By Liz Mitchell

Exquisitely carved wildfowl art by Jim Comer is being featured at Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash through September 18. This popular artist usually produces only 12 to 15 pieces each year, and this exhibit is well worth a visit.

His pileated woodpecker might be the only one you will ever see, as they are few and far between in the wild. Jim has been carving duck and birds for approximately 40 years. Living on New York’s Long Island, he carved the area’s local wildfowl for 28 years. Now a resident of Ocean Isle Beach, his subjects are seabirds, game fowl and the forest dwellers from the surrounding pine groves and scrub oaks.

The majority of his carvings have been produced with basswood with some of his more recent works being from Tupelo, which he said is an emerging choice for carvers producing fine highly-detailed works.

Sunset River Marketplace is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ginny Lassiter invites the public to visit the featured show and enjoy gourmet coffee and tea as you stroll through the 10,000 square-foot space. More than 200 local and regional artists are represented here in virtually all art media.

For information, call 910-575-5999 or visit the website at www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com.

By Liz Mitchell

 

Join us in Shaggin’ for Shelter at Silver Coast Winery September 11. Shaggin’ is our popular coastal version of dancing to beach music and the shelter is Habitat for Humanity. The event is a fundraiser for an important cause, and the good time fun is open to all.

The great beach bands are Continental Divide, Sea Cruz and the Craig Woolard Band. Additional entertainment are a Lucy Look Alike Contest and Grape Stomping. Come dressed like Lucille Ball, the star of “I Love Lucy,” to enter the contest. Food, soft drinks, wine and beer will be available for purchase.

 John and Maryann Azzato host this and many community events at their winery and vineyard set on a lush wooded 40 acres in beautiful Ocean Isle Beach. The art gallery adds to the interest of the tasty wine with touring during the facility’s regular hours of 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon until 5 p.m. on Sundays March through December.

 Habitat for Humanity makes dreams come true with houses at affordable purchase by those who need help. The Brunswick County organization is an affiliate of the national non-profit Christian group, and locally 28 houses have been completed as well as three major rehabilitation projects for elderly. Two ReStores, located in Ocean Isle Beach and Southport, are open to the public. These stores sell donated building materials and household items at favorable prices and the proceeds support the building projects.

 See you at Silver Coast for a grape smashing good time from noon until 4 p.m. Tickets are $15, and the winery is closed for regular tours during this time when it’s only open for the festival ticket holders. The winery will reopen for the public tours with tastings at 4 p.m. Contact 910-287-2800 for additional winery information.

By Liz Mitchell

We have sand and sun along our 45 miles of clean safe beaches offering spectacular views of sunrises and sunsets daily. May we extend our warm welcome for your late summer beach visit on our southern coast of North Carolina?

The lure of nature in a quiet family atmosphere, some water sports or educational entertainment – it’s calling your name. All of our beaches have oceanfront or marsh view restaurants featuring fresh seafood, nearby shopping and entertainment and dozens of easily accessible golf courses. Deciding which beach to choose for your visit will be the only tough part of planning your trip.

Sunset Beach is the most southern beach in our state. The quiet natural area includes beach houses and condos, a 14-room inn, a 500-room golf resort and a small campground. The 900-foot pier is a special place for fishing as well as for the view. Bird Island is an uninhabited island of a 1200 acre nature preserve walkable along the beach.

Neighboring Ocean Isle Beach offers modern amenities in two oceanfront 70-room inns or an 86-room resort plus dozens of condos and cottage rentals along or near the beach.

Oak Island has two fishing piers, 60 public access beach points with several motels, inns and rental cottages and condos. It’s so quiet you can forget about the rest of the world.

Holden Beach has been called one of the best family beaches in the country by National Geographic Traveler magazine. The accommodations are rental beach houses with easy access to the free public beachfront. The fishing pier is a popular spot for anglers during this season, and the Intracoastal Waterway is nationally noted for its boating.

Bald Head Island is accessible only by ferry or private boat and is an upscale getaway for golf or simply enjoying nature. The island has a New England-style inn with 15 rooms located at the harbor plus plenty of rental beach homes, cottages and condos.

Check here for a few seasonal specials so you can book your trip now: Summer Vacation Specials. We welcome your visit year-round. Our beaches are always open, and the slight seasonal changes are enticing any time of year.

By Liz Mitchell

 The Labor Day weekend is a fine time for your visit here. We have a few suggestions for your entertainment and relaxation during this late summer holiday.

The Oak Island Surf Off is open to surfers and body boarders ages 8 and older September 4 beginning at 8 a.m. Prizes and trophies will be awarded to winners in divisions for men, women, boys and girls. Contact Surfer’s Restaurant for details: (910) 454-8252.

The Labor Day Arts and Crafts Fair will also be underway on Oak Island September 4 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Enjoy free admission and plenty of shopping with an ocean view at 46th and Dolphin.

