Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Beaches Unplugged Music Series – Ponte Vedra, Fl

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In the summer there’s usually a lot of music performances on the coast. Ponte Vedra has its own series of free concerts called “The Beaches Unplugged”. This is a series of free community concerts held at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.

Each concert features up to 20 local musicians performing a variety of music from blues, jazz, Latin, classical and more. Beaches Unplugged, now in its 3rd year, is a tremendously popular event for all ages – usually standing room only in the Cultural Center’s ballroom.

Wine is served (donation) and coffee is provided from Fazzini’s Coffee and Tea. Piano provided by Keyboard Connection.
Admission is free.

The concert dates for 2010 are April 18th, June 13th, September 26th and December 12th from 6pm – 8pm.

For more information about the event visit www.ccpvb.org
Ponte Vedra cultural Center

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

The Great Atlantic Music & Seafood Festival, Jax Beach, Florida – 2010

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The Great Atlantic Music & Seafood Festival takes place on Saturday, March 20, 2010.  The motto – or the slogan –  for the  “Celebrating the Salt Life in all of us”, and that seems fitting. After all, what would life on the coast be without great music festivals and seafood festivals, and to combine the two into one event is just pure genius.  The Great Atlantic Music & Seafood Festival takes place at Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on Saturday March 20, 2010.

The event location is SeaWalk Pavilion right on Jacksonville Beach, which is a perfect location for this type of festival. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. and continues all day until 10: 00 p.m at night. Let’s hope for nice warm weather this weekend!

Another great plus that I need to mention is that this is a free festival. That’s right, there is no fee for admission. Just come to as you are to Seawalk Pavilion and hang out for 10 hours of non-stop live music by national recording artists and regional touring bands.  The performances vary from performing rock, blues, Americana, and newgrass sounds.

In addition to the non-stop music, the festival food court serves up a smorgasbord of fresh Florida Seafood anyway you like it – blackened, grilled, steamed… pick your favorite.  For those who are not fond of seafood (believe it or not, there are people like that), there’s other foods as well. And there are  ice cold beverages to quench that salty thirst.

When you get tired of the music or need a break, head over to The Festival Market. Here you’ll find unique and interesting original arts, crafts and more. There’s also lot of fun, friendly, family rides, games and activities for the kids. So bring the whole family!

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Saltwater Grass
2:00 p.m. Chroma
3:30 p.m. Yankee Slickers
5:00 p.m. The Sarah Mac Band
6:15 p.m. kLob
7:30 p.m. Anders Osborne

For more information about the festival, visit City of Jacksonville Beach website.

New Year’s Eve for the family – Charleston, SC

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Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Marion Square in Charleston, South Carolina with lots of fun and activities for the whole family. This is perfect if you have family visiting town, or if you have younger children celebrating New Year’s with you. Head to downtown Charleston and Marion Square for an evening out on the town. The festivities begin at 4:00 pm and end with fireworks at 10:15 pm.

On the main stage – entertainment from drumming to sing-a-longs and at 8:00 pm the headliner “Total Package” takes the stage.
Fireworks at 10:15 pm!!

Kidsfest Under the Tent
There’s a special tent at Marion Square for kids with everything from face painting, arts and crafts, balloon art and sing-a-longs.

At 4:50 pm a bagpiper will lead the way to the Second Presbyterian church for free concerts. At 5:00 pm there’s a special concert for kids called “The Velveteen Rabbit”

  • 6:30 pm Baroque Splendor: music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi
  • 8:00 pm Chamber Music of Charleston
  • 9:00 pm, Brass Concert performed by Charles Towne Brass with Julia Harlow

This event is presented by the City of Charleston.
The concerts take place at Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting Street.
For more information call (843) 724-7305

Amelia Island Jazz Festival 2009

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Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival is scheduled from October 2 – 11, 2009 in Fernandina Beach, Florida. This is one of the most popular festivals in Fernandina Beach, and this year’s festival promises to be one of the best ever.

The festival kicks off early this year with a free concert outdoors. Les deMerle All-Star Band will perform at the Sound of Centre already on Friday October 2nd. This is the last and final Sound on Centre for the season, so let’s hope for beautiful weather.

Then on Saturday, October 3rd, “Street.Runnin’ Wild,” with Amelia Island Jazz Festival Scholarship winner Jawren Walton performs at the Palace Saloon.

The second free concert will feature the U.S. Navy Big Band Southeast at Amelia Park on Sunday, October 4.

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, David Sanborn is scheduled to appear as the headliner in the festival. Sanborn will perform October 9th and 10th with Les DeMerle’s All-Star band and vocalist Bonnie Eisele. This concert takes place at the brand new 1,000-seat auditorium at First Baptist Church on Eighth Street.

One of last year’s most popular evenings, Latin Night with Impacto Latino, will return on Thursday, October 8, and then on Sunday, October 11, there is a New Orleans Jazz Brunch at the Beech Street Grill.

For ticket information and the complete schedule, visit the website.

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Here is a video from last year’s festival:

Les deMerle Amelia Island Jazz