Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

YMCA Flowertown Festival in Summerville, SC – 2010

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A fun thing to do in spring is to visit the small town of Summerville, South Carolina, to enjoy blooming azaleas and southern hospitality during the popular Flowertown Festival. The 38th Annual flowertown Festival takes place on March 26 – 28. Every year Summerville celebrates the passing of winter with over 250,000 of its closest friends.

Flowertown Festival Summerville South CarolinaLots and lots of Art!
The popular Summerville Family YMCA Flowertown Festival has been a South Carolina tradition since 1971. More than 200 artisans from across the country come to the Festival to show their skills and sell their art. You’ll find a wide variety of arts and crafts from painting, pottery, glassworking, woodworking, needlework and much, much more!

Taste of the Town
But the three-day event is not only about art. You can also enjoy delicious foods from local restaurants at the Taste of the Town,there is also fun activities and rides for children at the Children’s Jubilee. Now if that isn’t enough to convince you there is also free admission and parking. This festival has consistently ranked one of the Top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.

The festival is open on Friday and Saturday from 9-5 and on Sunday from 9-4 for more information visit the Flowertown Festival website


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.

St Augustine Lighthouse Festival 2010

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You'll have the best view on the coast from the lighthouse!

St Augustine has one of most beautiful lighthouses on the coast. It’s black and red silhouette is a known landmark. If you haven’t had an opportunity to visit, once of the best times is of course during the annual Lighthouse Festival.

This year it’s the 8th Annual Festival, the event takes place on Saturday, March 20, 2010. St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum offers free admission to the tower, the museum and the grounds during the festival.

This is a great event for both children and adults. There is always special games and crafts for children, great food, pony rides, and archaeological activities. Children can even buy, build and sail their own model boat in the pond, which is always a popular activity.

The Michelob Ultra Twilight 5K Run starts at 4:30 p.m. on the road in front of the Keeper’s House.

About 8,000+ visitors show up for the festival throughout the day, so plan to come early and stay for a while. Free parking will be available at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre (which is probably your best bet for parking) and there is a shuttle that will take you from there to the festival. Paid event parking will also be available at the Lighthouse & Museum.

For more information call (904) 829-0745 or visit www.staugustinelighthouse.com
St Augustine Lighthouse Festival

St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival 2010

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Spring is the time for festivals on the coast. The air is cool and fresh, and it’s a great time to be outdoors. In St Augustine it’s time for the annual St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival.  Here you can of course get  great seafood  nearly any way you want it, but you can also enjoy  live  music from bluegrass, to folk and country music.

There will also be more than 100 arts and crafts exhibitors at the event.  This is a fun event for the whole family.  You can even win groceries, gifts and prizes. The festival is held at Francis Field at 25 W. Castillo Drive next to the Visitors Center. Festival hours are 3-9 p.m. on Friday, March 12th, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is only $2 for adults. Net proceeds go to Lions Club charities.

Visit www.lionsfestival.com for more information.

From Monroe to Ocean, Architecture and Jazz. Explore in Jacksonville, Fl

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The Beaches Museum & History Center present the work of award-winning architect, William Morgan, Jan. 16 through Feb. 13, 2010. Maintaining that there is no such thing as primitive architecture but only primitive means, Morgan relates buildings and human activity to the ecological context, thus revealing the universality of phenomena while also advocating creative freedom. An Evening at the Museum with William Morgan will be held Feb. 11, 2010, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The Beaches Museum and History Center
413 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville Bch, FL 32250
(904) 241-5657

Jazz it Up

Beginning Jan. 20, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will unveil a new must-see exhibit for jazz fans of all ages. Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits by Paul Rogers highlights jazz greats through poetry, from A (Louis Armstrong) to Z (Dizzy Gillespie). Each portrait and poem is evocative of the particular musician’s sound, and each work of art alludes to song titles, artifacts, and other markers of the time, including artistic references to well-known artists who were particularly inspired by jazz music.

The Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens
829 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32204
904.356.6857


Life as a Legend: Marily Monroe
Marilyn Monroe is once again in the limelight at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville this season. The feature exhibition, Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, will debut on Jan. 22 and run through April 4, 2010. Forever Blonde, a captivating one-woman live performance celebrating the life and glamour of Marilyn Monroe will take the stage Thursdays through Sundays Feb. 11 to March 7, 2010. On March 13, MOCA will host the Mad About Marilyn Soirée, a Hollywood-style party featuring diamond-laced cocktails, live music, dancing and late-night tours of the Marilyn exhibition.

MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art
333 North Laura Street,Jacksonville, FL, 32202 USA
(904) 366-6911

Virtual Ocean Trip
A fully immersive maze-based exhibit starts on January 30 at The Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in Jacksonville. A-Mazing Sea is a virtual trip into the ocean with surprises around every corner – from role play games and puzzles to problem-solving and deep-sea sleuthing.

A-Mazing Sea compels visitors to climb into sea turtle shells, crawl through a whale’s mouth and reach into an octopus cave while discovering simple solutions for challenges that face inhabitants of the deep blue and beyond.

MOSH Museum of Science and History
1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32207
904-396-6674