Southport NC – Get Ready for Some Red White and Blue!

If you fancy a simpler time… if you still like parades and pageantry, arts and crafts, music and street dances, the smell of greasy food, kids and parents in their finest patriotic colors, well you might just like what the Southport 4th of July festival has to offer. I'm pretty sure there's not a birthday celebration anywhere quite like it.

Come down today and see the crowd favorite Fireman’s Competition… It will be a heated one this year… literally. The forecast calls for a little break in the heat, with a chance of thunderstorms to cool things off. This is good news for the firemen in full turn-out gear. On July 2-4, there will be musical entertainment starting at 1 pm at the Garrison and the Waterfront Stage. The popular Kid’s Games on the Garrison lawn for 5 and under and the Waterfront Park for kids 6-11 is Thursday, with registration at 8am and free t-shirts to the early birds.  Also on Thursday at the Garrison is the always moving Naturalization Ceremony starting at 4pm. This year the 4th falls on a Friday and North Carolina's largest and oldest 4th of July Parade starts at 11AM. No matter how many times you see it, it is ALWAYS a huge crowd-pleaser. The bands, the belles, the clowns, the Shriners, the dancers, and much more, make for an all around old-fashioned good time. And then for my favorite event of all, there is nothing like lying on a blanket by the water, looking out at all the boats anchored in the river, listening to the last band, waiting on darkness to fall, and hearing that first BOOOOM… and the fireworks begin! After 30 years, I never get tired of it. One little insider tip for those driving in, park on the EAST side of Howe St. facing out of town so you'll be making rights headed out. You'll find your traffic time cut in half when you are getting out after the fireworks. Click HERE to see a map of this year's traffic flow patterns. Be safe out there and "let freedom ring." Happy Birthday America.

     

              

        

As always, if you are looking to call Southport home, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. Everyone needs a good buyer's agent, right? I'm you girl… southportsoundings@gmail.com  910-540-0551

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Southport NC - We're Rockin' and Rollin'

Southport's event calendar is starting to heat up for real, along with the temperatures in what has been a very cool May. I finally said "uncle" Sunday night and turned on the AC for the first time, much to the relief of the family. I held off as long as I could, partly for energy savings, and partly because I know that once you turn it on, that's it. No more cool breezes blowing through the house early in the morning and late at night, no more sound of the rain and the birds, dogs barking, and cars going by. In short, I feel encapsulated. But it is almost June.

There's some fun stuff happening the next couple weeks so before we all get distracted with the upcoming 4th of July calendar, let me hit the high spots. First off, if you missed Brunswick Little Theatre's "Beehive, the 60s Musical" at Franklin Square Park last weekend, you have another chance. It's a musical review featuring a real vocal powerhouse of female singers and a collage of hits from artists like Petula Clark, the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, and more. This is a free show ya'll ... Fri, Sat, and Sun at 8PM.

Also this weekend, the Cape Fear Yacht Club kicks off its season with its annual Leukemia Cup Regatta. This is North Carolina's featured race in a nationally sponsored event featuring over 35 sailboats and powerboats racing from the Cape Fear River out to sea and back. Saturday night, Gary Jobson, a 6-yr lymphoma survivor, world-class sailor, and ESPN commentator, will speak at the dinner/live and silent auction event. For more info email cfyclcr@aol.com.

On Saturday, if you have been itching to get out on the water, there is no finer paddling companion than Emma at Southport's Adventure Company. She'll be leading a kayak trip on pristine Rice's Creek, a tributary of Town Creek. Cost is $45/person and includes kayak and gear. It's $25/single and $40/double if you bring your own boat and gear. Part of the proceeds go to the NC Coastal Land Trust. Call 910.454.0607 for reservations. Space is limited.

For the kids, both big and little, head over to the Brunswick County Airport Saturday, the 30th, where Communities in Schools is hosting a "BIG Toy Day." See guys who operate bulldozers, drive big rigs, and control fire ladders. The Coast Guard will be there, along with Police and their utility vehicles. Kids 8-17 can join the Young Eagles Program and get a free airplane ride. Free helicopter rides for the family. Admission is only $5 and kids under 5 get in free. Call 457.3434.

