Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Jazz Festivals on the Coast – Fall 2010

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From ragtime, to New Orleans, swing, dixieland, latin jazz, bebop, acid jazz and more – the music form itself is difficult to define. On the other hand, Louis Armstrong who really was the king of Jazz once said “If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.”
But it’s evident jazz has strong ties to the South and maybe that’s the reason why we have several music events in our area this fall celebrating jazz music.

Low Country Jazz Festival
September 3 – 5,2010
Charleston, SC
Even though it’s only the second time around for The Low Country Jazz Festival, this event is quickly becoming a very popular. Both local and international jazz artists will perform during the festival the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in Charleston and various other venues in the area.
Click here to read more about the Low Country Jazz Festival

Hilton Head Jazz and Brew Fest
September 13 -18, 2010
Hilton Head Island, SC
This festival manages to combine several coastal favorites – live music, great food and good beer. The Seafood Jazz & Brew Festival on Hilton Head Island includes include beer tastings, beer and food pairings, and of course plenty of jazz performances. This festival utilizes the coastal locations of the Shelter Cove Community Park and the Shelter Cove Harbour. Click here to read more about Hilton Head Jazz and Brew Fest

Savannah Jazz Festival
September 19 -26, 2010
Savannah, GA
This is one of the most anticipated festivals in Savannah where the best jazz talent gather in Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia. This year it’s actually the 27th year for event. There are many live performances, jam session and also film screenings. This outdoor jazz festival is free and open to the public.
Click here to read more about Savannah Jazz Festival

Les deMerle

Amelia Island Jazz Festival
October 3 – 10, 2010
Fernandina Beach, Fl
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island celebrates jazz with a week-long annual festival. The popular event consists of a series of events around the island. This year the headliner is multiple Grammy award-winning pianist, Ramsey Lewis. The festival’s creative director, Les deMerle, has put together a program with world-class jazz artists in a wide variety of styles from Dixieland, Smooth Jazz, Bebop, Big Band, Blues, Latin and to new, state-of-the-art styles. Read more about the Amelia Island Jazz Festival here

Little River Shrimp & Jazz Fest
October 9 – 10, 2010
Little River, SC
This is one of the most anticipated events in Little River near Myrtle Beach. There’s lots of fun for the whole family and lots of live music.
Read more about Little River Shrimp & Jazz Fest

Labor Day Weekend – Florida – 2010

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Even though most kids are heading back to school in August, and the stores are advertising for their Back To School Specials already, summer in Florida is far from over.  We’re just not ready to give up on the beach, outdoor concerts and fun in the sun. Make Labor Day weekend count and let’s have some fun with family and friends. We have come up with a few suggestions for you.

(Here is the link to our video podcast about Labor Day Weekend on the coast!)

Opening of the Beaches - Sand Castle Competition Jacksonville Beach, Fl
Fun on the beach

Sun Splash – Amelia Island
Who said we had to say goodbye to summer, instead let’s have fun in the sun.  The Sun Splash event takes place at Seaside Beach on Saturday, September 4, 2010, 8am – 7pm.  Come enjoy island fun on the beach with live music and lots of activities.

At 7 am, there will be a beach clean up with Keep Nassau Beautiful, followed by a surf contest at 8am.  Then it is time for the popular reggae music concert. Live reggae is performed from 1-7pm. There’s also a swimwear fashion show, volleyball, ping-pong, sand castle contest, giveaways and prizes.

American Music Festival in Daytona Beach
Daytona is known for auto racing and NASCAR, but this weekend it’s all about music in Daytona. It’s the American Music Festival in Daytona Beach, September 1-5, 2010.
The festival holds concerts with big name artists such as Usher, Jonas Brothers, Tony Bennett and more at the Bandshell, Ocean Center and Peabody Auditorium. Artists will also take the stage at the community stages on the festival campus.

Click here to visit our special page for American Music Festival

Labor Day in St Augustine

Birthday Bash in St Augustine
The city turns 445 years old this year and the big day is celebrated with a reenactment of the landing and a special cutting of the birthday cake.
Click here to read more about the Birthday in St Augustine Celebration

Concerts in the Plaza
Also in St. Augustine there’s a free concert at Plaza de la Constitution on Sunday September 6th with The St. Augustine Jazz Society. The music starts at 1 pm – 5 pm. For more information, visit our special page about Concerts in the Plaza in St. Augustine

First Friday Art Walk – St Augustine
On Friday September 2nd, it’s time for another First Friday Art Walk in St. Augustine. This is alwyas a fun event with lots of people mingling, checking out local arts. You can read more about on our special events page.

Toby Keith in St. Augustine, Florida

More music – Toby Keith with Jaron and The Long Road To Love are performing at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Labor Day Weekend.  The concert is scheduled for Sunday, Sept 5, 2010 at 7:17 pm.  This is one of the big concerts of the year, don’t miss out.

Click here to buy tickets now!

Spend a Day at the Beach Downtown Jacksonville
Going to the beach is a tradition for Labor Day Weekend.   But for those who would rather hang out downtown, the beach comes to the Jacksonville Landing for the third year in a row.   The beach will be open to the public for the extended Labor Day Weekend festivities starting already on Wednesday, September 1 and will remain open until Monday, September 6.

Hula Hoop contests for kids and adults will take place on Saturday with live entertainment beginning at noon. A pair of tickets to a home Jaguars Game will be given away on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. during the Big Cat Sand Dig Competition. The celebration will wrap up with a live performance by the world-famous Sauce Boss on Sunday at 4 p.m. and live music on Monday.

