Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Cinco de Mayo in Charleston, SC

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Cinco de MayoThis year it’s actually the  fifth annual Charleston Cinco de Mayo Festival. The event will take place on Saturday, May 1st, at the Visitors Center Bus Terminal in downtown Charleston from 7p.m. to 11p.m. The celebration will feature Orquesta Mayor, DJ Luigi Bravo of Latin Groove, (R)evolution:Genesis, Latin Groove Kids, Professional Salsa Dance Performances and a Salsa Dance Competition (Winner receives $200).

May 5th marks the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In the United States, this day has become a celebration known as “Cinco de Mayo.” It has become a time to commemorate Mexican heritage and culture.

Come celebrate on Saturday, May 1st! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ryan White HIV Care Program at Roper St. Francis Healthcare.

Charleston Cinco de Mayo FestivalSchedule
7:00-7:45 DJ Luigi
7:45-8:00 Salsa Kids
8:00-8:45 Oruestra Mayor – Set 1
8:45-9:00 Buen Ache
9:00-9:15 Arthur Murray
9:15-10:00 Oruestra Mayor – Set 2
10:00-10:15 Salsa Competition
10:15010:30 Femme Fatales
10:30-11:00 (R)evolution Reggeton Group

Tickets
$8 online, pre-event (make sure to bring PayPal receipt to event)
$10 at the door
Kids 12 and under get in FREE

Food and drink are sold separately. Cash only.  For more information and tickets visit www.charlestoncinco.com

Cinco de Mayo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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Myrtle Beach is getting ready for the big party and you are invited. Come to downtown Myrtle Beach for the Rock’n The Beach Cinco de Mayo Celebration, which is South Carolina’s Largest.

Cinco de MayoThere will be regional entertainment, competitions, music, dancing, and great food. You definitely don’t want to miss the Air Guitar Competition, even if you don’t participate, it is a spectator sport.
The organizers are also holding a Cook-Off Caliente Style, whatever that means, but we always enjoy food events. You just can’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo without good food. Speaking of food, how about the Man VS Cinco de Mayo food challenge? If you ever watched one of those shows and said “I know I could eat that”, this one is for you.

We filmed the Wienerdog Race in Savannah and this event has its own version of that, but of course, for Cinco de Mayo instead the event has a Chihuahua race instead. That sounds like so much fun, I can’t wait.

And best of all…this is a free community event.

The Cinco de Mayo celebration takes place on May 8th, from 1pm-10pm, 8th Ave. North – 9th Ave. North Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Cinco de Mayo

The Rivertown Music & Arts Festival 2010 – Conway, SC

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The 24th Annual Rivertown Music & Arts Festival will be held May 1, 2010 from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. in historic downtown Conway, South Carolina. Rivertown Music and Arts festival, Conway, SCThis festival contains a lot of fun for the whole family with great live music, lots of art and a variety of food. Live performances will ranging from jazz to gospel to steel drums.  Performances take place all day from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Festival-goers are encouraged to their own chairs. There’s also a Classic Car Show.  Local artists and merchants will line the streets in downtown Conway. Browse a wide variety of arts and crafts items including pottery, wood, glass, photography, jewelry and paintings. No festival is complete without food and at the Rivertown Music and Arts Festival there is a lot to choice from in the food court.

For more information contact Conway Main Street at 843-248-6260.

Bluffton Village Festival – Mayfest 2010

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The festival will feature many unique and quality art vendors, food, music, a Civil War reenactment and a Mayfest favorite, the Ugly Dog Contest. New this year will be a Kid’s Luau Carnival presented by the May River Montessorri School from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Face painting, a Limbo contest, fishing tent and more awaits kids of all ages. Another special area will be the Carson Cottages, featuring music and entertainment throughout the day and tables for festival goers to relax, enjoy the music and rest their weary ‘Fest’ feet!

The festival will continue into the night at the Promenade with the music event The Village Party after Hours. The Party will be from 6-10 p.m. and will be a $5 per person admission. VIP table seating is also available for reservation at $250 for a table of eight. Live entertainment slated to perform includes The Chilly Willy Band, The Chris Stevers Band, The Trainwrecks and JoJo Squirrel. Food and beverages will also be for sale.

For more information call 843.815.2277 or visit www.blufftonvillagefestival.com

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival 2010, South Carolina

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One of the premier paddlesport events on the Atlantic Coast, the festival will be held at James Island County Park on April 16-18, 2010. Here you can find everything you need to know about canoeing and kayaking at the 20th Annual East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival (ECCKF).

Every year paddlers, instructors and equipment manufacturers are brought together at the action-packed South Carolina festival. The event includes a variety of on-water classes, lectures and demonstrations directed to the novice as well as the experienced paddler. Plus more than forty exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try the latest equipment before you buy.

Fun and Useful Instruction
The heart of the festival is the simultaneous running of four classrooms throughout the three-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the paddling world’s leading experts. Learn new strokes, rescues or rolls with expert instruction. Meet other knowledgeable paddle sport enthusiasts. A wide variety of topics include slide shows of exotic paddling locations, how-to sessions on navigation, selecting or repairing equipment, safety and preparing gourmet cuisine fresh from your dry bag.

A family-friendly weekend, children are welcome to the festival and are free with a paying adult. Learn how to paddle as a family in clinics, or register young paddlers in the full and half-day canoe and kayak camps (ages 6-12), featuring hands-on sessions, nature walks, crafts and more. Always a spectator favorite, families are invited to compete in a cardboard canoe race on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Filmmaker and Kayaker
New this year will be a free interactive presentation by adventure filmmaker and expedition kayaker Bryan Smith on Thursday, April 15 at James Island County Park. Join Smith for an inspirational and entertaining multi-media show of the first sea kayaking exploration of the Butze Tidal Rapids in northern British Columbia. On assignment for National Geographic Magazine, Smith captured some innovative and exciting kayaking footage, which will be presented on the big screen at 8 p.m. Admission to the presentation is free. Park admission is $1 per person; Gold Pass holders and those 2 years and younger are free.

Offering recreational and instructional programs for paddlers of all abilities and creating an inclusive paddling community are both major themes of this year’s festival. On Wednesday and Thursday prior to the festival, an ACA Adaptive Paddling Workshop (pre-registration required) is being offered for paddling instructors and other individuals interested in learning how to adapt equipment and work with paddlers who have various mobility impairments. On Friday evening, renowned paddler Marcus Demuth will present the keynote address on “Circumnavigating Tierra del Fuego for Disabled Paddlers,” an expedition raising funds to support programs that introduce people with disabilities to paddlesports. In addition, the festival will offer classroom sessions on inclusive paddling initiatives, and Charleston’s very own Special Olympics Kayak Team, which has been hosted by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission for the past three years, will be on hand at the event.

Also new for 2010 is Paddle Clean-Up Day, a volunteer service project in partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper. Paddlers and non-paddlers alike are invited to give back to the paddling community by cleaning up the waterway at Sol Legare Boat Landing. Paddlers will help clear debris by boat and walkers will help clear trash in the area on Sunday, April 18 from 4-6 p.m. Registration is free.

For just the $1 per person admission to the park, visitors can come to James Island County Park and enjoy the sights, sounds and shopping at the festival. Registration packages (and the opportunity to attend classes and test paddle boats) start at $15 and range from sampler passes to full-weekend passes – perfect for all levels and abilities! Children 17 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult registration. Consider staying on site at James Island County Park’s campsites. For more information, a daily ECCKF schedule and to register call (843) 795-4FUN or visit www.ccprc.com/ecckf

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, Charleston, South Carolina