April Laser Light & Music Shows at Ingram Planetarium

Posted on April 21, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Experience music from classic rock albums set to mesmerizing laser graphics at Ingram Planetarium April 22 and 23.

Complete playlists are available at www.museumplanetarium.org.

Apr. 22            6 pm — Laser Beatles – Take a trip down memory lane with The Fab Four and enjoy such classics as Magical Mystery Tour, Yesterday, Revolution, and more. Now featuring five NEW songs including Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and Here Comes the Sun.

Apr. 22            7 pm – Laser Hypnotica – This eclectic soundtrack features techno and ambient electronic music artists such as Prodigy, Fat Boy Slim, Delirium, and Faithless, all set to hypnotic laser artwork.

Apr. 23            6 pm – Laser Mania – This amazing laser music show showcases a variety of pop musical artists that include Ricky Martin, Beck, Celine Dion, Santana, Will Smith, and more.

Apr. 23            7 pm – Laser Metallica – This iconic American heavy metal band’s music makes for an entertaining – and very loud! – laser music show. Enjoy tracks such as Fuel, Master of Puppets, Sad But True, and more.

Ingram Planetarium is located at 7625 High Market Street in Sunset Beach, NC. Consider becoming a planetarium member; admission is free for members. Non-member admission (including NC sales tax) is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+), $7 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under. For more information, call 910-575-0033 or visit www.museumplanetarium.org.

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Beaufort named Tree City USA

Posted on April 19, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Arbor Day Foundation named Beaufort a 2015 Tree City USA in honor of the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management.

As part of the city’s work to keep its trees healthy, dozens of trees in the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park were fertilized in March. The week of April 18, 14 unhealthy and hazardous trees will be removed from the park. These trees are primarily in the west parking lot, but there are also two large Willow oaks in the park that require removal.

Beaufort met the Tree City USA program’s four requirements: A tree board or department; a tree-care ordinance; an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Started in 1976, the Tree City USA program is celebrating its 40 th anniversary. The program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
Beaufort has been a Tree City for 25 years according to Trees SC, formerly the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

As part of its work to protect and enhance the “urban forest,” in 2004 Beaufort leaders commissioned a study of all trees in public areas, including the Open Land Trust property within the city and city parks. “We learned that 61 percent of our urban forest is oaks, and within that, 40 percent is Laurel oak,” said Eliza Hill, the landscape architect in the City of Beaufort’s planning and development services department.

“There is a general guideline for tree diversity that proposes to reduce the risk of catastrophic tree loss due to insects and disease. The urban tree population should include no more than 10 percent of any one species, 20 percent of any one genus, or 30 percent of any family — so our focus has been to decrease the Laurel oak population and increase tree diversity.”

To do that, when trees are removed, the city has tried to replant — as funds are available — with a greater diversity of trees including Elms, Bald Cypress, Maples, Black Tupelo, Magnolia and Southern Red Cedar, Hill said.

One area of common complaint is when overhead utility companies trim trees. South Carolina Electric & Gas prunes different sections of city trees every five years. Hill hosts a seminar on proper pruning techniques for all members of the contracted company before start of work and supervises as work is ongoing. When the pruning is done, she rides the entire circuit with a private consulting certified arborist to check the work.

The city also works to help keep struggling trees healthy. For instance, the Drake elms in front of the hospital administration building on Ribaut will receive an application of a growth regulator to prevent the necessity of utility pruning in the future.

Last year, the city added 20 Bald Cypress trees to the city’s “tree farm” in Southside Park, and plans are in the works to plant another 20 Trident Maples there this spring. Additionally, a number of Sabal and Butia palms were rescued from construction work on Boundary Street and were replanted in the new dog park area at Southside Park.

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Myrtle Beach International Film Festival

Posted on April 18, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The 11th Annual Myrtle Beach International Film Festival is set for Wednesday through Saturday, April 20-23, 2016, at Carmike Cinema 17, Broadway at the Beach. 

The exciting event features films and filmmakers from around the world, many presenting their film as world premieres.  The Myrtle Beach International Film Festival has been selected as the recipient of national and international awards, including Movie Maker Magazine’s List of Top 25 Film Festivals for filmmakers to submit their work. 

For tickets, visit www.myrtlebeachfilmfestival.com or call 843-497-0220.  All ticket sales occur by MBIFF staff in the lobby, online or by-phone.  All-access passes (include all films and events) are $50 per person.  Individual tickets are $10 per person for each two-hour block of time.

For a full list of movies titles, times and descriptions, visit http://www.myrtlebeachfilmfestival.com/assets/mbiff-11-booklet.pdf.

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“What’s Your Sign?” – Ingram Planetarium Explores the Zodiac

Posted on April 16, 2016 by | Leave a comment

“Hey baby, what’s your sign?” This age-old icebreaker has been used for generations to get to know someone new, but what does your zodiac sign say about you? Find out on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at 7 pm as Ingram Planetarium Manager Will Snyder presents an exploration of the zodiac constellations and astrology through the ages.

This 1970’s-themed presentation will examine what makes the zodiac constellations special in our night sky and how people from antiquity through modern times have applied meaning to the stars that dance overhead each night. Discover a better understanding of these pictures that circle the evening sky and why horoscopes use these celestial objects.

Whether you are a Taurus or a Pisces, an astronomer or an astrologer, “What’s Your Sign?” is guaranteed to entertain all ages.

Ingram Planetarium is located at 7625 High Market Street in Sunset Beach, NC. Consider becoming a planetarium member; admission is free for members. Non-member admission (including NC sales tax) is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+), $7 for children (3-12), and free for ages 2 and under. For more information, call 910-575-0033 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

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New in Hilton Head recreation: Dive-in Movies

Posted on April 14, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Island Recreation Association is pleased to bring a new Summertime event to Hilton Head. Introducing “Dive-in Movies!” Dive in Movies are a fun event where you can float in the pool and watch a movie. Arrive to the Island Rec Center Pool before dusk to participate in games and activities based around the movie of the night. Pizza, popcorn, and drinks for sale. Floats welcome. Tickets will be sold at the door no advanced tickets. Movies start at dusk. $6 for adult $5 for child/senior.

April 29th: Surfs up | May 20th: Avengers | June 24th: Pirates of Caribbean | July 22nd: Elf

August 26th: Teen Beach Movie | September 23rd: Jaws | October 21st: Goonies

For more information call the Island Rec. at 843.681-7273 or visit our website www.islandreccenter.org/events.

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The Long Bay Symphony Orchestra Guild hosts Beethoven, Blue Jeans & BBQ

Posted on April 13, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Long Bay Symphony Guild will host Beethoven, Blue Jeans & BBQ from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.  Sunday, April 17, 2016, at Inlet Affairs in Murrells Inlet, SC.

BBQ_flyerThe menu includes pulled pork BBQ with rolls, chicken bog, mac and cheese, coleslaw, baked beans, banana pudding and sweet tea.  There is a cash bar and a raffle for gift baskets.  Music and dancing by DJ Legendary Dave O.

Proceeds will benefit the Long Bay Symphony and the Long Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Tickets are $50 per person. For reservations call the box office 843-448-8379, purchase online at www.LongBaySymphony.com or visit  1107 48th Avenue N., Suite 310-E, Myrtle Beach.

 

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Team Captained By PGA Tour Golfer Tim O’Neal and Former Football Star Jimbo Covert Wins Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am

Posted on April 12, 2016 by | Leave a comment
Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker

The team led by PGA Tour player Tim O’Neal and former football star Jimbo Covert shot an 19-under par 53 to win the 22nd annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am title at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course Monday. [Full Leaderboard]

For the 11th consecutive year, a sellout out crowd of 6,000+ fans packed the Dye Course to watch their favorite athletes, musicians and celebrities compete in the Monday After the Masters, the largest one-day fundraiser in South Carolina.

Headlining the field were U.S. women’s soccer legend Mia Hamm, United States Ryder Cup Captain and 21-time PGA Tour champion Davis Love III, and pro football hall of famers Jonathan Ogden and Andre Reed.

The event was played on Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course for the 14th consecutive year.

Westwood One, America’s largest radio network, broadcast four national radio programs – the Gio & Jones, Tiki & Tierney, Chris Mannix and Doug Gottlieb shows – throughout the day, providing Myrtle Beach national exposure.

Other headliners that joined Mark Bryan, Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Dean Felber and Darius Rucker were hall of famers Eric Dickerson and Bruce Smith, Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim McMahon, Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, and musicians John Cafferty, Aaron Lewis and Edwin McCain, among many others.

Among the professional golfers that joined Love were Lee Elder, Billy Horschel, Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, Charlie Rymer, and Woody Austin.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children in South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation through a fully funded endowment.

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California Roots presents The Carolina Sessions Reggae Music Festival

Posted on April 8, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Join the reggae music fun at the inaugural California Roots presents The Carolina Sessions Reggae Music Festival from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday, April 9, at the Pavilion site, Ninth Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard.  The best reggae bands travel to Myrtle Beach to play tropical jams for the crowd, so bring a large blanket to sit on and simply enjoy the happy vibes. Food, beer, wine and gift vendors will be on site, and food vendors will offer vegetarian and vegan options, too!  The music festival is a family friendly event.  Security will be at the front gate, near stages and roaming throughout the festival grounds.  Children, ages 10 and under, get in free with a paying adult ticketholder.  Tickets from the previously cancelled festival (October 3, 2015) will be accepted for the April 9 show.  For more information, visit http://californiarootscarolina.com/.

