September in Southport NC - A Fall Teaser

Every year when September rolls around, it is always a sweet relief. At the same time I find myself feeling a bit melancholy as yet another summer passes. I have always loved September. January may be our official New Year marker, but I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that September is truly the time for reflection and reinvention. It's something palpable that I feel every year at this time and I don't have the words to explain. Outside, the sky and water are bluer, the marshes are still as green as can be, and the light changes are subtle but stunning. Warm days, cool nights and mornings.. can you tell I am ready for this?

Coming up Saturday the 14th, the City of Southport is the sponsoring International Plein Air Worldwide Paint Out, an outdoor event, to support artists in the area and bring public art to our streets. From 8:30 to 2:30, each artist will create an original painting of Southport’s historic landscape and buildings. The event is free for artists and the public. For more information contact Randy Jones, Director of Tourism, City of Southport.

Don't forget Friday night the 20th, the Wilmington Big Band will be performing songs from the Great American Songbook as Save the Cape presents Jazz at the Cape Fear a fundraiser to benefit their project for a new State Park near Southport formerly the 600 acres of waterfront property along the Cape Fear River being considered for an International shipping terminal. Check out the amazing Silent Auction entrees!

Down at the old Yacht Basin, the 4th annual Southport Wooden Boat Show is expected to be bigger and better than ever! The event kicks off at 10am Saturday, September 28th. There will be all shapes and sizes of wooden boats on display plus, nautical arts and crafts, maritime demonstrations, kid's events, and a chowder cook-off, so get your taste buds ready. Contact: Bert Felton – 910.617.9667 Organized by the Southport Wooden Boat Show Committee and sponsored by Downtown Southport Inc. Here is a nice video from the State Port Pilot from last year's boat show.

Peeking over to October, it's that time again! The annual US Open King Mackerel Tournament kicks off again the 5th-7th. It's the largest king mackerel tournament in North Carolina and the second largest on the East coast! With over $100,000 in prizes, there's plenty at stake, plus live music, food, and beverages, on Saturday at the Southport Marina. Come watch in the afternoon as the boats bring in their hopeful catch to the weigh-in. Public welcome.

September - It's a time to enjoy, a time to remember sweet summer days… it's the start of the Fall fishing season, and it's time to clean out the backyard fire pit, cause you know this is an "R" month and that means oysters! Yeah baby, bring it on!



On a final note, for all you Safe Haven fans out there, and believe me there are thousands of you ready to pack your bags and move to Southport, hold onto your dreams. With a population of only 2800, we are seeing a steady stream of folks itching to get their little piece of heaven that is Southport. If you want to keep tabs on current homes on the market and get a heads up on new properties as the are listed, just give me a call or shoot me an email. I'd love to help you find something! southportsoundings@gmail.com 910.540.0551

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Southport NC - Hello Spring! We Have Been Waiting for You!

Like everyone else, I have been patiently waiting for the sweet arrival of Spring! Not that we here in Southport can complain about our winters here... I know it's all relative but STILL!!!! For folks that moved here seeking respite from all those COLD places, I'm sure they were starting to think, "What the heck… we've been duped!"

So here it is April, and we are starting anew. If you haven't noticed, our magnificent Live Oak canopy is shedding profusely right now. It's an evergreen oak that keeps its leaves all winter, only to lose them all when the new buds push them off in the Spring. You would think it was Fall right now if it weren't for all the blooming azaleas, camellias, jasmine and wisteria blooming everywhere.

If you're going to be around Easter weekend, the official kick-off of Spring in Southport is the Spring Festival/Chili Cook-Off held every year at Franklin Square Park, a 25 year tradition. Running from 10am until 5pm on Friday and 10am until 4pm on Saturday, this festival features a wide variety of activities such as musical entertainment, handmade arts and crafts, children’s activities, azaleas and other plants for sale, and food vendors. Included is a Chili Cook-Off, so get your taste buds ready to vote for the People’s Choice Award. Hope to see you there!



