Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Things To Do Amelia Island in April 2011

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April 1, 2011 – Sounds on Centre

Come to downtown Fernandina and listen to live music under the stars. You can read more about this seasonal Amelia Island event by clicking here.

April 2 – 3, 2011 – First Weekend Union Garrison

This event takes place on the first weekend of the month at Fort Clinch State Park. On Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

During the First Weekend, living historians will recreate life at Fort Clinch during the War Between the States. This is a fun way to learn a little bit about our history for the whole family. Activities may include black powder artillery demonstrations and marching drills, as well as soldiers and civilians taking up duty in the laundry, infirmary and kitchen. Candlelight viewings on Saturday evenings every First Weekend except December.

Fees: Park entrance fee plus $2.00 per person Fort admission.

Contact: For more information, call 904-277-7274.

 

April 2, 2011 – Old Town Fernandina Bicentennial Celebration

Two hundred years ago, the small community of Fernandina was so named by Spanish Governor Enrique White, and the town was platted according to the Spanish Law of the Indies of 1573.  On April 2, 2011, Old Town Fernandina will mark this milestone with Bicentennial Day, a celebration of Old Fernandina’s unique history.  In 1811, two events took place in Old Town Fernandina that were milestones in the development of today’s City of Fernandina Beach. On January 1, the name of the Spanish Amelia Island Military Post and the town that had grown up around it was renamed Fernandina. The decree, issued by Enrique White, the Spanish Governor of the Spanish Province of East Florida, was issued on December 24, 1810, and named the town for Spain’s King Ferdinand VII.

On May 11, 1811 Jose Estrada, White’s successor as Governor instructed his Surveyor-General George F Clarke to plat the town according to the Spanish Law of the Indies. Other US cities have used the same plan include Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles. Fernandina was the last to be so platted, and according to the University of Florida “the Old Town grid remains as one of the last and purest examples of the Law of the Indies planning Edict of 1573”.

In 1811, Old Fernandina was booming as it profited from being close to the United States, but not subject to its laws. Smuggling and Slave-Trading were the mainstays of its economy. As the US grew in international stature, it became increasingly obvious thatWashington could not allow Amelia Island and Fernandina to remain in foreign hands. The next 10 years saw much of Fernandina’s colorful history as five of the island’s eight flags were raised and lowered, but in 1821, when Florida became a US Territory much of this “economic stimulus” was removed.The event will include walking tours, home tours, nature walks, archeological exploration, authentic Spanish music and Flamenco, a pirate weapons display, re-enactors, and much more.

  • Archeological Exploration – join experts from Florida Public Archeological Network.
  • Authentic Spanish Music and Flamenco – talented musicians from around the U.S. and Spain perform classical and contemporary Spanish music and dance.
  • Bosque Bello tours – meet costumed past residents of Old Fernandina courtesy of Amelia Island Genealogical Society.
  • Fort-to-Fort 5K Family Fun. – run or walk from site of Fort San Carlos, through the State Park and along the old military road to Fort Clinch, Amelia Island Runners.
  • Free Trolley shuttle service from North End Boat Ramp to and around Old Town from Amelia Island Trolleys.
  • Home tours – Old Town residents welcome you into their living rooms and display the diversity of cottages and Captains’ homes.
  • Nature of Old Town walks – explore flora and fauna of woods and river’s edge with Florida State Park Master Naturalist
  • Pirates’ weapons display, and Pirate School – courtesy of Fernandina Pirates.
  • Re-enactors on San Carlos Plaza.
  • Spanish Choral Works – Island Chamber Singers.
  • Spanish Petanca – try your skill and join local enthusiasts, courtesy of Petanque America Inc.
  • Treasure Hunt – children seek the ‘legendary Treasure of Old Town’, courtesy of Fernandina Pirates.
  • Vignettes of History – learn of the tumultuous Second Spanish period through the lives of then-residents, including Felipa the Witch of Old Town.
  • Walking tours – learn of Old Fernandina’s extraordinary history with Amelia Island Museum of History docents.

 


Schedule:

Fort to Fort Run  (5K)                          08:30 AM

Official Opening                                    10:00 AM

Pirate Invasion                                      10:15 AM

Nature of Old Town                             10:30 AM and 2:00 PM

Pirate School                                        11:00 AM and 2:00 PM

Sail Boat Race On The River                10:30 AM

Vignettes of History                              11 AM and 1:30 PM

Spanish/Music/Dance                           1:00 – 5:00 PM

Spanish Choral Music                           2:00 – 2:45 PM

Captain’s Homes, Cottages Tours         10:30-3:30 PM

Walking tours                                       10:30-3:00 PM

 

From 10:00 AM, Archeological dig, Bosque Bello Tour, Petanca by the Plaza, Music, Pirate weapons display, Vendors.