Now this looks like a sure-fire winner... Downtown Southport, Inc is hosting "Home Sweet Home Southport Kitchen Tour" on June 7th from 2-6. Lewis Hardee, a local historian and author of "Classic Southport Cooking" provides the dessert recipes for a roving tasting party in the kitchens of seven unique Southport homes. Tickets are $10 and available at the Southport Visitor's Center. 910.457.7927. Proceeds stay in house benefit Downtown Southport, Inc, who does a fantastic job promoting local merchants and sponsoring many of the things we love in Southport like the Waterfront Market, movie night at the Garrison, Summer Sundays concert series, and much more. The success of this grassroots organization should be credited to Director, Randy Jones, a Southport native who shares his love of his hometown so many tangible ways, and to Executive Director and founder Peggy McDonald, who has turned a great idea into and even greater reality.

And just a few more things in brief, tonight Where We Live is hosting its Third Thursdays open mike night at 6:30 at the Pepperoni Grill in BSL. Bald Head Island celebrates the much anticipated grand opening of its new ferry terminal and restaurant at Deep Point Marina on June 2nd at 10AM - public welcome. On Friday, June 5th is the annual fish fry at the Pythagoras Lodge across for the Post Office. This is lunch and not dinner so don't come late like I always do and miss it. Plates/$6. Then on Saturday, June 6, St. Philips Episcopal holds its annual Lobster Sale. The deadline for ordering has passed but there my be a few extras available the day of the sale.

In a surprise visit, the up and coming, Ryan Montbleau Band from Boston, will be performing at the Amuzu in Southport on Wednesday, June 10th at 7PM. Ken Perrin of Circle Entertainment is a local music lover and music promoter who managed to get these guys to add a night to the launch of their acoustic solo tour. I was not familiar with this band but after checking them out on MySpace, I am buying my tickets this week. This is a benefit show to help with further restoration of the Amuzu as a wonderful space for Stage II Productions as well as an intimate live music venue. Tickets are $15 or $25 for couples. Please come out and support this event, even if it is a week night, so that it might be possible to bring more shows to town. Call Ken for tickets: 910.274.3971. Here's more from the Star News.

As I sit here pecking away at my computer, I am enjoying the most beautiful smell in the world, the first gardenias of summer. My Mom brought them to me last night, packed lovingly in a large cool whip container for the ride. They are now sitting in a glass bowl right beside me and filling me with sweet lazy memories of childhood...crickets, frogs, swimming under a full moon, cane pole fishing, sharks tooth hunting, minnow seining, bean snapping and pea shelling, and card playing way past a little girl's bedtime. Thanks Mom.

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Southport NC 4th of July Festival- Let the Party Begin

On the eve of North Carolina's largest 4th of July celebration, Southport readies itself for a swell of visitors that you'd just have to see to believe. I say this after experiencing this colossal event first-hand for over 20 years. We're talking 50,000 festivarians in a town of less than 3,000 residents! Our home in Downtown Southport thankfully gives us a front-row seat. Once I get the groceries packed in tomorrow, the car stays put until Saturday. There are so many events and activities packed in the next few days, I'll have to let you look at the schedule for yourself. Under the canopy of ancient live oaks, Franklin Square Park will hold a hundred or so artist and craftsman booths, and enough food vendors to keep you satisfied until you can make your way down to the bottom of Howe St. There you'll find everything from the crowd-pleasing funnel cakes and bloomin' onions, to Thai food and fried grouper bites.

You'll have three days to take it all in, but the BIG DAY is the 4th, starting with the enormous crowd-pleaser of a parade at 11:00, and ending with a BANG at 9:00 PM as fireworks over the water put the suitable exclamation point on the entire celebration. I'll admit after all these years, I skip a lot of the festivities. But nothing can compare with sitting on a blanket looking out on the water....watching local boaters gather 'round in the twilight....seeing the launch barge with its pyrotechnic buffet slowly pull up and anchor right in front of you.....and then finally, just to lie back in the company of thousands and witness the glory of the deep cannon-like booms followed by cascading bursts of iridescent glow. I swear they are falling right on top of you!

