Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Bluffton Village Festival – Mayfest 2010

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The festival will feature many unique and quality art vendors, food, music, a Civil War reenactment and a Mayfest favorite, the Ugly Dog Contest. New this year will be a Kid’s Luau Carnival presented by the May River Montessorri School from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Face painting, a Limbo contest, fishing tent and more awaits kids of all ages. Another special area will be the Carson Cottages, featuring music and entertainment throughout the day and tables for festival goers to relax, enjoy the music and rest their weary ‘Fest’ feet!

The festival will continue into the night at the Promenade with the music event The Village Party after Hours. The Party will be from 6-10 p.m. and will be a $5 per person admission. VIP table seating is also available for reservation at $250 for a table of eight. Live entertainment slated to perform includes The Chilly Willy Band, The Chris Stevers Band, The Trainwrecks and JoJo Squirrel. Food and beverages will also be for sale.

For more information call 843.815.2277 or visit www.blufftonvillagefestival.com

Butterfly Festival 2010 – Jacksonville, Fl

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At the Butterfly Festival you will experience a close encounter with 1000 of the gossamer-winged creatures. The festival takes place at Treehill Nature Center on April 24, 2010, from noon to 5:00 p.m. and culminates with nature’s fireworks – a live native butterfly release. This is something you don’t want to miss.

If you ever thought about starting your own Butterfly garden, come to the festival to find out more. You can visit the butterfly exhibit and there’s lots of activities for children, live music, vendors, and much more.

There’s also Art in the Park where local artists showcase their art. In the Get Back to Nature area you can meet experts from local nurseries who can tell you all you need to know about native plants and herbs. You can also shop at the Monarch Mall for everything from plants to jewelry and much, much more.

Thousands of visitors come to the popular butterfly festival. So plan on getting here early, and staying all day. Tickets are $4 for adults, $3 for seniors/military and $2 for children. Click here for a $1.00 off coupon
The proceeds goes to support Treehill Nature Center.

Watch our video from last year’s event – and below it the Tour of Treehill Nature Center!

Watch the Tour of Treehill Nature Center!

Party for the Planet at Jacksonville Zoo for Earth Day

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Guests can “Party for the Planet!” during the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ Earth Day celebration on Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Environmental and animal conservation experts will have booths set up for visitors to learn and collect valuable information on how to preserve our earth and its wildlife for future generations. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment, animal encounters, animal enrichment, visits from Jazoo, the Zoo’s friendly lion mascot, and a children’s activity area that will include eco-friendly crafts, a bounce house, a giant inflatable slide and prize drawings. An activity schedule is posted on the Zoo’s Web site at www.jacksonvillezoo.org. This event is sponsored by JM Family Enterprises, Inc. and Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC.

“It is important to us as a company to support initiatives in our community that raise awareness about the environment and conservation,” said Bob Moore, vice president and general manager of vehicle processing for Southeast Toyota. “We have been a proud partner of the Jacksonville Zoo for years and are excited to be part of this educational Earth Day celebration.”

Special admission offer: guests can get $2 off regular admission when they bring in a minimum of 5 pounds of paper or any electronic waste (items that are powered by batteries or electricity) to recycle. This discount cannot be combined with any other discount or offer and is only available April 24 and 25, 2010.

The Party for the Planet celebration is an annual event sponsored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Zoos from all over the country that are members of the AZA participate. For more information about conservation and how you can help, visit www.jacksonvillezoo.org or www.aza.org.

In conjunction with Party for the Planet, the Zoo will also have its inaugural Walk for the Planet, a non-competitive two mile family fun walk, to benefit Zoo conservation efforts. Walk for the Planet will occur Saturday, April 24, at 7:30 a.m. It is open to walkers of all ages and is stroller and handicap friendly. Each registered walker will receive a free commemorative t-shirt, entrance into the Walk for the Planet post-party and admission into the Zoo.

Walkers can register online at http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/index.php/events/event_details/earth_day_celebration_-_party_for_the_planet for the following fees:
Non-Members:
Zoo Members:
$25 for adult
$20 for adult
$15 for child (ages 3-12)
$10 for child (ages 3-12)
$50 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children and $10 for each additional child)
$40 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children and $10 for each additional child)

Children 2 and under are free, but they do not receive t-shirts or participant bibs. All proceeds benefit the conservation efforts of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, a non-profit organization.

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95. The Zoo is open until 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays from March to Labor Day. For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.
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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

Easter Eggstravaganza at Middleton Place, Charleston, SC

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Join the fun and come to an Easter Eggstravaganza at Middleton Place. This year the organizers are going green and have created an eco-friendly Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 3 Paper mache eggs have been chosen instead of plastic, and real hard-boiled eggs are standing by for decorating. There are also clay eggs made by the Stableyard’s potter and “prize” eggs filled with gift certificates redeemable at the Garden Market or Museum Shop. The fun begins at 11:00 am.

In the Plantation Stableyards, kids can learn how to color eggs by using vegetables, plants, flowers and other natural items. There is also a special an Easter Bunny meet and greet, story time station, and arts and crafts area. During the day games such as egg rolls on the parterre, egg tosses and more are available. Spring is also the time of year when kids and adults can enjoy seeing new baby lambs, chicks and bunnies.

Reservations are requested. Please call (843) 556-6020. Regular gate admission, $25 adults and $5 for children ages 7-15. Children 6 and under admitted free with paid adult.