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WILMINGTON’S Passion Shines in Annual Azalea Festival

Posted on April 6, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Just in time for the 69th Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival (April 6-10), spring arrives in Wilmington and its island beaches with warm weather and azaleas at every turn. During early spring, azaleas dominate Wilmington landscapes with brilliant splashes of pink, red, white and purple. To say that Wilmingtonians are passionate about azaleas is an understatement. The blooming of these colorful flowering shrubs is an annual phenomenon worthy of great celebration and fanfare, as evidenced by the city’s five-day festival in its honor. Wilmington, N.C. is even certified by the Azalea Society of America as an official “Azalea City.”

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A Wilmington tradition since 1948, the North Carolina Azalea Festival ushers in spring with Southern pageantry as Queen Azalea opens the festival with an official coronation. This year UNC-Wilmington graduate and FOX News reporter Anna Kooiman (anchor and co-host of Fox and Friends Weekend, based in NYC) will be crowned Queen Azalea 2016. Ms. Kooiman will be accompanied by a court of Carolina queens. Dozens of Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles, dressed in antebellum-style hoop skirts with matching parasols, will also be in attendance. In the days that follow, festival highlights will include juried arts and craft shows, fireworks (Saturday night), and a street fair (Fri./Sat./Sun.) with exhibits, vendors, live music, entertainment and kids’ activities along Market, Front and Water streets. There’s also an elaborate parade on Saturday morning (begins at 9:30 a.m.), complete with azalea-laden floats, marching bands, clowns, local pageant winners and celebrity guests. This year’s parade viewing area will be along Third Street, from Market Street to Red Cross Street.

 

Azaleas take center stage during the festival’s official featured tours: the Cape Fear Garden Club’s Azalea Garden Tour and the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s Azalea Home Tour.  The Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour, April 8-10, is one of the South’s longest-running and most popular garden tours. This year’s garden tour theme is “Stepping Into Spring.” The 63rd annual tour showcases 12 private and public gardens that include a mix of established and new lovingly tended landscapes. A new addition is Spectrum Gallery’s “en plein air” artists who will be painting in participating gardens. Tour price includes free admission to Airlie Gardens on Saturday and Sunday. For details and tickets: www.capefeargardenclub.org/azalea-garden-tour. Another time-honored sanctioned event is the Azalea Home Tour (April 9 and 10), showcasing nine private homes and a historic church. Homes are chosen to represent an array of architectural styles found in Wilmington. For home tour tickets: www.historicwilmington.org .

 

Live music is always a highlight of the N.C. Azalea Festival. This year’s headline acts include two national recording artists who hail from North Carolina: folk/rock musical sensation The Avett Brothers band on April 7 and country music maverick Chase Rice, who will share the stage with Kane Brown on April 9.  A third headline concert features multi-platinum artist/actor/entertainment icon Snoop Dogg, who will delight audiences on April 8 with hits from his 13 albums, including the recently released studio album, BUSH.  Rapper, record producer, and beat boxer Doug E. Fresh will open for Snoop Dogg.

 

All headline concerts are outdoors on the Belk Main Stage at the Cape Fear Community College Campus in Downtown Wilmington (411 N. Front Street). Concerts begin at 7:00 p.m.; gates open at 6:00 p.m. Concerts are rain or shine; standing room only. Tickets for all concerts are available online at www.ncazaleafestival.org and at the N.C. Azalea Festival Office (5724 Oleander Drive, Ste. B7; Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm). Chairs, backpacks, umbrellas, coolers are not permitted inside the venue. Chairs, food and beverage will be available for cash purchase.

 

Other notable celebrities scheduled to make guest appearances include: U.S. Army-Retired four-star general Dan McNeill; Actress/author/Alzheimer’s spokesperson Bernadette Stanis (“Good Times” Thelma Evans); Nickelodeon actress Brec Bassinger (“Bella and the Bulldogs”); Author Tony Tata (former N.C. Secretary of Transportation); Author Kristy Woodson Harvey (“Dear Carolina”); Lifestyle brand owner/furniture designer Roxy Te; American Idol Season 14 runner-up Clark Beckham; Miss North Carolina Kate Peacock; 2016 Festival artist Mary Ellen Golden; and Azalea Festival Princess Lilly Kays.

