographs and memories along with a variety of children’s activities. From 6-9 p.m., there will be a holiday movie shown on the side of Il Pasticcio.

Savannah Lighted Boat Parade takes place on the river and is well worth a visit. Lots of holiday decorated boats will pass by. There is also the Tree Lighting Ceremony on this Saturday, so it’s a busy day.

For a full list of Savannah Holly Days event information as well as information on special holiday offers from Savannah accommodations, restaurants and attractions, please visit www.SavannahHollyDays.com. For more information, please contact Laura Simpson at 912.644.6452
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Winter Wonderland 2009 – St Augustine, Florida

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This holiday season head over to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre to enjoy a Winter Wonderland! Admission to Winter Wonderland is free and the event is open Monday through Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

This is the third year for the popular Winter Wonderland festival at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre starting November 20th and running through January 3rd. More than 80,000 people have spent the holiday season with Winter Wonderland and made it part of their holiday tradition.

New additions to this year’s festival include the Blizzard Bounce House & the Elf Express Train as well as a New Theatre original production of “A Time for Everything”, thousands of additional lights, more decorations, more holiday scenes painted by local artists, and the most holiday cheer in Florida!

Other Winter Wonderland favorites include St. Augustine’s ONLY Ice Skating Rink with Nightly Snow Fall! America’s ONLY Refrigerated Ice Slide, Sleigh Rides, Elf Village, Reindeer Games, Elf Village, Lighted Nature Trails, Candy Cane Forest, S’Mores Pit, and of course the man himself Santa Clause!

Website : www.winterwonderlandflorida.com
The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is located at 1340 A1A South in St. Augustine. For more information, call 904.471.1965
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