Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Fall Festival and Events in Charleston 2010

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Charleston, South Carolina , is the perfect place to visit for a weekend getaway. The beautiful city with its international flair and southern charm, makes it the perfect destination for a relaxing weekend. Charleston is also known for its many restaurant and renown chefs. The city even boosts to popular food festivals every year; BBT Wine & Food Festival in the spring and Taste of Charleston in the fall.

Take a horsedrawn carriage ride around the historic district, and let your guide tell you about the fascinating history of Charleston. When you have limited time to explore, a guided tour is well worth paying for. You’ll get a great overview and you’ll be able to easily figure out where you want to return to for more details. You might also want to stop by the visitor center downtown for maps, brochures and more details.

There’s always a lot happening in Charleston, but here is the list of the big annual events coming up this fall.

2010 MOJA Arts Festival
A Celebration of African-American and Caribbean Arts
September 23 – October 3, 2010

A Swahili word meaning “One,” MOJA is recognized for its ability to bring people together through a celebration of Western and world cultures. Highlighting African-American and Caribbean fine arts, MOJA will showcase everything from gospel, dance, poetry, storytelling, theatre, children’s activities, traditional crafts, ethnic food, and more. For more information, call (843) 724-7305 or visit www.mojafestival.com.

Charleston Museum MileMuseum Mile Weekend in Charleston
September 25 – 26, 2010
Charleston is rich in history and culture, and the city has several museums.  If this history is something you love, or you want to visit the museums, don’t forget about this special weekend. You can visit the museums at a reduce rate during this time. Read all about it on our page for Museum Mile Weekend.

34th Annual Fall Tours of Homes & Gardens
September 23 – October 24, 2010

This event is sponsored by the Preservation Society of Charleston. Visitors tour breathtaking gardens, private homes, churches and public buildings showcasing architecture from the early Georgian period to the 20th century. The tours explore Charleston’s neighborhoods which emanate with a culture that started in the Colonial area. For additional information, go to our special event page for Fall Tour of Homes and Gardens, Charleston please call (843) 722-4630 or visit www.preservationsociety.org.

Taste of Charleston
October 8 – 10, 2010

The Greater Charleston Restaurant Association hosts this three-day gastronomical extravaganza highlighting lowcountry cuisine. It features some of Charleston’s finest, nationally recognized chefs. In addition to opportunities to sample the chefs’ creations, the event features an Iron Chef Competition, wine and beer classes, an art walk and live music.

Please visit www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com or call
(843) 577-4030 for more information or read more on our Taste of Charleston page

Summer Wine Strolls at Middleton Place in July

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How about spending a relaxing Wednesday evening at one of Charleston’s most beautiful gardens? In July the popular Summer Wine Stroll at Middleton Place takes place on July 7, July 14, and July 21.

Enjoy a leisurely walk through America’s oldest landscaped gardens while sampling a variety of summer wines at Middleton Place. During each wine stroll Middleton Place will host the wine tasting in a different garden location.

Wine tasting in the gardens of Middleton Place takes place on Wednesdays from from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Cost is $10.00 per person and reservations are not required for the event.
Summer Wine Strolls every Wednesday through September.

For more information visit www.middletonplace.org or call (843) 556-6020.

Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens 2010

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The city of Savannah is known for its beautiful squares, remarkable architecture and hidden gardens.  Put on your comfortable walking shoes, get out your water bottle, and get ready for Savannah’s Tour of Homes and Gardens. This is one of the absolute best ways to experience some of Savannah’s finest homes and most beautiful gardens. The 75th Annual Tour of Homes and Gardens takes place in Savannah, Georgia, March 25 – 28, 2010.

The self-guided house tours featured a different historic neighborhood each of the four days. Tour participants receive a guide book with a color coded map. Volunteers are at hand to assist you at each tour site. You do this tour at your own pace.

Savannah has the largest urban landmark historic district in the U. S.  In this 2.5 square mile area, there is an astonishingly preserving the  beauty, architecture and history of the old South.  The city of Savannah was founded back in 1733 by General James Edward Oglethorpe whose grid design influenced the city.   To this day there is twenty-one oak-canopied squares giving Savannah its unique character.

Walking Tour tickets will be priced at $40 per person, per day with six to nine sites on Tour each day. Click here to buy tickets.

Please call 912-234-8054 with questions.

Download the brochure for the event here!

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.

Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour – St Augustine

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This is the 16th year of the popular St. Augustine Historic Inns “Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour”. The Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour has become a much anticipated yearly tradition in St. Augustine. The two-day event showcases a total of 25 Inns decorated for the holidays. The tour ticket includes tours on both days, as well as a treat from a culinary. You also have an opportunity to meet artists from local galleries displaying their works at selected Bed and Breakfast locations around town. Old Town Trolley will provide transportation and Winn Dixie Stores offers hot chocolate and a complimentary grocery tote bag when you pick up your tour tickets at the Visitors Information Center on San Marco.

The St. Augustine Historic Inns (SAHI) choose a charity to receive a gift representing a portion of the funds raised every year, and this year the recipient is the “Empty Stocking Fund”. The fund gives food and gift cards to local economically disadvantaged children and their families during the holiday season.

The Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour is scheduled for Saturday, December 12th and Sunday, December 13th from 2pm-5pm.

Tickets are $35.00 through event day. You can purchase your tickets online at www.staugustinebandbtour.com or at The Record headquarters located at One News Place, St. Augustine.








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