Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Savannah Music Festival Opens

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Immediately following of the country’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, the 2010 Savannah Music Festival opens on Thursday, March 18,2010, with a performance with Chinese pianist Lang Lang and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, along with Mike Marshall’s Big Trio premiering the newly-commissioned “Suite Savannah” on a co-bill with new favorites of western swing, The Belleville Outfit.

Bassekou Kouyate
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

Unique co-bills and original productions are staged in intimate venues throughout Savannah, Georgia, during the festival which continues through April 3rd. This is one of Savannah’s most popular festivals.

Some of the highlights in this year’s festival is violinist Daniel Hope’s Sensations chamber music series (this year featuring newcomers Mark O’Connor, Jeffrey Kahane, Gabriela Montero and Gautier Capuçon), the Savannah Jazz Party series with Wycliffe Gordon, Marcus Roberts, Henry Butler, Gerald Clayton, Dick Hyman and others, Bill Frisell’s Trio playing two nights alongside Malian powerhouse Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, the Del McCoury Band, Nicole Cabell, Wilco, Kristina Train, Yefim Bronfman, She & Him (featuring M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel), Ruthie Foster, Renaud Garcia-Fons, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and the debut of the all-new Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band with The Wood Brothers opening.

Below is a video of an “unplugged” performance with Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba on a roof top in Timbuktu

For a complete schedule or to order tickets visit www.savannahmusicfestival.org or call 912-525-5050.

Also, visit the latest episode of Tripping with Joe to find out what Joe has to say about the event.

St Johns River Celebration Cleanup 2010

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This is the 15th Annual St. Johns River Celebration Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 8 – 11:30 a.m. (for most locations). The event  is Jacksonville’s kick-off event for the Florida Great American Cleanup.  This local effort combines with national and regional volunteer efforts to clean and protect the environment.

Come out and do your part and help collect litter and debris. The clean up will take place in several different locations across the Jacksonville area. At each location site captains will be on hand to register volunteers and hand out trash bags, gloves and tickets.

Your tickets can then be redeemed for refreshments and t-shirts from
noon – 2 p.m. at Metropolitan Park downtown Jacksonville, while supplies last.

Students can receive community service hour certificates.
Scouts may earn badges for two volunteer hours at the cleanup.
While supplies last. Pre-registration is not required.

Volunteers who are under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

To learn more, call Keep Jacksonville Beautiful at (904) 630-3420
or visit www.coj.net

St. Johns River Celebration 2010 Cleanup Sites

Click here to view a map of the 2010 sites

ï‚· Urban
o Warren W. Schell Jr. Memorial Park, 510 W. Sixth St. (32206)
o Henry J. Klutho Park, 635 Third St. (32206)
Parking and sign in at 1200 Blk. Boulevard & 100 Blk. 2nd. Street

ï‚· Arlington/Beaches
o Blue Cypress Park, 4012 University Blvd. N. (32277)
o Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, 500 Wonderwood Road (32223)
(Volunteers must check in at park gate by 9:30 a.m. to participate at this site.)
o Helen Cooper Floyd Park (formerly Little Jetties), 3600 S.R. A1A
(32233)

 Riverside
o Yacht Basin Park, 2941 St. Johns Ave. (32205)

 Westside
oTillie Fowler Regional Park, 7000 Roosevelt Blvd. (32244)

ï‚· Southeast
o Hood Landing Boat Ramp, 12925 Hood Landing Road (32223)
o Burnett Park, 3740 Burnett Park Road (32257)
o Goody’s Creek Boat Ramp, 9145 San Jose Blvd. (32257)
o River Oaks Park, 1000 River Oaks Road
o All Wet Sports/Beach Boulevard Boat Ramp, 8508 Beach Blvd.
A personal kayak, canoe or boat is required for this site. Participants use water vessels at their own risk.

ï‚· Southwest
o Azalea Creek/Boone Park, 3700 Park St. (32205)
o Fishweir Creek, 4000 block of St. Johns Avenue
o Ringhaver Park, 5198 118th St. (32244)
o Wayne B. Stevens Boat Ramp, 4555 Ortega Farms Blvd. (32210)

ï‚· Northeast
o Rolliston Park, 7505 Rolliston Road (32208)
o Huguenot Memorial Park, 10980 Hecksher Drive (32226)

ï‚· Northwest
o Harborview Boat Ramp, (north side Ribault River) 4100 Harborview Drive (32208)
o T. K. Stokes Boat Ramp, 2120 Riverview St. (32208)
o Henry L. Brown Kooker Park, 1400 East 20th Street (32206)
o Hollybrook Park, 2805 McCoys Creek Blvd. (32254) (volunteers sign in at basketball court)

ï‚· North
o Oceanway Community Center and Park, 12215 Sago Ave. (32218)
exception: cleanup 9-11am
o North Shore Park, 7901 Pearl St. (32208)

Shuckin’ in the Park Oyster Roast – Moncks Corner, SC

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Pack your gang in the car and head out to Old Santee Canal Park to enjoy a fun festival outdoors. The weather is mild this time of year, so it’s the perfect time for a visit.

In Old Santee Canal Park it’s again time for the 11th Annual Shuckin’ in the Park Oyster Roast on Saturday March 13, 2010 from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
There will be lots of fun for the whole family. Enjoy oysters, food tickets can be purchased inside the gate.
But great food  is not the only thing offered, you can also enjoy live music. The Custom 4+2 Band will be performing featuring beach music, oldies and popular music.

There is also fun activities for the children, including a jump castle. The fee is $5.00

The Old Santee Canal Park is located in Moncks Corner, SC.
Click here for directions.
For more information, visit Old Santee Canal Park website

Shaggin’ on the Cooper is back for 2010 – Mount Pleasant, SC

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The new Mount Pleasant Pier in is open and Shaggin’ on the Cooper is back in 2010. Take your sweetheart by the arm and head to the pier for a romantic evening under the stars, where you can dance the night away.

Beverages will be available for purchase on-site. Gates Open
at 7pm. Live music begins at 8pm. On Saturday, March 13, 2010, the band 17 South is performing. 17 South’s music range from Motown, Beach cover tunes, and R&B.

Only 800 tickets will be sold, no advance purchase. But tickets ($10 per person) will be available for purchase at the Pier shop beginning at 4pm on the day of each event.

For more information, visit www.ccprc.com


Shaggin' on the cooper

Gate River Run in Jacksonville 2010

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The Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida, is the largest 15K in the U.S. and this year it will once again served as the official USA 15K Championship.
The 33rd Annual Gate River Run on March 13, 2010, is set to be the biggest and best event ever.

In 2009, more than 18,000 runners and walkers participated in one of the three featured events. The 15K is of course the main event with over 14,000 participants. Other events include the Florida Times-Union 5K for Charity and the adidas Junior River Run. These events had over 2,000 participants in 2009.

The course starts at the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, runs through downtown Jacksonville. The runners will cross the St. Johns River over the Main Street Bridge, then run through historic San Marco, down Atlantic Blvd to the St. Nicolas area. The runners will then cross the river again, for the second time. This time across the Hart Bridge, and then continue on Duval Street back at the stadium.
Click here for the course map

To make this into a great spectator event, there are live bands along the route performing at ten different locations. Thousands of spectators line the course every year. The Gate River Run is more than a race – it’s an annual celebration in Jacksonville.

More information www.gate-riverrun.com