Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Things to do in Georgia – October 2010

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When it’s October, fall festival season is in full swing and this is the month before the holidays take over. It’s time for Oktober Festivals, football and to top it off with Halloween.

Pirate Fest, Tybee Island, GA

Oktoberfest on the River – Savannah, GA

October 1 – 3, 2010
Savannah has a wonderful Oktoberfest on Riverstreet. This festival has everything you expect from beer garden, to Oompah band and Wienerdog race. Visit our special events page for Oktoberfest on the River

Tybee Island Pirate Fest -Tybee Island, GA

October 8 – 9, 2010
Quickly change from lederhosen to peg leg and eye patch because as soon as the Oompah band stops playing, the pirates take over the whole island of Tybee. It’s time for the popular Pirate Fest on October 8 – 9, 2010. Check out our special events page for Tybee Island Pirate Fest.

Georgia Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival – Jekyll Island, GA

October 7 – 10, 2010
In October Georgia is hosting the greatest diversity of bird species. Jekyll Island celebrates with a special festival where you can learn more about our birds and nature. Check out the special page for Georgia Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival on Jekyll Island, GA

The Great Ogechee Seafood Festival – Richmond Hill, GA

October 15-17, 2010
There’s another seafood festival in Georgia in October. This time, head to Richmond Hill outside Savannah for lots of fun for the whole family. Find out more here – The Great Ogechee Seafood Festival.

Shalom Y'All Jewish Food Festival

Tybee Island Festival of the Arts

October 16 – 17, 2010
Tybee Island goes straight from pirates to the arts, and why not. This is a great arts festival with lots of artists from the region. Read more on our page for Tybee Island Festival of the Arts

Shalom Y’all – Jewish Food Festival – Savannah, GA

October 31, 2010
There is another food festival in Georgia this month. This festival takes place in Forsyth Park. Come explore Jewish food. Find out more on our special page for Shalom Y’all – Jewish Food Festival – Savannah

Savannah Film Festival

October 31 – November 6, 2010
This festival is getting bigger and bigger every year. The festival kicks off at the end of October, check out our special events page for Savannah Film Festival.

Wait… There is more to read…
Kingsland Catfish Festival Video
Right Whale Festival – Jacksonville, Fl
Pirate Gathering – St Augustine, Fl
Taste of Charleston

Florida’s Birding and FotoFest 2010

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Experience northeast Florida’s abundant bird life and photogenic natural beauty at more than 110 exciting birding and outdoor photography events during the 2010 Florida’s Birding & FotoFest! In addition to the ever-popular nature tours and excursions, new discoveries for this year’s event include workshops on preparing your images and composition, photographing birds in flight, selections and layer masking, flash techniques and many in field photography workshops.

Program presenters include Tim Grey, Rob Sheppard, Lewis Kemper, Roy Toft, Chas Glatzer, Maxis Gamez, Robert O’Toole, Deb Sandidge, Kevin Karlson, Scott Elowitz, Greg Downing, and Reinier Munguia. The festival is headquartered a the Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience at Marineland, located 15 miles south of St. Augustine on A1A. Discover the region’s phenomenal bird life and the abundant natural habitats that sustain them with bird walks and boat and kayak trips to undisturbed areas. This Festival is guaranteed to excite nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.

The Festival Headquarters is at Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience at Marineland, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd, Marineland, FL
904.829.1711

Thursday, Apr. 22 – Sunday, Apr. 25, 2010
For more information visit www.Getaway4Nature.com

Coastal Georgia Birding Festival Jekyll Island 2009

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Georgia’s coast has thousands of feeding birds and butterflies and other unique coastal wildlife. Now you can learn more and experience nature together with outdoors enthusiasts at Georgia’s Colonial Coast
Birding & Nature Festival held on Jekyll Island, October 8 – 12, 2009.

The annual festival offers a variety of entertainment and educational activities.

This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Don Kroodsma, will talk about “The Singing Life of Birds”. Field trips to the Altamaha River Delta, Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Cathead Creek by kayak as well as seminars such as “Birding Essentials”, “Going Native: Planting for Biodiversity”, and “Twittering for the Birds”.

For more information visit www.coastalgeorgiabirding.org
or call 1-877-4JEKYLL.
graw

Florida’s Birding and Foto Fest on the First Coast

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.  Florida’s Birding & FotoFest will take place along the Northeast coast of Florida April 22-26, 2009. Now it in its seventh year, this year’s events will be headquartered at the Center for Marine Studies at the University of Florida’s Whitney Lab at Marineland – approximately 15 miles south of St. Augustine on historic and scenic A1A. Over the years, the event has grown tremendously in popularity – this year, participants are coming from 31 states and two countries.

The popular festival provides visitors and residents outstanding opportunities to experience the unspoiled natural beauty that is unique to Northeast Florida. Events take place from Ft. George Island in Jacksonville southward to Volusia County’s North Peninsula State Park.
Egret by Roger McGraw

Tickets remain available for the Saturday, April 25 keynote presentation by John Moran titled A Photographer’s Search for the Soul of Florida. There are also slots available for participating in the day-long Bird Migration Workshop scheduled for 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. In addition to the workshops and tours, numerous exhibitors will be on hand at Whitney Lab throughout the festival. These include the Audubon Birds of Prey Center (featuring live birds); St. Johns and Duval Audubon Societies; Bushnell, Canon USA, Eagle, Leica, Sigma, Swarovski, and Zeiss optics; Wildstock Photography; Hunt’s Photo and Video; NatureScapes.net;; Essential Photo Gear; Nature Nook Books and many others. Festival exhibit hours are Thursday, 2-5 p.m.; Friday, 12:30-4 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets for festival tours, workshops and seminars, visit www.Getaway4Nature.com or call 1-800-514-ETIX (3849).

For more information about events and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches visit www.Getaway4Florida.com or call 1.800.653.2489.

Photo by: Roger Graw

Georgia Birding Festival on Jekyll Island

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Georgia’s coast is throbbing with thousands of feeding birds and butterflies and other unique coastal
wildlife. Experience this drama together with outdoors enthusiasts expected at Georgia’s Colonial Coast
Birding & Nature Festival held on Jekyll Island October 9-13, 2008. The sixth annual festival offers a variety of entertainment and educational activities including a keynote speech by Pete Dunne, internationally renowned birdwatcher and author of numerous birding guides. On Saturday, October 11, a Nature Day event is planned for youngsters and families. A variety of field trips and seminars will highlight coastal Georgia’s abundant natural beauty and wildlife. The Jekyll Island Convention Center will serve as the hub for festival activities, and field trip excursions will include many of the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources’ (DNR) Colonial Coast Birding Trail sites.
For more complete information visit the website www.coastalgeorgiabirding.org
or call 1-877-4JEKYLL.