Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Sand Arts Festival 2010 – Tybee Island, GA

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The annual Sand Arts Festival is going to be held on Tybee Island’s north beach near Tybee Lighthouse, 30 Meddin Drive, on Friday, April 30, 10 a.m.- 4.pm. (rain date May 14).

The Sand Arts Festival organized by SCAD is a competition in sand castle design, sand sculpture, sand relief and wind sculpture. Lots of talented SCAD students and alumni compete and this is a great spectator event.

Artwork competing in the sand castle, sand sculpture and sand relief competitions are judged for creativity, design, craft and detail.

The Sand Arts Festival is free and open to the public.
Sand Art Festival, SCAD, Savannah Georgia

Springing the Blues Festival 2010 – Jacksonville Beach, Fl

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Springing The Blues is one of the most popular annual festivals in Jacksonville, Florida, every spring attracting somewhere around 125,000 blues fans. At this festival you will experience live performances on stage from some of the nation’s top Blues performers. Another plus in my book is the fact that Springing The Blues is a free outdoor blues music festival. The three-day oceanfront music festival takes place April 9 – 11, 2010, and  features a selection of blues performers as well as other activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Springing The Blues festival is held at Jacksonville Beach, Florida’s Oceanfront SeaWalk Pavilion.

Interesting Facts About the Festival:
• Downbeat Magazine has named Springing the Blues as one of the top 50 Music Festivals in the World
• SouthEast Tourism Society named the festival as one of the top 20 destination events in the U.S.
• Springing the Blues is known as Florida’s largest free outdoor blues festival.
• In 1997 the festival was voted as “Best Festival in Northeast Florida” by Folio Weekly Magazine’s annual poll.

Click here for the schedule of performances

This year the festival will take place on April 9-11 , 2010, at Seawalk Plaza, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

St Patrick’s Day Party 2010 – Myrtle Beach

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This year we celebrate St Patrick’s Day early. The “real” day isn’t until March 17th, but that doesn’t stop Myrtle Beach. St Patrick’s Day celebration takes place on Saturday March 13, 2010.

The event takes place in downtown Myrtle Beach on Ocean Boulevard, between 8th Ave and 11th Ave). Click here to see the map of the event area.

The event takes place on March 13, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Admission is free.

You can enjoy authentic Irish food and beverages. Live Music on stage with Cracker, Drivin’N’Cryin’, The Blue Dogs, Mark Bryan (from Hootie & The Blowfish w. special guests), Pamalee, Jonas Sees Colors, Lee Travis & The Bounty Hunters, Root Soul Project. Street Performers: Myrtle Beach Pipe and Drum Corps

For more information visit www.mbdowntownstpats.com

Myrtle Beach Celebrates Snowbirds during Can-Am Days 2010

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Celebrate 49th Annual Canadian-American Days March 13-21, 2010
Festival Features Events, Concerts and Discounts Throughout the Grand Strand

Once again  Myrtle Beach welcomes its visitors from the North to the Canadian-American Days.  From March 13-21, 2010, the Myrtle Beach area will welcome visitors with a expressive lineup of events, giveaways, and concerts throughout the Grand Strand.

Visitors can choose from a wide variety of events and activities, many free, including band concerts, the kickoff celebration expo, St. Patrick’s Day parade and dance, festivals and much more.

“Can-Am Days celebrates our snowbird visitors, who escape the cold and snow for the moderate climate and wealth of attractions of the Myrtle Beach area,” said Brad Dean, MBACC president and CEO. “Many of these visitors have been traveling to our destination for decades, and we strive to create new memories for each generation through our festivals.”

Canadian-American Days draws as many as 100,000 Canadian visitors and snowbirds. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce introduced Canada Days in 1961 to attract Canadian families during their spring school break. The name was changed to Canadian-American Days in 1963. It is regarded as the first international festival organized in South Carolina.

The 49th Annual Canadian-American Days will feature a variety of events. Here are some of the highlights:

March 15
The 282nd Army Band
7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.)
– Beach Church, 557 George Bishop Pkwy., Myrtle Beach. Free but tickets are required. Tickets available 8:30 a.m. March 8 at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce visitor centers at 1200 N. Oak St., Myrtle Beach, and 3401 U.S. 17 Business S., Murrells Inlet.

March 16
Canadian-American Days Kickoff Celebration Expo
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
– This expo officially kicks off Can-Am Days and features exhibitors, musical entertainment, prizes and giveaways. Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C, Myrtle Beach. Free to the public.

March 17
16th Annual South Strand Wildlife and History Day
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Enjoy family-friendly entertainment, exhibits and activities. The Taste of Murrells Inlet, a culinary extension of the event, will boast specialties from some of the finest restaurants in the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina.” Huntington Beach State Park, 16148 Ocean Hwy., Murrells Inlet. Free for Canadians with valid ID. Adults: $5, S.C. senior citizens: $3.25, children 6-15: $3 and children 5 and under: free. SouthCarolinaParks.com/(843) 235-8755

March 18
Battle at the Beach presented by RBC Bank
11 a.m.
Second annual Canada vs. U.S.A. Friendly Competition for the RBC Cup, four-person scramble format. Greens fee, cart fee and prizes included. All tournament profits will be donated to Myrtle Beach Haven. Pine Lakes Country Club, 5603 Granddaddy Dr., Myrtle Beach. Fee $125 per person, $400 per foursome. CanAmDays.com for registration form and more information.
2010 RBC Bank Presents the 208th Army Reserve Band, 7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.) March 19 – Christ United Methodist Church, 2901 Fantasy Way, Myrtle Beach. Free but tickets are required. Tickets available 10 a.m.

For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com.

American Beach on Amelia Island, Florida, celebrates 75

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On January 31, 2010, American Beach, located on northeast Florida’s Amelia Island, will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Located on the southern end of the island, the 200-acre American Beach was once a glorious oceanfront haven for African Americans during the Jim Crow-era of segregation. Like so much of the island’s 13 miles of shoreline, American Beach exemplifies Amelia’s unique blend of breathtaking natural beauty and intriguing history.

The founders of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company purchased American Beach over a span of 11 years, making the first of three purchases on Jan. 31, 1935. A.L. Lewis, one of the company founders, was one of the first black millionaires in Florida. In its heyday, the beach was lined with homes, restaurants and nightclubs that were frequented by notables such as Zora Neale Hurston, A. Philip Randolph, Billie Daniels, Joe Louis, Hank Aaron, Bob Hayes and others.

Today, American Beach is the first stop on the Florida Black Heritage Trail, with approximately 50 homes remaining from the 1940s and 1950s. Though its popularity faded with the advent of desegregation, residents like MaVynee Betsch, great-granddaughter of A.L. Lewis, worked to keep its history alive. Betsch made her career as an opera singer throughout Europe, and upon her return became known as “The Beach Lady” because of her unwavering devotion to environmental causes. Betsch died in September 2005, penniless, after devoting all of her time and money to her beliefs.

Visitors can now enjoy a 90-minute walking tour of American Beach, which includes a stop at Miss Martha’s Hideaway, a home built of hand-molded coquina blocks, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tour also includes visits to the very first homes built on American Beach, and homes where actor Ossie Davis and jazz singer Billie Eckstein stayed on frequent visits to American Beach. Tours are $25 per person and can be arranged by calling (904) 261-0175.