It seems like everything started early this year. The annual Fireman's Competition, which used to be on the 3rd, is now held the Saturday before....no doubt as a favor to all the visiting firemen who can get in and out of town without fighting the traffic that ensues during the festival. I don't think I've ever seen as big a turn-out of fire engine red, spit-shined with pride, and the will to win. I'm not sure which stations took home a prize but just to see the camaraderie and the fight for bragging rights under sunny 90 degree skies, was plenty to get my respect, not just for the competition, but what they volunteer to do for us on a day-to-day basis.

One event I have missed the last few years but plan to catch on Thursday, is the annual Naturalization Ceremony, on the Garrison lawn on the Waterfront. Not a lot of people know about it, but it is a partnership between the NC 4th of July Festival and the US Department of Homeland Security and its Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration. This year a record number, 96 individuals from 48 countries and all six continents will take their Oath of Citizenship and become United States citizens. At a time when our patriotism and values are battling a media blitz seemingly intent on undermining our sense of pride in being Americans, this I promise, will move you. These often tearful and grateful new citizens, are experiencing the culmination of a life-long dream, and in watching them take their oath, you can feel the weight of their words. And if that's not enough, cannons, military salutes, and community choirs join together to top off the welcoming event.

With 17 straight years providing technical support for our string of daughter's 4th of July lemonade stand, we no longer carry the burden of anything that even remotely has to do with responsibility. We can sit on the porch and watch the steady foot-traffic of families with their strollers, coolers, chairs, and blankets. We can smile and say thankfully, "been there, done that."

So if you fancy a simpler time......if you still like parades and pageantry, music and street dances, the smell of good greasy food, kids and parents in their finest red, white, and blue.....well you might just like what Southport's 4th of July festival has to offer. I'm pretty sure there's not a birthday celebration anywhere quite like it. One little insider tip for the visitors. Park on the EAST side of Howe St. facing out of town and you'll find your traffic time cut in half when you leave after the fireworks. Be safe and "let freedom ring."

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Southport NC - Nov 6 Election is HOT, HOT, HOT

What has been my biggest obstacle in the picture-taking mode I've been in lately? Well here in Southport NC, and I'm sure in many other towns across America, we have been overtaken by an outside invader, that clashes badly with picturesque persona we have become famous for. OK, I'll just come right out with it; "THE PROLIFERATION OF ELECTION SIGNS HAS GOTTEN OUT OF HAND!" Now you're probably thinking, "How can a Southport Realtor possibly have the nerve to write a blog complaining about local election signs?"
This really opens up a can of worms and I'm not sure where I want to go with this. First I guess I would like to back up a minute and say that we have, I believe, an extremely important election coming up in both Southport and in Brunswick County. In Southport we actually have a real honest-to-goodness Mayoral race. Norman Holden the current Mayor, who has held the office off and on again for 22 years is ready to step down. This important contest is between two Southport natives, Paul Fisher,a current Alderman of a dozen years, and Sandy Spencer, a 6-year member of the Planning Board. Southport, and its fabled charm is at a crossroads, trying to balance its historic waterfront assets with the many big growth issues the Town is facing. Fisher may have served Southport well, but the public interest in bringing in "new blood" favors Spencer. Sandy's biggest concerns for Southport, are heightened scrutiny on development with a push towards lower density, reducing the current allowable building height, and controlled limitations enacted and enforced on potential "permitted uses." I say, "Here, Here" to that. In the Aldermen race for Ward 1, three candidates are vying for one seat. The newcomer is Wendy Long. I don't know her but I very much like what she has to say about the issues facing Southport. She may not stand a chance but hopefully she'll stay involved with local issues and continue to speak out. So it's down to multi-term incumbent Meezie Childs, and Donnie Potter, a life-long resident and former Planning Board member who has serious issues with the current Board of Aldermen. Both are Downtown Southport business owners and have personal and professional reasons for protecting Southport from unregulated growth.

