October brings festivals, special events to Brunswick and The Golden Isles of Georgia

October delivers a wealth of annual festivals and special events to Brunswick and The Golden Isles, from outdoor art and antique shows to nature festivals and a PGA TOUR event. Here's a sampling of things to come:

Oct 2   FIRST FRIDAY - Visit the shops and galleries of Historic Downtown Brunswick. "He Said Beer, She Said Wine" tastings at select shops, live music at various locations and monthly art exhibit opening at Art Downtown/Gallery 209 and the Ritz Theatre Gallery. 5:00 to 8:00 pm, Newcastle Street. Information: 912-265-4032 or www.brunswickgeorgia.net

Oct 2-3   ANTIQUE SHOW AND SALE - Vendors from throughout the Southeast offer antiques, collectibles and craft items. Postell Park, Beachview Drive in Pier Village – St. Simons Island. Information: 912-264-3254 or www.stsimonsantiqueshow.com

Oct 2   DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES COASTFEST - A fun family event celebrating Georgia’s coastal environment and wildlife. Georgia Dept of Natural Resources, Brunswick. Contact: 912-264-7218 or visit them online.

Oct 7-10   GEORGIA COAST BIRDING AND NATURE FESTIVAL - This festival brings casual and experienced bird enthusiasts from all over the United States to experience Southeast Georgia’s wide variety of habitats and wildlife. The whole family can enjoy a weekend of activities including nature walks, a showcase of vendors and conservation groups, kids’ activities, arts and crafts, special speakers, and informative seminars. Jekyll Island. Information: 912-635-3636 or visit them online.

Oct 9-10   THE MCGLADREY CLASSIC - The McGladrey Classic, new to the PGA TOUR Fall Series, promises to be a unique and spectacular event as host Davis Love III and his PGA TOUR friends play the beautiful Seaside course at Sea Island Georgia. Showcasing the area’s rich culture, history and extraordinary hospitality, the tournament is sure to become a new Seaside tradition for spectators and players alike. Proceeds from the tournament benefit Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia. For information, visit the McGladrey Classic online.
  

Oct 9-10   41ST ANNUAL FINE ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL - More than 120 artists and craftspeople from throughout the Southeast display and sell their works outdoors in Postell Park, Beachview Drive on St. Simons Island. This year's festival includes the Grand Opening of Glynn Art Association's new Visual Art Center. Hours 10 am to 5 pm each day. Sponsored by the Glynn Art Association. Contact: 912-638-8770 or visit www.glynnart.org

These are but a few of the activities taking place during October in Brunswick and The Golden Isles of Georgia. A complete calendar of events can be found at our website, www.ComeCoastAwhile.com. Just click on the "Calendar of Events" button.

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Neptune Park Fun Zone Open for Family Fun

St. Simons Island's newest family attraction -- the Neptune Park Fun Zone -- is open for summertime family fun.

The new recreational complex features a walk-in, multi-purpose pool; children's water park area; miniature golf course, and a brand new playground area as well as a bath house and concession stand.


The new, "multi-purpose" pool is designed to encourage use by swimmers of all ages and abilities. The southern end of the L-shaped pool, closest to the bath house, features a walk-in "beach" entry which slopes gently from 12" at the edges to 18" in the center. The northernmost section of the pool is divided into lanes for lap swimming and limited competition. Between these two sections is a smaller, 3-foot deep section for water aerobics and swimming instruction.

The pool, like the rest of the Fun Zone, is accessible to those in wheelchairs.

The children's water park area is situated between the two legs of the larger pool. It features a "water playground" complete with slides, a tipping bucket, fountains and a variety of showers, squirt guns and other water play toys. It is surrounded by a fence and landscaping to ensure limited access for young children and their caregivers.

The bath house features large restrooms with showers and changing areas, ticket offices for the pool and miniature golf course, and a concession stand called "Cap's Place."

Located on the south side of the bath house between the entrances to the pool and miniature golf course, Cap's Place is open to the public. It offers a variety of menu items including barbecue, pizza, hot dogs and boiled shrimp as well as "walk and talk" items, healthy treats, sno-cones and ice cream, cold drinks and more. Cap's Place will be open year 'round, from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm from Labor Day to Memorial Day. For information call 912-638-3333.