Here is the complete schedule:

Wednesday, September 1
Art Walk “Art Takes Shape” 5-9 p.m. Featuring a sandcastle building contest and live entertainment in the Courtyard by George Aspinall Band 7 – 11 p.m.
Arts Market 5 – 9 p.m. in front of The Landing, including over a dozen local artists and crafters.

Thursday, September 2
Adamec Bike Night 6 – 10 p.m. with live entertainment by The Ride 7 – 11 p.m. Free bike parking, $10 bike washes, on-site tattooing, live entertainment, prizes and many other vendors. Adamec Bike Night takes place on the first Thursday of each month.

Friday, September 3
Big Cat Sand Dig for a pair of tickets to a Jaguars home game 7 p.m.
Live music in the Courtyard by George Aspinall Band 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Saturday, September 4
Live music in the Courtyard by Palmetto Catz 2 – 6 p.m. and Radio 80 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Kids Hula Hoop Competition 3 p.m.
Shag Lessons and Demonstrations by the First Coast Shag Club 2 – 3 p.m.
Big Cat Sand Dig for a pair of tickets to a Jaguars home game 7 p.m.
Open Hula Hoop Competition 8 p.m.

Sunday, September 5
Shag Lessons and Demonstrations by the First Coast Shag Club 2 – 3 p.m.
Sauce Boss LIVE! 4 – 8 p.m. Enjoy a performance by celebrity gumbo chef and entertainer the Sauce Boss … and even try his famous gumbo!
Live music in the Courtyard by The Rhythm Cure 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Monday, September 6
Live music in the Courtyard by Hipp Street 4 – 8 p.m.

For more information visit www.jacksonvillelanding.com

Shrimp in downtown Fernandina, Florida

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Shelly, shrimp sculpture Fernandina Beach, Florida
Shelly, shrimp sculpture Fernandina Beach, Florida

Fiberglass shrimp sculptures, each whimsically decorated by a local artist have been installed in the Fernandina Beach area and on Amelia Island.  Each shrimp sculpture is unique with its own individual personality.

Shrimp Expressions  is a community art project to benefit Micah’s Place Domestic Violence Center.  But in September the Shrimp will retreat to a temporary home to rest and get freshened up because  it’s time for them to find new homes.

On  October 16, 2010, the shrimp sculptures available for purchase will be auctioned at Micah’s Place  spectacular ShrimpElation Celebration.

Tickets to the auction will go on sale to the public in August. If you would like to take part in this fun-filled evening, please call (904) 491-6364, ext. 100 to make your reservation.

Click here for a downloadable  map in pdf format  – locate the shrimp in downtown Fernandina

shrimp sculpture, Mongoose - Fernandina Beach, Fl
Moongoose, Fernandina Beach, Fl

Fourth of July in Florida

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The Fourth of July holiday is built around traditions and for many it’s a great family tradition to celebrate the weekend together friends and family.  We have come up with a few ideas for fun things to do on the coast of Northeast Florida for the Fourth of July weekend.

Daytona International Speedway - NASCARDAYTONA BEACH
NASCAR fans kick off Indpendence Day early and head to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the famous Coke Zero 400 Weekend.  This event takes place July 1 – 3, 2010, at Daytona International Speedway.  It’s one of the few NASCAR races taking place at night, and with the summer heat, that’s a good thing for us.  Besides fast cars, there’s live music, fireworks and much more.
Check out our page for Coke Zero 400 Weekend for more.

ST AUGUSTINE
There’s no better place to celebrate Independence Day than in the Nation’s Oldest City – St. Augustine, Florida.  The beautiful, historic city is always well worth a visit, especially if you have friends and family coming to town.  Make sure to take time to walk around in the historic downtown area – or take a horse carriage ride if it’s too hot.

St. Augustine offers free concert and of course impressive fireworks over Mantanzas Bay. This is one of the most anticipated events in St. Augustine, so expect lots of people – and traffic.  Check out page for  Fourth of July in St Augustine for more details and parking suggestions.

JACKSONVILLE

Last year the city of Jacksonville had a lot of events going on around town – but with the budget cuts it seems as if everything is now centered around the Jacksonville Landing in downtown.  The day starts with free concerts at the Jacksonville Landing, and at dusk it’s time for fireworks at the riverfront.

There’s also fireworks and fun at Jax Beach.

Click here to visit our special page with details including parking suggestions for Fourth of July Events in Jacksonville.

FERNANDINA BEACH

The Stars and Stripes Freedom Festival and Parade takes place in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island. The Festival itself takes place on Saturday July 3, 2010, while the parade and fireworks happen on Sunday July 4.

We went to Fernandina Beach for Fourth of July last year and made a video about the experience that is posted on the  special page for Stars and Stripes Freedom Festival & Fireworks

Great Southern Tailgate Cookoff in Amelia Island, Florida

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The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (AICVB) has opened the entry process for The First Annual Great Southern Tailgate Cookoff, scheduled for August 27-28.  Interested teams can register to participate in the barbeque competition until August 13, with a $50 discount for all entries submitted before June 1.

The Great Southern Tailgate Cookoff will be held at Main Beach on Amelia Island, and include entries on both the professional and amateur level. Teams will compete for more than $20,000 in prize money and trophies. The Great Southern Tailgate Cookoff is a Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned event and will serve as a Florida State Championship contest.

The cost to participate is $100 per Backyard (amateur) team and $250 for each Professional team.  Contestants can also enter a best sauce, dessert, and seafood category for an additional $25.  The event will also be kicking off football season and will include a “Best Decorated” Team Booth.

To register, or for more information about the Great Southern Tailgate Cookoff, visitwww.gstailgatecookoff.com.