Over on the other side of Southport, in Ward 2, five are running for two Aldermen spots. The two incumbents, Stuart Callari, and Jim Powell are speaking out adamantly to convey their accomplishments. And in many areas, they have made great strides. At the same time, they, along with the other members of the current Board, are fighting back to dispel accusations placing responsibility on their collective shoulders for the awful "shoe box" condos, that are near completion on the old American Fish property. Easily the most talked about topic around the "water cooler" for months now, the finger-pointing continues to proliferate. That these out-of-place structures could be built on Southport's picture-perfect, low-profile water skirt is a travesty. Aldermen say they never voted on it. They point to the Planning Board giving the developers no choice. Since I haven't read the minutes, I guess I don't know the full story. But common sense tells me that the Aldermen saying "it's not our fault" may fall flat when it comes to voting on Tuesday. Vying for their seats are Jawantana Frink and Ed Boguskie, speaking the rallying cry of much needed change, which seems to be a universal platform of every election, whether local, state, or national.

The other high profile issue to be voted on is the highly publicized "Brunswick County Land Transfer Tax," a proposed .4% tax on real estate sales to be earmarked for roads and schools. I wrote at some length about this in an earlier blog. I would welcome anyone to read it and comment if they wish. I'm still leaning against the seemingly unanimous Realtor tide on this.

Now all the above being said, I admire and respect anyone who runs and serves in public office. It's so easy for the rest of us to sit back and be critical. For our local officials, the work is tough, and subject to relentless public scrutiny. But when it comes right down to it, we all want the same things. We all want growth management in order to protect all the things the love about Southport, its charm, its historic homes and small businesses, its magnificent live oaks, and its beautiful waterfront. It sounds so simple. Can we rise to the task? Please vote. Oh yeah, about those election signs.......

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Fall Fishing Arrives with a Bang to Southport, North Carolina

This weekend sets the tone for the upcoming Fall fishing season in Southport, NC, as the 29^th Annual US Open King Mackerel Tournament starts Friday, October 5th.

Always the first weekend in October, this Grand Slam event offers one of the biggest purses in sports fishing, with the winning fish fetching $25,000. Over $100,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. With over 500 boats competing, the tournament brings an estimated 2 million dollar impact with it to Southport and the Brunswick County area. This is a pretty big deal for a little town with a population of less than 3000 people. But Southport is no stranger to big-time events, as it hosts the largest and longest running 4^th of July Festival in North Carolina, welcoming 50,000+ visitors every year. The event is sponsored by the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce. One of the unique aspects of this tournament is the fact that most of the winning fish are caught within 15 miles of shore, with some caught much closer inshore. This allows the guy (or gal) in a 16’ skiff to compete with the big rigs of a 40’ offshore monster. And to make the whole thing family friendly, there’s the Captain Charlie’s Kids Fishing Tournament running Saturday from 10-4 at the Southport City Pier. Sponsored by the Southport Parks and Rec, and the Southport Lions Club, kids 16 and under compete in a “catch and release” format. A free tee-shirt goes to the first hundred kids, and it’s free hot dogs and drinks all around. Prizes are donated by local merchants.

If you’re visiting the area but not into fishing, there’s plenty of other goings-on locally and within an easy drive. The biggest draw is Riverfest. This huge annual event, is held in Historic Downtown Wilmington, on the banks of the Cape Fear River. The weekend-long event offers river races, live music, lots of arts and crafts, food booths, and a children’s carnival. Don’t miss the big-time fireworks display on Saturday night. If you love theatre, there’s the musical biography Hank Williams: Lost Highway playing at City Stage, and Jekyll and Hyde, at Thalian Hall. Both of these venues are fabulous in their own right and offer a very unique theatre experience. By then you'll be ready to head back to the slower, gentler, pace of Southport.

Back at home, shoppers can have a hay day. With antique, boutique. and unique gift shops scattered all about town, it's hard to see it all. To top it all off, there’s a maritime museum, a variety of walking and bike tours, a super art gallery, great restaurant choices, all within easy walking distance of downtown. Fall is the perfect time to travel just about anywhere in North Carolina. We are blessed to live in a truly beautiful State with much diversity and opportunities galore.

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