 

Home Tours – $10 prior to April 2 – $12 day of

Tickets available from March 21st at the Museum of History and Lindy’s on Centre Street .

 

Bosque Bello Tours – $8, $10 day of.  On sale at the library.

For more information: www.oldtownfernandina.org or call 904 491 1259

Note: These events may be modified or withdrawn at any time.

Join Kevin McCarthy of Amelia River Cruises for a fun way to travel to the Bicentennial Celebration of Old Town! Ferry service out of Fernandina Harbor Marina begins at 9:30 a.m. and will run out of Fernandina every hour on the half hour. Return trips from Old Town begin at 10 a.m. and will run every hour on the hour. Price is $5 roundtrip for adults; seniors (65 and older) and children under 12 years of age ride free! No reservations taken, first come; first serve basis.

• Last departure from Fernandina Harbor Marina – 5 p.m.

• Last return trip from Old Town – 5:30 p.m.

 

April 6, 2011 — Amelia Island Lighthouse Tours

The only way to visit the Amelia Island Lighthouse up close and personal, is by going on the tour. The tour leaves from the Atlantic Ave Recreation Center.

on the 1st and 3rd Wed of the month through May, A shuttle will depart from the Atlantic Ave Rec Center for a tour of the Lighthouse. Limit 25 people per tour. Call 904-277-7350 for more information.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 10am

Atlantic Ave Recreation Center, 2500 Atlantic Avenue, FERNANDINA

Cost: Adults, $5; children 12 & under, $3

www.fbfl.us

 

 

April 8, 2011 — Friends of the Library Book Sale

Stock up for the summer and get new books to read. If you love to read and enjoy books, you certainly want to take advantage of the Friends of the Library Book Sale. Choose from books, audio books, magazines, videos, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, children’s books, games, and puzzles—with prices ranging from $.50 to $3 for most items. For the best deals, get there early to examine specially priced first editions and other special collections. The sale takes place at the Peck Recreation Center., 516 South 10th Street, Fernandina Beach, on Friday, April 8, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and continues on Saturday, April 9, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m., with fire-sale markdowns early Saturday afternoon. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Fernandina Beach Library, so you’ll be getting great deals and supporting a good cause.

Friday, April 8, 2011, 9:30am – 5pm

Peck Recreation Center, 516 South 10th Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida

Fernandina Beach Library: (904) 277-7365

 

April 9, 2011 — Artrageous Art Walk

This is a self-guided artwalk in downtown Fernandina. Take a nice stroll around town and get a first look at art from the area. You can read more about this event on our special events page, just click here.

 

April 16, 2011 — 8th Annual Arts and Crafts Show

This annual event is a showcase for fine artisans and craftsmen from throughout the northwest Florida/ southeastern Georgia region. Items featured include paintings, photographs, fabric accessories for the home and for personal wear, designer jewelry, beautiful glass objects, and other mixed media creations. The show is held in Maxwell Hall behind the Memorial United Methodist Church, 601 Centre Street, from 9am until 3 pm. There is no charge for admission. Delicious baked goods and light lunches are available for purchase.

Saturday, April 16, 2011, 9am – 3pm at Memorial United Methodist Church, 601 Centre St., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

904-261-8314

April 29 — 48th Annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival

The shrimp festival on Amelia Island takes place from April 29-May 1, 2011, with lots of fun for the whole family.   The popular event features a nationally-recognized juried fine arts and crafts show, antiques, live entertainment, kids activities, contests, pirates, free admission and 25 food booths serving up the tastiest shrimp you can find, prepared every way possible by local non-profit organizations, and of course a parade and a pirate invasion. Read more about the shrimp festival by clicking here.

Fernandina Shrimp Festival aerial

 

 

 

 

 

Savannah Music Festival Adds Acts to 2011 Schedule

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SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL ADDS ADDITIONAL ACTS TO 2011 SCHEDULE
More than 100 varied performances now make up Georgia’s largest musical arts event

The 2011 Savannah Music Festival (SMF) has added four more acts to its 2011 festival, which begins March 24th and runs through April 9th.
(Remember to take a look at Coastal Companion’s special page for the Savannah Music Festival for more info about the festival.)