 

Festival attendees can immerse themselves in the local culture by downloading the N.C. Azalea Festival App for up-to-date event details, breaking entertainment news, behind-the-scenes buzz and insider tips. For App details, a festival schedule and concert tickets, call 910-794-4650, visit www.ncazaleafestival.org or the festival ticket office (5725 Oleander Dr., Wilmington).

 

Spring brings blooms, belles, beaches and festivals to Wilmington, N.C. and its island beaches. Come for the N.C. Azalea Festival and stay a few extra days to enjoy the nearby island beaches. Wilmington is a convenient drive along I-40 and US 74. Prefer to fly? The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) offers daily flights to major airline hubs. For a free 2016 Official Visitors Guide to Wilmington, North Carolina and the island beaches of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach, call 1-866-266-9690 or emailvisit@wilmingtonandbeaches.com. For spring highlights and special offers, visit www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/season/2016-spring-highlights/.

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Battleship Announces 75th Anniversary Commissioning Celebration

Posted on April 5, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA announces a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of the ship.

commissioning April-9-1941

commissioning
April-9-1941

75th Anniversary of the Battleship’s Commissioning
Saturday, April 9, 2016
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
FREE with Battleship Admission

Celebrate the Battleship’s 75th anniversary on Saturday April 9, 2016, as active duty personnel from Camp LeJeune bring the ship to life from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Working with the Battleship’s Living History Crew and the US Marine Corps Historical Company, Sailors from the 2d Marine Division and Marines from the 2d Tank Battalion will interpret the Battleship for visitors. According to LCDR Jason M. Constantine, Battalion Chaplain and one of the event organizers, “This is a unique event in which Marines and Sailors from the 2d Marine Division are volunteering their own time to share their maritime services’ history and heritage with the fine people of Wilmington.” Award winning East Burke High School Jazz Ensemble will also perform patriotic music throughout the day in commemoration of the event.

Join the North Carolina Azalea Festival Official Party Entourage, which includes Queen Azalea Anna Kooiman, the Queen’s Court, and Official Invited Guests at 2:00 1:00 pm as they wish the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA a happy birthday by cutting the official Showboat cake on board. “We are proud to be a part of this very important celebration honoring the history of the Battleship North Carolina,” says 69th Azalea Festival President Robby Collins. “The Battleship and the Festival have worked closely to support each other for many years, and we are excited to be such a big part of this celebration.”

The program is FREE with admission.
On April 9, 1945 in New York Navy Yard, the U. S. Navy commissioned United States Ship NORTH CAROLINA officially into the U. S. fleet. NORTH CAROLINA was the first American battleship to be commissioned since December 1923. With war already waging in Europe and the Pacific, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox proclaimed during the commissioning ceremony, “The NORTH CAROLINA is one of a new line of ships that will give the United States unchallenged supremacy on the seas.” Orders were read, the colors (U.S. flag) and commission pennant were raised, the watch set and the battleship was placed in commission. Admiral Alfred Ward, then Commander Ward, NORTH CAROLINA’s Gunnery Officer, recalled years later: “We were in the New York Shipyard, getting the ship ready to go to war. The people in the shipyard had the same feeling that I had and that I still have about the wonderful ship NORTH CAROLINA. Every man of that crew in Brooklyn worked just as hard as he could to make it a going concern. The commissioning ceremony in New York City was a really electric and satisfying event. The ovation that ended the celebration was a tribute to a bunch of hard-working people. Our sailors were ready to go out to do whatever had to be done to win that war. And they did it. They really did it.”
At the time of her commissioning on 9 April 1941, she was considered the world’s greatest sea weapon. Armed with nine 16-inch/45 caliber guns in three turrets and twenty 5-inch/38 caliber guns in ten twin mounts, NORTH CAROLINA proved a formidable weapons platform. Her wartime complement consisted of 144 commissioned officers and 2,195 enlisted men, including about 100 Marines. During World War II, NORTH CAROLINA participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific area of operations and earned 15 battle stars.

About Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is self-supporting, not tax supported and relies primarily upon admissions to tour the Ship, sales in the Ship’s Store, donations and investments. No funds for its administration and operation come from appropriations from governmental entities at the local, state or federal levels. Located at the junction of Highways 17/74/76/421 on the Cape Fear River. Visit www.battleshipnc.com or follow us on Facebook.com/ncbb55 and Twitter.com/battleshipnc for more information. Relive with the crew on the Battleship Bloghttp://seastories.battleshipnc.com/. The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is an historic site within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (www.NCCulture.com).

About the North Carolina Azalea Festival
Since its inception in 1948, the North Carolina Azalea Festival has blossomed into an extended weekend celebration that attracts more than 300,000 people and generates more than $51 million for the local economy. The Festival showcases our community’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture through recreational, educational and family-oriented events.

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