The miniature golf course features 18 holes with a "conservative" design. The mini-golf course has its own entrance, located on the west side of the bath house. Nearby is a new playground area, located at the southeast corner of the Fun Zone, next to the Neptune Park picnic area.

The new landscaping artfully incorporates the right whale sculpture which was created by sculptor Keith Jennings in 1995, and encourages close interaction.

The Neptune Park Fun Zone is located along the St. Simons Island waterfront between the lighthouse and the Casino building. Its opening marks the completion of the first phase of a two-phase master plan for the St. Simons Island waterfront.

The master plan project was designed to provide a more cohesive look for waterfront and Neptune Park. Architectural features of the new bath house complement those of the nearby A.W. Jones Heritage Center, which anchors the waterfront's north end, and the Casino building to the south.

In addition to the pool and mini-golf complex, Phase I included new landscaping and lighting, new beach crossovers, brick pavers and new benches. Phase II, which will be completed later this year, will incorporate new landscaping and other improvements that are designed to visually unify the entire Neptune Park / St. Simons Island waterfront area.

The Neptune Park Fun Zone will be open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Public swim hours will be daily from 1:00 to 8:00 pm. The miniature golf course will be open daily from 1:00 to 9:00 pm.

The Glynn County Parks and Recreation Department will offer a variety of services and activities including American Red Cross swimming lessons and water safety courses, private swimming lessons by certified instructors, water aerobics and a novice swim team. These activities will take place primarily during mornings prior to public swimming.

All-day admission to the pool is $7.00 per person. Miniature golf is $7.00 per person per game. Season passes are available for the pool, and multi-game passes are available for miniature golf. Special group rates are available, and the complex may be rented for private functions. For information about the pool, call 912-279-3720. For information about miniature golf, call 912-279-3721.

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Not just Five Stars, but 20!

Five Stars are great, no doubt about it. Ten are even better.

But 20 Stars? To a single Resort? That's unprecedented.

Sea Island Resorts has received four Mobil Five-Star Awards, the most ever given to a single entity. According to Mobil, the Sea Island Resorts "made history by achieving the most Mobil Five-Stars ever awarded to one destination."*

The Cloister at Sea Island made Mobil Five-Star history when it received three of the awards: for the hotel itself, its signature restaurant, the Georgian Room, and the Cloister Spa. In addition, The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club maintained its Five-Star distinction for the ninth consecutive year.

The Cloister Spa is the only Mobil Five-Star spa in Georgia and one of only eight so recognized in the U.S. and Canada. The Georgian Room shares its Five-Star status with one other Georgia restaurant, and 19 other restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The Cloister -- one of only three Georgia Five-Star hotels -- achieved its rating just three years after a complete resort rebuild.

"Winning four Mobil Five-Star awards is an incredible achievement," said Bill Jones III, chairman and CEO, Sea Island Company. "Beautiful buildings alone do not achieve this level of recognition. People -- our employees -- make the difference, by providing the genuine, heartfelt service and authentic Southern hospitality that distinguishes Sea Island."

Criteria to earn a Mobil Five-Star rating are stringent, based on more than 750 standards for hotels, more than 250 for restaurants, and more recently, 450 guidelines for spas. To achieve Mobil Five-Star status, properties must also meet or exceed Mobil's bar-setting service standards, which are determined through an unannounced, undercover service evaluation conducted by Mobil Travel Guide's expert inspectors.

The Cloister is no stranger to the Mobil Five-Star award. Prior to the resort's recent rebuild, The Cloister held the distinction for 22 years. 

Sea Island Company is a private resort and real estate development company founded in 1928. It owns and operates Sea Island Resorts, including The Cloister at Sea Island and The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Course. For more information, visit them online.

Mobil Travel Guide, originator of the prestigious Mobil Star ratings and certifications, has provided comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Its team of anonymous, expert inspectors evaluates properties against rigorous and proprietary standards, giving consumers the insight to make better informed travel and leisure decisions. For more information, visit them online.

* The Cloister was one of only two U.S. destinations to receive three Five-Star awards for a single property; the other properties were the Tower Suites Las Vegas, Alex Restaurant and the Spa at Wynn.

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Images used with permission of Sea Island Company.