Celebrated North Carolina folk-rockers The Avett Brothers, sacred steel virtuoso Robert Randolph and his Family Band, a rare one-man show with Citizen Cope, and the acclaimed Low Country rock ensemble Band of Horses will each play one SMF concert. Tickets for these four performances go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 28, at 216 E. Broughton Street, 912-525-5050 and online at www.savannahmusicfestival.org.

The Avett Brothers is a folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of brothers Scott and Seth, who play the banjo and guitar respectively, and Bob Crawford on the stand-up bass. The Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky-tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the “heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop precision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones.” March 30th at 9 p.m. at Johnny Mercer Theatre ($30, 38, 46, 75 gold)

Robert Randolph & the Family Band: Pedal steel player Robert Randolph is largely responsible for bringing the utterly unique sacred steel gospel tradition to a secular audience. Emerging as a prodigious instrumentalist from the House of God church, Randolph’s powerful performance style has since earned him countless appearances around the world such as the Grammy awards ceremony, a recording project with John Medeski and the Dickinson Brothers (from the North Mississippi All-Stars), and regular touring spots with Eric Clapton. April 1st at 9 p.m. at Trustees Theater ($18, 25, 32, 40)

Band of Horses is heralded for producing a sound that skillfully combines southern gothic with northwest indie rock. Theirs is a spacious, reverb-laden style of melodic pop that ducks the classification of psychedelic, providing accessible hooks and unique but straightforward rock and roll orchestration. The most recent release by Band of Horses, Intimate Arms, was their first collective songwriting effort. With the release of this new album they’ve graduated to regular tours overseas and a recent run as an opener for Seattle’s Pearl Jam. April 4th at 7:30 p.m. at Johnny Mercer Theatre ($25, 30, 35, 40 gold)

Citizen Cope is the pseudonym of Clarence Greenwood, keyboardist, guitarist, singer, DJ, and record producer. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Greenwood started his musical career as a DJ for the hip-hop act Basehead, a group that would have a significant impact on his style as a solo-musician. Citizen Cope blends many genres of music, such as folk, blues, hip-hop, rock, and R & B. This intimate SMF performance features Citizen Cope as a multi-instrumental one-man show. April 5th at 8 p.m. at Trustees Theater ($18, 22, 28)

Click here to read more about the upcoming Savannah Music Festival

Other interesting upcoming events in Savannah:

Savannah Irish Festival

St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, GA

La Boh̬me at the Historic Ritz Theatre РBrunswick, GA

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It is one of the most romantic stories of all time, a beautiful work of art that has captivated audiences and influenced literature, film, and the Broadway theater for more than 100 years, and now the Golden Isles community will be able to experience the immortal music of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème on the stage of the Historic Ritz Theatre in Downtown Brunswick – a fitting program for the newly refurbished building that was built as the Grand Opera House in 1899.

Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association (GIAHA) presents the Atlanta Opera production in a special matinee on Sunday, January 23, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. The company has created an 80-minute English-language version for this performance that condenses the many-layered story without sacrificing any of the romantic main plot or the beloved arias so familiar to opera lovers and general audiences alike. The plot of La Bohème follows the love story between seamstress Mimi and poet Rodolfo, two young people struggling to survive in the bohemian world of the Paris art scene in the late 19th century.

La Bohème is the second most frequently produced opera in the U.S., right behind another Puccini work, Madama Butterfly. The story has been adapted into novels and films, and the music was featured prominently in the Academy Award-winning 1987 movie Moonstruck, starring Cher and Nicholas Cage. Composer Jonathan Larsen modernized the story, setting it in the lower Manhattan music and art milieu of the late 20th century in the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Rent.

“This is a rare opportunity for local audiences to experience one of the great works of the world operatic stage right here at home,” notes GIAHA Executive Director Heather Heath. “Opera buffs, of course, have always delighted in this romantic tale, but those who are less familiar with opera also love this piece and instantly recognize many of its great arias. And people, particularly younger audiences, who know the musical Rent will want to see where that hit production found its timeless themes and characters.”

Because his type of opera (known as verismo) focused on everyday characters in familiar settings, Puccini has long been a favorite of general audiences and acknowledged as one of the main catalysts of American musical theater. Puccini meant for his operas to relate to the common people, and future musical theater writers took this idea a step further by inserting dialogue into their works.

The Atlanta Opera’s production, directed by Tamara Watson Harper, features four outstanding soloists from the company in the roles of Rodolfo, Mimi, Musetta, and Marcello, with a fifth performer serving as narrator of the story. There will be a free post-show meet-and-greet reception with the cast.

Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera is one of the finest regional companies in the nation, drawing audiences from the entire metropolitan Atlanta area as well as from throughout the Southeast. The company strives to expand the experience of its patrons with memorable and exciting performances reflecting the highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and educational programs. The company also attracts the finest international, national, and regional singers, conductors, stage directors and designers.

Advance tickets to La Bohème for general audiences are $20 for adults and $15 seniors 65+. GIAHA members are offered additional discounts: $15 adults and $10 seniors in advance, with reserved seating privileges. On the day of the show, ticket prices are $25 for non-member adults, $20 for non-member seniors, $20 adult members and $15 senior members. In keeping with GIAHA’s policy of making the arts more accessible to the youth of our area, ticket prices for ages 18 and under are always $5, regardless of member status or time of purchase. Tickets may be purchased by phone with credit card or in person at the Ritz Theatre on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or www.goldenislesarts.org. For more information, please call 912-262-6934

George Strait, Reba and Lee Ann Womack with Country & Folk

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Now you can see some of country music’s greatest names performing in Jacksonville, Florida on January 15, 2011. Ticket go on sale on December 3. (click here to reserve your seat now!)
If you’re a fan, you don’t want to miss this one.

With a career spanning more than 30 years, George Strait has the most number one singles of any artist in history including Elvis (57 to date inclusive of all charts). He has sold nearly 69 million records and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Strait’s CD Twang debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart. This is the fourth time in Strait’s career that a new release has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time debuting at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart. His current single is “The Breath You Take.”

Named the Academy of Country Music’s Artist of the Decade last year, George Strait was nominated for this year’s ACM Entertainer of the Year for the 12th time and Top Male Vocalist for the 20th time, bringing his all-time record to 81 ACM nominations.

One of the most successful female recording artists in history, Reba has sold over 55 million albums worldwide, earned 33 #1 singles and was recently recognized as the biggest female hit-maker in country music history by “Billboard,” “Mediabase” and “Country Aircheck.” She is the winner of 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 7 Country Music Awards and 2 GRAMMY Awards.

[picappgallerysingle id=”10178394″]Reba is a 2010 CMA Nominee for “Female Vocalist of the Year.” The superstar recently surpassed the one million fan mark on Facebook, propelling her into an elite group of only 10 Country artists to achieve the popularity milestone.
Reba’s unprecedented run of sales successes extended the superstar’s lead as the female artist with the most RIAA sales certification in Country music history. Also an acclaimed film, TV and Broadway actress, Reba signed with The Valory Music Co. in November 2008. The move reunited the multimedia entertainer with industry leader Scott Borchetta, now President and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group, which includes Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co. and Republic Nashville.

Lee Ann Womack has sold over 6 million albums, won two Grammys and numerous other milestone awards. Womack’s current album Call Me Crazy has garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard and The New York Times, to name a few. She was nominated for Top Female Vocalist at the ACM Awards in 2009 and the debut single “Last Call” was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance category. Womack nominated for “Musical Event of the Year” with George Strait for “Everything But Quits” at the 2009 CMA Awards.

Click here to buy your tickets!

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St Johns Town Center Holiday Spectacular & Tree Lighting 2010

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A full day of holiday activities is planned at St Johns Town Center on Saturday November 20, 2010. It all begins around noon with a Holiday Street Festival leading up to the grand finale with Santa, tree lighting and of course fireworks.

The Holiday Street festival includes the Kids’ Family Zone (12 – 7 p.m.) and The Cat in the Hat from WJCT Public Broadcasting will visit. There will also be face-painting, balloon artists and bounce houses. The Holiday Street Festival will feature 40 local artists, boats from Marine Max, the Ashley Furniture SUITE, food vendors,interactive games, obstacle courses and more.

Also, for you arena football fans out there, Jacksonville Sharks players  – and Shark Attack Dancers will be at the event from 2 pm – 7 pm.

Main Stage activities kick off at 6 p.m. with special performances from the Charlie Walker Band, Ryan Star and the University of North Florida Tuba Euphonium Quartet. At 8 p.m., event headliner Vertical Horizon will perform hit songs like their first major release, ” Everything You Want”, as well as seasonal favorites to get everyone into the holiday spirit.

Right after the performance, Santa will lead the countdown to light the dazzling 32-foot Christmas tree followed by a fireworks finale.

During the event, St. John’s Town Center retailers will also offer lots of in-store promotions and specials.

St Johns Town Center – Holiday Spectacular 2010 & Tree Lighting
11/20/2010 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM