Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Labor Day Weekend in Coastal Georgia

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Labor Day Weekend in Coastal Georgia

Many of us like to take spend extra time with friends and family for Labor Day Weekend. Here on the coast, it’s usually a great time to celebrate the end of summer and spend some time on the beach. We’re just hoping that the weather will cooperate; we’ve had a lot of rain here on the coast lately.

There is a lot happening on the coast for Labor Day weekend, from antiques, to beer, and even southern fried catfish.

Here is our list:

First Friday Fireworks on the River – Savannah
September 4th, 9:30pm

Savannah River Boat SmallRiver street is where it all happens. Come down to River Street to kick off the weekend with First Friday Fireworks and fun! There’s always a lot going on, from vendors, to music and performances. This is a great place to hang out for the evening. You can always find a nice place to sit and have a bite to eat or a drink and just enjoy the ambiance.

Savannah Craft Brew Fest Logo

Savannah Craft Brew Fest
September 4-5, 2009

Held on Labor Day Weekend, the Savannah Craft Brew Fest features the best of American craft brews. The two-day event begins with a gourmet food and brew pairings dinner on Friday evening and a beer tasting event on Saturday featuring about 35 breweries with more than 100 of their tastiest craft brews to sample. For more information or to purchase tickets visit Savannah Craft Brew Fest website.

River Street Labor Day Celebration – Savannah
September 5th, 9am-9pm & September 6th, 9am-7pm

Head downtown for the Labor Day River Street Style in downtown with Arts and Crafts, Entertainment and fun for the entire family.

tybeelighthouse_smallTybee Island Labor Day Beach Bash
Sunday, September 6, 2009

This events features a concert with our favorite band the Swingin’ Medallions, this band has been called “the party band of the South”, and rightfully so. They are a lot of fun and always put on a great show. Come to Tybee Island to end the summer with a blast. Enjoy the ocean breezes, the beach, live music and fireworks on Sunday, September 6th from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Swingin’ Medallions go on at 7:30pm and the fireworks begin at approximately 9:15pm or at dark. This event is free.

Kingsland Catfish Festival
Saturday, September 5 – Monday, September 7

Kingsland Catfish Festival CookingIn Camden County, this is the big one, and no wonder. Annual Labor Day Weekend Catfish Festival which runs from Saturday through Monday and it’s the largest festival in Southeast Georgia. This 3-day event includes a parade, free concerts, arts & crafts booths, southern fried and Cajun catfish, a variety of food booths, antiques and collectibles, entertainment, children’s amusement area, a 5K run, a classic car & tractor exhibition, and the annual Lion Club’s Pancake Breakfast.

Click here to read our feature article about the 2009 Catfish Festival in Kingsland, Camden County, GA

For more information call 912-729-5999 or www.VisitKingsland.com

First Friday in Downtown Brunswick
Friday, September 4, 2009

Come to downtown Brunswick for the First Friday event. Mingle and visit the shops, galleries, restaurants of Historic Downtown Brunswick; “He Said Beer, She Said Wine” tasting at select shops; live music various locations. First Friday takes place on September 4th from 5 – 8 p.m., Newcastle and Gloucester Streets – Brunswick

For more information about the event, please call (912) 265-4032

St.Simons Island Antique Show
Saturday September 5, 2009 – Sunday, September 6, 2009

Take a trip to the Village on St Simons Island for Labor Day Weekend. Vendors from near and far are setting up their booths in Postell Park for the Antique Show. Here you can find all kinds of treasures from antiques, to collectibles and craft items.

St Simons Island Antique Show takes place Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th from 9 am – 5 pm. For more information call (912) 264-3254 or visit www.stsimonsantiqueshow.com

A Little Light Music at St Simons Lighthouse
Sunday, September 6, 2009

On Sunday you can plan to spend a relaxing evening at the lighthouse listening to The Sensational Sounds of Motown. Bring a picnic and lawn chair and your friends and family to the Lighthouse lawn at 7 pm. Admission is $10 per person. For more information call (912) 638-4666 or visit www.saintsimonslighthouse.org





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beachcouple

We have a winner!

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Congratulations to John_C, the winner of last week’s contest!

We’re hoping you’ll have a great time at the Jekyll Island Beach Music Festival and BBQ Bash with your group!

We have just posted a new giveaway. This time you can win a fun-for-the-whole-family package on Jekyll Island, Georgia. You can win a package of four tickets to visit Georgia Sea Turtle Center and four tickets to visit the water park, Summer Waves.

Click here to visit our giveaway page for all the details.

Experience the Okefenokee Swamp by Kayak

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Okefenokee Swamp near Waycross, Georgia, is just fascinating. The landscape itself is fascinating with the black water and the reflections of the trees in the surface. You can see  birds everywhere; herons, egrets, ibis, and more depending on the time of year.

You can  paddled through the canals, and there are trails meandering through prairies filled with aquatic plants and bordered by islands of grasses, shrubs and trees. The swamp is basically a large basin filled almost entirely by rainwater. The still water retards

Okeefenokee Swamp
Tom Monahan, Up The Creek Trips

organic decay and creates a peat layer on the bottom supposedly several feet thick. This peat layer has accumulated over thousands of years. When the peat dislodges, rises to the surface and forms floating islands. Grasses come  first , then shrubs and then eventually trees such as the Cypress. “Okefenokee” is an indian word that means “Land of the Trembling Earth”.

Suwanee canal
Long canals in the swamp

Periodic fires rage the landscape and return areas to prairies, but the swamp always bounces back. It’s the never-ending circle of life for the swamp.
It’s very still, and very quiet, except for the occasional splash in the water from a fish, turtle or maybe alligator, or the birds. This landscape has looked the same for a very long time. You can’t hear traffic, it’s just peaceful and quiet. But then of course, a plane will fly by and remind you that you’re actually living in the 21th century after all.

Our favorite outfitter is Up the Creek Xpeditions from St Marys. They run a guided kayak tour through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and sometimes they even go out at night. For more information visit www.upthecreektrips.com or call 912.882.0911

Alligator babies are hatching in August, and fall migration starts in September. So make your plans to visit this beautiful area!









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Click here to view the brochure for the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, it has some beautiful photos in it!

Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development
Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development

Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Festival 2009

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Life’s a Beach, at least on Jekyll Island in August. This has to be one of our favorite “last-chance-to-enjoy-summer” events. Lots of fun with live music, barbeque, shagging lessons and lots more.

Last year we visited the festival and made a video.  (Click here to view our video from last year’s event Jekyll Island Beach Music Festival)

Barbeque Bash
This year the festival has added a Barbecue Competition to the package.
The competition is sanctioned by the Georgia Barbecue Association, so this should be the great spot for some great tasting food.

GiveAways
Now you can win a special VIP Package to Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Bash.  Click here to participate and win four tickets to  Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Bash

If you’re interested in competing or need more info about the event, check out Jekyll Island Beach Music and BBQ Bash website for the complete program.

beachmusic2009