Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

North Charleston Arts Festival 2010

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The 2010 North Charleston Arts Festival takes place from April 30 – May 8, 2010. The celebration lasts for nine whole days and the festival is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the Lowcountry.

North Charleston Arts festivalThe Main Event
The Main Event, held May 1st and 2nd at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, offers free admission and parking to over 40 performances on four stages featuring national, regional, and local professional performers, ethnic and cultural groups. Other activities include judged art, photography, youth art, and fine craft exhibitions, a gem & mineral show, children’s activities, Art & Craft booths, and an Outdoor Food Court.

The Festival Week
Concerts, theater and dance performances, children’s programs, literary events, and multi-cultural block parties are just some of the offerings during the Festival Week. The Arts Festival has over 50 free or moderately priced ticketed events throughout the week at various locations around North Charleston. Festival Week offerings include concerts, theater and dance performances, children’s programs, literary events, block parties, an Art Walk, and much more.

The Grand Finale
The festivities conclude on Saturday, May 8, with the Grand Finale at Riverfront Park, featuring a variety of concerts and activities, as well as a fantastic fireworks display over the Cooper River.

For more information call 843-745-1087 or visit www.northcharleston.org

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival 2010, South Carolina

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One of the premier paddlesport events on the Atlantic Coast, the festival will be held at James Island County Park on April 16-18, 2010. Here you can find everything you need to know about canoeing and kayaking at the 20th Annual East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival (ECCKF).

Every year paddlers, instructors and equipment manufacturers are brought together at the action-packed South Carolina festival. The event includes a variety of on-water classes, lectures and demonstrations directed to the novice as well as the experienced paddler. Plus more than forty exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try the latest equipment before you buy.

Fun and Useful Instruction
The heart of the festival is the simultaneous running of four classrooms throughout the three-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the paddling world’s leading experts. Learn new strokes, rescues or rolls with expert instruction. Meet other knowledgeable paddle sport enthusiasts. A wide variety of topics include slide shows of exotic paddling locations, how-to sessions on navigation, selecting or repairing equipment, safety and preparing gourmet cuisine fresh from your dry bag.

A family-friendly weekend, children are welcome to the festival and are free with a paying adult. Learn how to paddle as a family in clinics, or register young paddlers in the full and half-day canoe and kayak camps (ages 6-12), featuring hands-on sessions, nature walks, crafts and more. Always a spectator favorite, families are invited to compete in a cardboard canoe race on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Filmmaker and Kayaker
New this year will be a free interactive presentation by adventure filmmaker and expedition kayaker Bryan Smith on Thursday, April 15 at James Island County Park. Join Smith for an inspirational and entertaining multi-media show of the first sea kayaking exploration of the Butze Tidal Rapids in northern British Columbia. On assignment for National Geographic Magazine, Smith captured some innovative and exciting kayaking footage, which will be presented on the big screen at 8 p.m. Admission to the presentation is free. Park admission is $1 per person; Gold Pass holders and those 2 years and younger are free.

Offering recreational and instructional programs for paddlers of all abilities and creating an inclusive paddling community are both major themes of this year’s festival. On Wednesday and Thursday prior to the festival, an ACA Adaptive Paddling Workshop (pre-registration required) is being offered for paddling instructors and other individuals interested in learning how to adapt equipment and work with paddlers who have various mobility impairments. On Friday evening, renowned paddler Marcus Demuth will present the keynote address on “Circumnavigating Tierra del Fuego for Disabled Paddlers,” an expedition raising funds to support programs that introduce people with disabilities to paddlesports. In addition, the festival will offer classroom sessions on inclusive paddling initiatives, and Charleston’s very own Special Olympics Kayak Team, which has been hosted by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission for the past three years, will be on hand at the event.

Also new for 2010 is Paddle Clean-Up Day, a volunteer service project in partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper. Paddlers and non-paddlers alike are invited to give back to the paddling community by cleaning up the waterway at Sol Legare Boat Landing. Paddlers will help clear debris by boat and walkers will help clear trash in the area on Sunday, April 18 from 4-6 p.m. Registration is free.

For just the $1 per person admission to the park, visitors can come to James Island County Park and enjoy the sights, sounds and shopping at the festival. Registration packages (and the opportunity to attend classes and test paddle boats) start at $15 and range from sampler passes to full-weekend passes – perfect for all levels and abilities! Children 17 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult registration. Consider staying on site at James Island County Park’s campsites. For more information, a daily ECCKF schedule and to register call (843) 795-4FUN or visit www.ccprc.com/ecckf

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, Charleston, South Carolina

Pet Fest 2010 in Charleston, South Carolina

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Our pets love us unconditionally and now you can show your appreciation to your dog by bringing your best friend out to the park for a full day of fun.  Both pets and  owners are offered a full weekend of exhibits, demonstrations, entertainment, and more at Charleston’s premiere pet festival –  Pet Fest – on  Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 at Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park.

Last year’s event was visited by more than 1600 pets and their owners, and no wonder. The event is packed with information for pet owners and fun, all in a pet-friendly environment.

Here are some of the highlights:

· K9s in Flight Frisbee Dogs and Dock Diving – Shows scheduled for 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
· Dock Diving for visiting canines (new for 2010!), for a charitable donation to Humane Net
· Lowcountry Dog Magazine’s Cover Model Contest – Enter your dog for a chance to be on the cover of Lowcountry Dog Magazine
· Dolittle’s Interactive Tent – Tons of fun doggie games and a chance to win a year supply of food
· Charleston Kennel Club’s “Meet the Breed Dog Show” – Enter your own purebred or family dog
· Canine Good Citizen Tests – Would your pooch make a good therapy dog (Saturday only)
· Pet Contests – Best Trick, Owner Pet Look-Alike, A Face Only a Mother Could Love, Musical Sit
· Dog costume contest (new for 2010!) – Dress your best to win prizes
· Chow Down Like Your Hound – Human-grade dog food eating contest (kids and adults)
· Lowcountry Kitten Rescue Animal ER – Ages 8 & up can explore careers in veterinary medicine
· Microchipping Clinic (Saturday Only)
· STAR (Search Tactics And Rescue) Demonstrations
· Veterinarians, Trainers, Groomers and Pet Suppliers
· Dog Washing Station
· Rescue Groups and Adoption Centers will have adoptable animals on-site
· Children’s Activities
· Plenty of food and beverages including special treats for the pooches, and chances to win prizes

Another anticipated event is the announcement of the winner of “From Fat to Fit: A Canine Fitness Challenge.” This is the pet world’s answer to Biggest Looser.

The event takes place on Saturday, April 10 from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 11 from noon to 6 p.m. at Palmetto Islands County Park. Admission is $5 per day. Parking is limited. Children 12 and under, Gold Pass Holders and leashed pets are free.
For information call 795-4FUN (4386) or visit www.ccprc.com/petfest.

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.

Charleston Farmers Market Opens on April 3, 2010

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On April 3rd, 2010, Charleston Farmers Market will again open at Marion Square in the downtown area. The Farmers Market offers fresh locally grown produce as well as other foods, and arts and crafts. The market will continue during the season until December 19, 2010.

The 2010 Poster
The special 2010 poster, Peter Piper’s Peppers by Ginny Versteegen,  will be unveiled at 10:30 am by Charleston City Councilman Kathleen Wilson and Ellen Dressler Moryl, Director City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs.  The South Carolina Broadcasters, a local bluegrass band, will perform until 1:30 p.m.

Green Market
This year, the Charleston Farmers Market will organize a planning process to transition into a “Green Market.” Only a few farmers markets in the U.S. are officially recognized as “Green Markets.” This transition includes recycling and/or re-using all of the materials that are produced by the market as well as educating vendors and the public on the value of being green, including using recycled products, re-using products and composting.

New Additions
New farmers and vendors in the 2010 market include:

• Messy Apron will offer fresh hot and cold soups made with local produce for eat-in or take-out.
• Meat House, owned and operated by Jason Houser, will offer charcuterie products, including sausage, bacon and pâté.
• BJ’s Brats is a local food vendor from Seabrook Island that will offer locally made bratwurst and Italian sausage.
• Family Trees owned and operated by Kara Viacrusis, will sale jade house plants which are offspring of her grandmother’s 30-year-old jade tree.

Popular Vendors
Among the vendors who are returning to the market for another season and offering additional products are: Captain Hatt’s, a full-service fish market will also offer pickled shrimp and crab and shrimp dips; Chucktown Chicken has lemon grass as well as farm-raised chickens, River Run Farms will offer its grass-fed beef as well as kiwi fruit and other kiwi products and luffa sponges and compost products. Nelly’s Farm is expanding their organic produce selection by offering mixed greens, cucumbers, basil as well as arugula and flowers. Burden Creek Dairy will also supply goat milk as well as plain and flavored chèvre.

“Not only is the weekly Charleston Farmers Market a testimony to the wonderful quality of life we enjoy in here in Charleston, but Charleston farmers are becoming an integral part of the community, offering produce to many of the local restaurants and as a result are significant contributors to a thriving, sustainable local economy. We are so thrilled to welcome the market back to our Saturday routine April 3rd,” says Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr.

About Charleston Farmers Market

Founded by Mayor Joe Riley in 1989, the Charleston Farmers Market is produced by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, in cooperation with the City of Charleston Parks Department. Over the years, the Charleston Farmers Market has received numerous awards: In 2005, the Charleston Farmers Market, newly revitalized and relocated back in the renovated Marion Square, received the Three Sisters Award from the Charleston Save the City Committee. In 2008, the Market was ranked by Travel and Leisure magazine as one of the top 10 best Farmers Markets in the nation. In the Charleston City Paper reader’s poll, “Best Of,” the Charleston Farmers Market was named 2009 Best Outdoor Event. Now permanently located in Marion Square, in the heart of historic downtown Charleston, S.C., the Farmers Market is open each Saturday, from April 3 to Dec., 19, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Farmers Market is dedicated to the support and advocacy of Lowcountry farmers and growers and offers a variety of local produce, plants, herbs and cut flowers as well as breakfast and lunch vendors, live entertainment and an assortment of juried arts and crafts from local artisans. The Charleston Farmers Market attracts citizens and visitors alike. It is the community connection every Saturday morning from April through December, bringing together people from all parts of the Lowcountry and beyond.