        

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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 - Halloween Cape Fear Style

It just doesn't seem possible that Halloween is right around the corner. Here in Southport, Fall has been a tease.... at best, for it seems to have disappeared. It's October 19th and it's 85 degrees, hot and sticky, and once again I'm in denial wearing a long-sleeve shirt.

Signs of Halloween are beginning to appear, and I had a
good time last evening riding around and taking a few pictures. I don't have trick or treaters living at my house anymore. I sure do miss those days. I remember one year, when lacking a proper costume, we wrapped my daughter Kate up in a sheet, pinned a bunch of seashells on it, and sent her out dressed like a "beach!" She was too young to protest and really.....it's all about the CANDY.

Some folks here still go all-out with their decorations. I'll have to update with my "best Halloween decorations award" when it gets a little closer. Downtown Southport really is the perfect neighborhood for trick-or-treating with the closeness of the houses, and the "everybody knows everybody" feel to it. I don't know if kids still go door to door in other parts of the country. It does seem as though our newer residents as a whole choose not participate and leave their porch lights off on Halloween night. I think it's just not a tradition they are accustomed to and they are wary of strangers coming to their door. And some of ghosts and goblins can can be awfully scary!

To get you into the spirit, there's "Fall-O-Ween," a community festival to be held at Bill Smith Park on Fish Factory Road on Saturday the 27th. There'll be kid's games, family entertainment, arts and crafts, and food booths, and more. Then Saturday evening at 6:00, if you have a taste for the paranormal, you can head to the Battleship North Carolina and board the "Ghost Ship. While you're exploring the bowels of the ship you'll hear about the tales of voices and apparitions frequently encountered on the ship and discoveries from an episode of "Ghost Hunters" aired last year on the Sci-Fi Channel. On a lighter note, also Saturday evening, a Halloween Hay Ride will be held in Boiling Spring Lakes. BSL will also be hosting Trunk or Treat on the 31st at the Community Building.



Everyone seems to be enjoying our Indian Summer. The local piers and surf are full of fisherman, the shops and local restaurants are full of late-season tourists, and for those of us who call Southport home, the days are full of promise, for our favorite time of year has arrived. October is one of the "R" months and it has a lot of us thinking about that first oyster roast in the backyard.

Last, but definitely not least, Southport's BIG Fall bash, the STEDE BONNET REGATTA is on the 27th. This is a major-fun combined event put on by the Provision Co. and the Cape Fear Yacht Club. Decorated boats of ALL shapes and sizes race in and around the Cape Fear between Southport and Bald Head Island captained by pirates, swashbuckling mates, and wenches of course. The rum-running race finishes up around 5:00 and a huge pirate-themed block party ensues at the end of West Bay Street.

One of the first thing out of anyone's mouth after they've been to Southport for the first time is, "I LOVE THE PROVISION CO!" This little waterfront restaurant still feels like a "best-kept secret" even though it's not a secret any more. There's much that has already been written about the utterly unique "little restaurant that could." read more You'll just have to come on down and experience it for yourself. You won't be sorry!

H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N ! ! !

One late addendum for your Halloween pleasure is the Halloween Festival at Poplar Grove Plantation in Poplar Grove. They are promising the biggest ever annual event with a HAUNTED HAYRIDE, a HAUNTED BARN, A FUN HOUSE, MAZE, CARNIVAL RIDES, FOOD, GAMES, and more. This has got to be pretty tempting if you have kids. Historic Poplar Grove Plantation itself is in a beautiful setting and a perfect venue for any small event. Now that there's the new super highway that runs from 421 just North of Wilmington straight over to Highway 17N right at Poplar Grove, you can make in about 45 minutes from Southport with NO traffic. It runs til midnight Friday and Saturday night and til 6 on Sunday.

Be Scareful out there!

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All photos by Vicki Burton except "Halloween Dogs" courtesy of funnyville.com

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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