| Tweet |
Don't you dare set foot outside in December without this thorough, comprehensive, all-encompassing guide to what's fun and fascinating this month.
The Holidays
Winter Wonderland Christmas Village: Through Jan. 2, Pineland Station proudly presents local artist Richard Coyne’s Winter Wonderland Christmas Village. The public is welcome to visit this free public exhibition of a A 200-square-foot sculpted winter wonderland in the round on a raised platform with three trains running through it.
The exhibit occupies the spot in Pineland Station opposite the French Baker and will be open from 3-6 p.m. Mon., Wed. and Fri. and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dec 3, 10 and 17.
The Christmas Village is also available for holiday party rentals. For more information, call 843-681-8907.
Santa Claus at The Storybook Shoppe: 1,2,3 and 4 p.m. Dec. 17 at The Storybook Shoppe in Bluffton. Santa Claus will be at The Storybook Shoppe on Calhoun Street in Bluffton reading stories from 1 to 4 p.m. every hour on the hour. Call 843-757-2600 for reservations.
Photo by Rob Kaufman/Kaufman Photography
Bluffton Christmas Parade: The always-fun, always-unique Bluffton Christmas Parade is an event you won’t want to miss.
The 40th annual parade, which will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, will showcase more than 100 entrants, including bands, floats and walkers. Two of the most popular groups are back this year to entertain parade-goers: the Dancing Reindeer (which never fail to bring smiles to the crowd) and the Ladies Drill Team (which marches, well, to its own beat), and much more.
And of course Santa Claus will make an appearance from atop a fire truck at the end of the parade.
“We Blufftonians are a little eccentric, and the parade reflects that,” said Tammy Malone, town of Bluffton facilities director. “It’s something that people look forward to all year round.”
This year’s parade theme is “Christmas is what you make of it.” To reflect the theme, bands, floats, walkers and all others are encouraged to display what makes Christmas special.
The parade will begin at Town Hall and head down Bridge Street to Calhoun Street to May River Road to Pin Oak Street and finish at Oscar Frazier Park.
Malone advises parade-goers to get their spots on the parade route by 10 a.m. because streets in old town start shutting down around that time.
The weekend also features other events, including the Town Hall tree lighting at 5 p.m., and the Promenade tree lighting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec.2. “A Christmas Walk in Old Town Bluffton” will also be held that night, and will include live music, Christmas caroling, refreshments, holiday bargains at local shops and more. There will also be free “Holly Jolly Holiday Tours” offered from 5-8 p.m. on the old town trolley.
For more information or to enter to march in the parade, call 843-706-4500.
- By Sally Mahan
Hilton Head Choral Society 27th Annual Christmas Tour of Homes: Noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 4 in Belfair Plantation in Bluffton. This year the Hilton Head Choral Society’s immensely popular tour features six unique homes each decorated in stunning holiday splendor. This is a rare opportunity to view six beautiful stately residences and the Belfair Clubhouse on a self-guided tour in the lush surroundings of Belfair Plantation. Christmas music and refreshments served from 2-4 p.m. at the clubhouse.
Tickets are $25 if purchased in advance, $30 day of tour at the gates of Belfair at the Gateway Real Estate office.
For further information call 843-342-3818. The event is the main fundraiser for the yearly concerts and events coordinated and performed by The Hilton Head Choral Society.
It’s a Wonderful Life: As part of Christmas in the Village at Palmetto Bluff, a special screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be shown at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 on the big screen and under the stars. Bring your beach chairs, blankets, and favorite Friday night date. Palmetto Bluffton will have the hot toddies and movie snacks.
A fee of $20 per car will be collected at the Main Gate, which will be donated directly to Bluffton Self Help. Attendees are also encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to assist Bluffton Self Help’s efforts in making Christmas dreams come true for the children in the Bluffton community.