The Children’s Crab Derby also offers memorable entertainment for kids in Southport September 4. This will be at Southport Historic Waterfront and Yacht Basin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the event from 9 a.m. until noon. Children 14 and younger are invited to bring crab lines and chicken neck. It’s free! Contact Southport Parks and Recreation for details: (910) 457-7965.

Bikers may cycle through a guided tour of historical Southport beginning at 9 a.m. September 4. Space is limited, and reservations are required with The Adventure Company at (910) 454-0607. The tour is $15, or $20 including bike rental.

Bald Head Island will host the annual Labor Day Beach Music Extravaganza with plenty of delicious traditional food, beach music and shagging! It opens September 3 with entertainment by the Castaways. The Labor Day Picnic on September 4 features The Rhythm Brothers and the Band of Oz will perform during the Texas Barbecue on September 5. Advance tickets for any of these events include food plus round trip on the ferry and are strongly recommended. Call (910) 457-7440 for information.

The Tams will showcase nostalgic beach music in Ocean Isle Beach September 4, and The Imitations will entertain in Holden Beach September 5, closing the series of free Concerts on the Coast. Bring your dancing shoes and join us for Labor Day fun all weekend throughout our coastal towns!

By Liz Mitchell

Register now to play golf at one of our beautiful courses in Sunset Beach. We’ll be at the Thistle Golf Club Aug. 28 for the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce’s 22nd annual tournament.

Can you hear the bagpipes? They’re calling you to this course with the feel of Scottish links. The Tim Cate-design showcases large bentgrass greens among wetlands and bunkers for a layout dubbed ferocious and fair. The course name comes from the 1815 Scottish club, and many of the historic documents from that original track are part of the memorabilia collection for display at the clubhouse here.

A four-person team in our upcoming tournament at this prestigious course is only $400 which includes 18 holes of golf, breakfast, lunch, awards, door prizes, goody bags and beverages during the game. Registration is at 8 a.m. and Shotgun Start at 9 a.m. The tournament will be Captain’s Choice with three flights, one ladies flight with a minimum of three teams.

Awards will be given for the No. 1 team, longest drive, closest to the pin and hole-in-one. Only 36 teams can play, so don’t delay your registration.

You know what we say about golf: A bad day on the course is better than a good day anywhere else!

For additional information or to download the entry form, please visit www.brunswickcountychamber.org or contact Kelly Mathews at 910-754-6644 ext. 104.

By Liz Mitchell

Old Baldy is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse and an impressive setting for National Lighthouse Day, a historical observance August 6-8. Congress approved an act for the establishment and support of lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers on August 7, 1789. On the 200th anniversary of the signing of the act and the commissioning of the first federal lighthouse, National Lighthouse Day was born.

Brunswick Islands' Bald Head Island has a rich history of pirates, so the fitting theme of the annual celebration revolves around The Pirates Are Coming.

Pirate re-enactors will present one of the East Coast’s premier programs, and families will find something for every age, from educational presentations to costume contests and an island-wide treasure hunt. The weekend will include fun, food, games, magic, drama and music. Check out the Rusty Cutlass Band for nautical tunes and pirate songs, or meet Blackbeard’s Crew for a living history performance representing seafaring life from the 17th and 18th centuries. Meet Captain Horatio Sinbad who calls himself a modern-day swashbuckler and lives in his homeport of Beaufort, N.C., aboard the boat he built. Author Kevin Duffus, magician Tim Sonefelt and pirate artist Michael Noles also will be featured with their special versions of pirate history and lore.

The Old Baldy Foundation sponsors the weekend event for entertainment, education and especially to raise funds for maintenance and repairs such as new windows in the lantern room. For event schedules and ticket information, call 910-457-7481 or visit oldbaldy.org. We would love to see you here!

By Liz Mitchell

You’re invited to an entertaining musical when Brunswick Little Theatre presents ANNIE. The show tells the story of an endearing and optimistic orphan, Annie, and her quest to find her parents with the help of the billionaire Oliver Warbucks. The show is based on the popular Howard Gray comic strip, “Little Orphan Annie,” and the book by Thomas Meehan with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin.

The musical set a record for the Alvin Theatre when it ran for nearly six years on Broadway and won the Tony award for Best Musical. It is scheduled to return to Broadway in 2012. This non-profit theater run by volunteers has been operating for more than 26 years delivering music and drama to enrich our county’s cultural scene, and visitors are always welcome to participate. Ask about auditions for future shows or opportunities for being part of this group if you have an extended visit with us scheduled. Technical workers often are needed, and training could be provided for some of the positions.

Performances of Annie will be at Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College, 7:30 pm on August 6, 7, 13, and 14 and at 3 p.m. on August 8 and 15. For tickets call the box office at 1-800-754-1050, ext. 416. Prices are $15 for adults, $10 for students 12 and over with school ID and $6 for children under 12. Groups of 10 can take advantage of a discount of $2 each. For more information, see www.brunswicklittletheatre.com.

You’re sure to leave the theater with a tune such as “Tomorrow” in your head and a smile on your face for the spunky red-haired orphan, the stray dog Sandy and Daddy Warbucks.

By Liz Mitchell

Enjoy more free music during Summerfest in the Garden hosted in downtown Shallotte, N.C. in Rourk Garden on Main Street. This historic town is in the middle of Brunswick County and almost halfway between the larger, well-known cities of Wilmington, N.C. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. It features plenty of shopping and dining and is conveniently located to all of the coastal resort towns for fishing, boating and recreation plus fabulous golf courses.

 

Bring your lawn chairs and coolers and mingle with the locals to enjoy the family-friendly events this summer. The Embers is a legendary beach music band (established in 1958) that has released 18 albums and continues to play all around the world. Jim Quick and Coastline, based in Wilmington, boasts Southern music combining soul, rock and blues and are well known throughout North and South Carolina for their extensive schedule of more than 300 shows each year. Spare Change is based in LaGrange, N.C. and plays classic rock, plus beach, funk, rap and something to please anyone in the crowd with instruments such as mandolin and violin. The following movie titles speak for themselves in whetting your appetite for outdoor entertainment.

Here’s the event schedule:

•The Embers Thursday, July 15 at 7 p.m.

•Monsters vs. Aliens, July 23 at 8 p.m.

•Coastline Band, August 5 at 7 p.m.

•Hannah Montana, the Movie, August 20 at 7 p.m.

•Spare Change Band, September 2 at 7 p.m.

By Liz Mitchell

The 2nd Saturdays program is a series of budget-friendly family events presented during the summer at historic sites throughout North Carolina. We are fortunate to have two important sites in Brunswick County with free July and August events scheduled.

Weaving through Time, a daylong demonstration of spinning and weaving techniques, will be presented at Brunswick Town on July 10. The demonstrations will include information about the various processes textile makers used over the centuries. Conservationists will be available to answer visitors’ questions about antique textiles, and guests will be invited to spin or weave their own projects.

Brunswick Town was destroyed by the British during the Revolutionary War, and there are archaeological ruins of the colonial port town, with foundations of homes, kitchens and outbuildings, and a stunning ruin of the old church. Fort Anderson was built on this site and used as a Confederate fort during the Civil War. The town and the fort are on the National Register of Historic Places.

On Aug. 14, Dr. Stan South, an archaeologist, storyteller and author will present Can You Dig It, also at Brunswick Town. The daylong program will include stories of the excavation of the site. Visitors are invited to tell their own stories or read poetry. For more information about Brunswick Town, visit www.nchistoricsites.org or call 910-371-6613.

The Battleship Arts Fest is set for July 10, 10 a.m. to noon at Battleship North Carolina. Artists will showcase work in ceramics, metal, wood and other media. Art will be for sale by young artists who will also demonstrate African drumming. Tours of the battleship are available at an admission charge.

The Carolina Living History Guild will present the Blue and the Gray Navies program on Aug. 14 at Battleship North Carolina. Two ships named North Carolina participated in the Civil War, one in the Confederate Navy and one in the Union Navy. The event includes displays of ship construction and navigation plus the history of naval and military technology. Reproductions of period small arms and working models of steam engines will also be on display.

For more information about Battleship North Carolina, located on the Cape Fear River outside Wilmington, visit www.battleshipnc.com or call 910-251-5797.

By Liz Mitchell

Arrrrr me mateys! Pirate scalawags will be back on Baldhead Island in August! Get your tickets now to dine, dance and be entertained. Your kids can go to Scalawag School to learn to walk and talk like a pirate or to art class to get tips from a real pirate artist. It all revolves around our celebration of National Lighthouse Day Aug. 7. This year’s special pirate event will help raise funds for maintenance and repairs to Old Baldy, which is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse.

Bald Head Island has a rich history of pirates. One of the most famous was Steed Bonnet, the gentleman pirate who was captured in the mouth of the Cape Fear River in late September 1718. He was taken to Charlestown and hanged Dec. 10, 1718.

Begin this year’s adventure Aug. 6 with a visit to the pirate camp on the Old Baldy Lighthouse grounds and climb the lighthouse for the best-ever view of our beautiful little island. The pirate arrival is free to watch on Aug. 6. The weekend includes an extensive family treasure hunt, a costume contest, a pub night, a booty auction, plenty of music, food and various entertaining activities for all ages, and it closes with a pancake breakfast on Aug. 8.

Tickets for individual events are on sale now and will be limited. For more information or tickets call 910-457-7481 or visit oldbaldy.org. Bald Head Island is accessible only by private boat or by hourly passenger ferry from Deep Point Marina in Southport.