For more information, visit www.palmettobluff.com
Bluffton Historical Preservation Society Christmas Gala: 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Heyward House in Old Town Bluffton. This gala will benefit the ongoing restoration of The Heyward House and will feature music by Permanent Tourist, a cocktail buffet, live and silent auctions and a door prize of an iPad. Tickets are $60 a person, call 843-757-6293 for details.
The Giving Tree: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 10 at Lowcountry Day on Red Cedar Street in Bluffton. Storytellers, carolers, ballerinas, Christmas treats and Santa himself await at this extravaganza of giving. Lowcountry Day is also sponsoring donations for C.A.P.A. and foster care, which may be dropped under the big tree at either Lowcountry Day location anytime during the holiday season. Visit www.lowcountryday.com for details.
Hilton Head Island Ski Club Christmas Dinner Dance: 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at Sea Pines Country Club. Ski club members and interested guests invited. For more information, call Bev Moran at 843-681-4181.
9th Annual Community Christmas Day Dinner: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 25, Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Cafe. Anyone not joining family for Christmas is invited to enjoy a traditional turkey buffet plus caroling with other friendly faces. Free will offerings will be given to Meals on Wheels and Second Helpings. Reservations are encouraged by calling 843-304-1086 or 843-705-5725.
New Year’s Eve Party: Dec. 31 at Kingfisher. The Earl Williams Band will help ring in the new year at The Kingfisher. Call 843-785-4442 for details.
On Stage
Songs from the Heart: 7 p.m. Dec. 2 in the First Presbyterian Church sanctuary. The “Songs from the Heart” benefit Christmas Concert for the First Presbyterian Day School has become an island tradition that ushers in the holiday season each year. The idea for the concert originated in 2004 with the Parents’ Association and features local artists such as Laura and Rusty Floyd, Chalmers Gorman, Cheryl Duren, Gayle Lang and Denis Bonnett. The evening opens with the voices of the Day School children and draws the audience into a casual evening of Christmas favorites. Proceeds from the concert go into programming and curriculum needs for the school. Tickets available by calling 843-681-3695. Reserved seating is $20 and general admission is $15.
Christmas with the HHSO: 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Join the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Chorus in a Holiday Celebration with the 2011 HHSO Youth Concerto Competition winner, Annie Bender. Mozart’s Sleighride, the Hallelujah Chorus and selections from The Nutcracker are among the many highlights. Visit www.hhso.org.
An Island Christmas: 7 p.m. Dec. 4, St. Francis by the Sea. This special holiday concert will feature performers including a choir of singers from local churches with special guests from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and orchestras from Hilton Head and Savannah. Tickets $10 for adults, $5 for kids, $30 for family groups up to five. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.
Stardust Orchestra concert to benefit the HHIHS band: The Stardust Orchestra Concert to benefit the Hilton Head High School Seahawk band program will be held at 7 p.m., Dec. 8, at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at the high school. Tickets are $20 per person, and $15 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased at Burke’s Pharmacy or by calling Todd Smith at 843-689-4800, or Ellen Tedesco at 843-681-8615. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.
A May River Theatre Christmas: 8 p.m. Dec. 8,9, and 10, 3 p.m. Dec. 11 in Bluffton Town Hall. The May River Theatre Co. Inc., in conjuction with Bluffton Self Help, is pleased to announce this year’s holiday production of ”A May River Theatre Christmas.”
The musical review, written by Kelly Alcorn, Christine Grefe, Adam Rich and Pete Zelenezik, is designed for children and adults of all ages. Santa Claus may even make an appearance.
General admission ticket price will be $5 plus a new toy. Bluffton Self Help will gather the toys for Christmas distribution.
Only 185 tickets will be sold per performance. Any unsold tickets will be available at the theatre prior to performance times For tickets, call 843-815-5581. For general information, call 843-837-7798.
The Sounds of Christmas - A Kaleidoscope of Carols: 8 p.m. Dec. 9 at First Presbyterian Church. Before you deck the halls and shop the malls, join the Hilton Head Choral Society chorus, Youth Chorale and orchestra for an evening of Christmas favorites. This spirit-lifting concert will feature traditional carols and holiday tunes from England, Europe and the USA, among them three Christmas waltzes and lots of fun audience sing-a-longs! Guest appearance by our Youth Chorale. As the Choral Society celebrates their 36th season, be sure to bring your family and friends to one of the most popular concerts of the season! Tickets start at $20 per person and can be purchased online at www.hiltonheadchoralsociety.com
Handel’s Messiah: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, at First Presbyterian Church. A community-wide presentation of the Christmas portion of Handel’s “Messiah” will be hosted in the sanctuary, with chamber orchestra and a community choir. The concert is free.
Singers from the community are invited to participate in the community choir. Rehearsals will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 6, 13 and 14 in the sanctuary. Dr. Russell Floyd will direct the performance.
Visit the church website at www.fpchhi.org or call the church office at 843-681-3696 for information. First Presbyterian Church is located at 540 William Hilton Parkway between mile markers 5 and 6.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: 7 p.m. Dec. 15, 16 and 17 and 2 p.m. 17 and 18 at the Island School for the Creative Arts auditorium. In Main Street Youth Theatre’s winter production of Barbara Robinson’s story “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids — probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem — and the fun — when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!
To purchase tickets, visit www.msyt.org or call 843-689-MAIN. Adult tickets are $15 and student tickets are $5. To purchase tickets, leave a message. The School for the Creative Arts is located at 10 Wilborn Road on Hilton Head Island.
There will also be an artisan market and baked goods from local bakeries an hour before the performance begins. Children can also meet and take pictures with Santa Claus during this time.
Athletics
Sporting Clays Shoot to benefit the Children’s Relief Fund: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2 at Forest City Gun Club in Savannah. $800 for a squad of four which includes complementary golf cart. $200 entry fee for individual shooters. Golf cart rental can be arranged for squads less than four. All entry fees include boxed lunch, monogrammed hat and four boxes of shells. All proceeds will benefit the Children’s Relief Fund. For more information, call Fuzzy Davis at 912-547-1464.
The 20th Annual Hilton Head Hospital Jingle Jingle 5K Run and Health Walk: 9 a.m. Dec. 17 on and around the Hilton Head Hospital Center Campus and Main Street.
The Family 5K Run & Health Walk features a colorful seasonal theme and provides participants a chance to burn off those extra holiday calories. The race features all standard male and female running divisions.
The first 400 participants will receive a long-sleeve event T-shirt, jingle bells and a candy cane.
An award ceremony featuring refreshments and door prizes will be held following the race. Holiday prizes will be presented to the top three overall male and female finishers, plus the top three in each age category will also receive unique holiday awards.
Participants are asked to bring gift cards or phone cards for donations to benefit CODA ( Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse ). People who donate gift or phone cards will qualify to win a Holiday Gift Package valued at over $150.
The Hilton Head Hospital Jingle Jingle 5K is sponsored by Publix, Savannah Cardiology, Uniform Work & Sport, The Bike Doctor, Atlanta Bread Company, Players Club Fitness Center, Ahh Green Spa, Coastal Plains Insurance and Go Tri Sports.
For more information, or to register, visit bearfootsports.com or call Bear Foot Sports at 843-757-8520.
Bluffton New Year’s Day Polar Bear 5K: 8:45 a.m. Dec. 31 at Berkeley Place on Buckwalter in Bluffton. The 3rd Annual Bluffton New Year’s Day Polar Bear 5K will start and finish at Cinemark in Bluffton, taking participants down Buckwalter Parkway, onto the Bluffton Parkway, through Buckwalter Place, running around the Care Core building and then back to finish at Cinemark.
All participants in the Polar Bear 5K will receive a colorful race T-Shirt. The event will also include an award ceremony and post-race celebration.
Entry fee of $25 must be postmarked by Dec. 27. Fee on race day is $30. Proceeds benefit Bluffton High School’s cross country team and Bluffton Fins swim team.
Visit www.bearfootsports.com for more information.
Book Signing
Julie Chalpan book signing: 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 10 at Books n Brew. Titan’s Tales and Other Dog Adoption Love Stories author, Julie Chalpan, will be at Books n Brew to sign her book. In conjunction with the book signing, Palmetto Animal League (PAL) will be there with dogs available for adoption. Part of the proceeds raised will benefit PAL, and will be doubled during this event. Therapy Dogs International #235 will also be at the event with therapy dogs and information about the organization. Two dogs from this organization are included in Titan’s Tales.
Titan’s Tales and Other Dog Adoption Love Stories pays tribute to shelter dogs, their caregivers and their new families. Hilton Head Island resident, Julie Chalpan (along with her husband, Keith), adopted Titan, a Jack Russell/beagle mix, more than 13 years ago from a shelter near Atlanta, Ga. Titan is now 15 and loves living on Hilton Head Island.
Books n Brew is located at 198 Okatie Village Drive, Suite 102 in Bluffton. For information on Books n Brew, visit www.booksnbrew.com.
Festivals
Hilton Head Island Winter Wonder Festival: 4-8 p.m. Dec. 9 at Shelter Cove Park. All ages are welcome to enjoy a taste of winter sponsored by Pink Magazine including moon bounces, carnival games, winter hayride, face painting, arts & crafts, tree decorating and live performances from the Main Street Youth Theater and the Bluffton School of Dance. Concessions sold separately with a hot chocolate, s’mores, hot dogs, pizza and much more. All the proceeds of this event benefit the Hilton Head Island Recreation Association Children’s Scholarship Fund.
For ages 2-15, admission is $10 per child. Parents are free and must remain with their children. For more information, visit www.islandreccenter.org or call the Island Recreation Center at 843-681-7273.
Hilton Head Rugby Club Oyster Roast: Murphy’s Irish Pub sponsors and hosts the annual Hilton Head Rugby Club Oyster Roast, which this year runs from 2 p.m. until the traditional rugby hour of “???,” Dec. 10.
Burgers, chili, beer and wine will be available, plus bouncy houses, raffles, prizes, live music and more. Tickets for food and beverage are $1 a piece, with prices ranging from a 10-ticket bucket of oysters to a one-ticket beer. All proceeds benefit the Hilton Head Rugby Club.
Call Garrett Hamilton at 843-301-3862 or Mike Vaughn at 843-422-7342 for more information.
Remembrance
Civil War Sesquicentennial: Various times and venues, Dec. 1-4.
Schedule of events:
Thursday, Dec. 1
Lecture, “The South Prepares for Invasion” – Dr. James Robertson, Jr., retired professor, Virginia Tech and Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, Blacksburg, Va.
Lecture, “Setting the Stage: Plantation Era and Beaufort County’s Preparation for War” – Dr. Steve Wise, Parris Island Museum.
Evening theatrical performance “The Road Home” at Hilton Head High School Performing Arts Center, compiled by Clarence Felder, directed by Chris Weatherhead, produced by Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina.
Exhibitions at the Verdier House, Historic Beaufort Foundation – guided tours Thursday, Friday and Saturday, given on the half hour. www.historicbeaufort.org,
843-379-3331
“Finding Historic Mitchelville” panel discussion and tour by the Mitchelville Preservation Project and a tour by the Hilton Head Island Land Trust. www.mitchelvillepreservationproject.com
Bluffton Historic District walking tour by the Bluffton Historic Preservation Society. Guided tour of Bluffton’s National Register Historic District includes a 30-minute tour of the Heyward House and an hour walk through old town. www.heywardhouse.org, 843-757-6293
Friday, Dec. 2
Lecture, “Secession and the Fire Eaters: The War Begins” – William Jack C. Davis, Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, Virginia Tech.
Lecture, “Commodore Samuel Francis DuPont, the Union Blockade and Preparations for the Department of the South” – Col. Kevin Weddle, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.
Recreation of the Battle of Port Royal Sound, narrated boat tour, led by Michael Coker (author of “The Battle of Port Royal Sound”).
Evening reception and grand opening of the new temporary exhibition “Civil War in the Lowcountry” at the Coastal Discovery Museum.
Saturday, Dec. 3
Lecture, “South Carolina Volunteers: Gen. David Hunter and Black Regiments in the Civil War” – Dr. Joseph Glatthaar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Roundtable wrap-up and book signing with Steve Hoffius and Larry Rowland (editors of “The Civil War in South Carolina: Selections from the South Carolina Historical Magazine”).
Civil War living history encampment with re-enactors at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.
Sunday, Dec. 4
Closing of commemoration service at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.
Civil War Living History Encampment with re-enactors at the Coastal Discovery Museum.
Full four-day ticket:
$375 per person Special pricing is available for teachers.
Reservations can be made by calling 843-689-6767, ext. 223, or by visiting the museum’s website at www.coastaldiscovery.org/civilwar.html
Daily tickets:
Thursday: $150 per person
Friday: $150 per person
Saturday: $100 per person
Wreath laying ceremony: Noon, Dec. 10 at Six Oaks Cemetary. Anyone looking to purchase a wreath, volunteer with wreath unloading or attend the event can call 843-671-1343.
Meetings
The American Association of University Women Holiday Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at the Sea Pines Country Club, 30 Governors Road, Hilton Head Island. The Sun City Chimers will be providing the entertainment. The tickets are $25. All are welcome. For more information and reservations call 843-341-6638.
League of Women Voters Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. Dec. 7 at the Moss Creek Clubhouse. Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Dr. Valerie Truesdale will give a talk titled “The Importance of Civic Engagement.” In keeping with that title, the league will be honoring Loretta Warden, chair of the Hilton Head Island Planning Commission, and Laura Bush, member of the Beaufort County Board of Education, for their service to the community. The public is invited to attend. The cost is $26. For reservations, contact Katie Miller at 843-681-6448.
Art
Craft Hilton Head 2011: 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1-30 the Walter Greer Gallery at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. The debut exhibit from the Fine Arts Crafts Guild will run through Dec. 30 with a special opening Dec. 1. Call 843-681-5060 for more information.
New Work by Cabell Heyward: Opening reception 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Charles Street Gallery in Beaufort. The works of Cabell Heyward, a contemporary oil painter of amazing realism, will be on display Dec. 9 through 31.
Based in Beaufort, Heyward’s work has been exhibited in the Atlanta Biennial at the Nexus Contemporary Art Center; the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens; the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Va.; at the Circular Congregational Church in Charleston, and regularly in private collections and in the Charles Street Gallery. His newest works, built with oil paints and found objects, in both 2D and 3D, casts the shadows that are deliberately manipulated and wonderfully sneaky, revealing what does and should exist.
The Charles Street Gallery is an established source for Lowcountry and international art, presented within a carefully renovated house surrounded by a lush garden in the middle of Beaufort’s historic district. 843-521-9054, thecharlesstreetgallery.com.
Educational
Benny Hudsons’ Seafood-Retail Seafood Market-Tasteful Tuesday: 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at Hudson Seafood Market. Come join the Hudson family and gang for some food and fun. A quick history lesson and seminar on the shrimping industry leads into a live cooking demonstration complete with samples. The Island Winery will also be on hand to pair dishes with the seafood. Bring a beach/folding chair, and your beverage of choice. This is a free event and space is limited, so reservations are required. Stop by the Market at 175 Squire Pope Road or call 843-682-3474 to sign up.
Animals of the Lowcountry: 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Dec. 27 and
29 at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Participants will learn about Lowcountry animals, including the barred owl, corn snake, alligator, opossum, flying squirrel, armadillo and more. Cost is $12 for adults and $7 for children, to attend, call 843-689-6767, ext. 223.
