Archive for the ‘St Mary’s Area Events’ Category

Hay Days in St. Marys

October 7th, 2011 by Mckenzie

Do you want to "Build-A-Scarecrow"?

 Hay Days comes to St. Marys every year at the beginning of October. It is a month of fun activities for fall. The main street in St. Marys, Osborne Street, will be decorated for the season with scarecrows from businesses, individuals and organizations. Each year locals have a great time coming up with the most innovative and creative scarecrows. It seems like the “population” in town  has increased with the new residents and there is hay covering everything! It is a fun way to not only get involved with your community but to also get out and enjoy this great weather.

 The annual Hay Days will take place October 8-29th, with numerous events throughout the month in downtown St. Marys, including the “Build-A-Scarecrow” event which takes place Saturday, October 8th. You can build your own scarecrow to take home or put on display downtown. This event is held at Orange Hall and will last from 10am-12pm. When you register, you will receive a “Scarecrow Kit” for $20 ($25 at door, if available) that will contain everything you need to build your own. Registration is encouraged because this activity is limited to the first 50 people. Also, come out and enjoy all the hard work and creative thinking that went into building these scarecrows during the “Scarecrow Stroll” on Tuesday, October 11th from 5 to 7pm. Tuesday night during the Scarecrow Stroll dress up in your best costumes. There will be trick or treating, hay rides and bounce houses.  There will also be a haunted history tour on October 28th from 6 to 9pm. This walking tour includes stops at the Oak Grove cemetery, Submarine Museum, Orange Hall and other stops along the way. October 29th will end the Hay Days but one last event takes place. The inaugural Last Saturday on the Waterfront from 3 to 9pm which will encourage people to visit local businesses in St. Marys. All of these events are great for the whole family. 

The scarecrows will be around town all month long so at anytime you could take your own stroll down Osborne Street to see all the really cool scarecrows. This is such a fun way for everyone to start the fall season, whether you build a  scarecrow or  just stroll down the street to enjoy all of them. The city of St. Marys during Hay Days would put anyone in an “I Love Fall” kind of  mood!

For more information on the St. Marys Hay Days Celebration, contact the St. Marys Downtown Development Authority, (912) 882-8111 or info@stmarysdda.com

St. Marys Rock Shrimp Festival 2011

September 20th, 2011 by Mckenzie

Rock Shrimp Anyone?

Every year St. Marys hosts the Rock Shrimp Festival on the first Saturday in October. This year on October 1, 2011, it will be the 39th annual festival. The festival is all about our special rock shrimp found in the coastal waters of Georgia. With the St. Marys Kiwanis Club sponsoring this event, we look forward to food, games, entertainment, vendors and so much more. Bring the whole family and experience this fun filled festival that only St. Marys has to offer.

Events for the festival include a pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30am, the 5k and 10k run will also start at 7:30am, the parade starts at 10:00am, and of course the Rock Shrimp dinner plates will be served from 11:00am to 5:00pm. The rock shrimp dinners not only include the rock shrimp but they also have regular shrimp, fish, cole slaw and hushpuppies made from a “secret” recipe. To buy tickets in advance for the pancake breakfast or the dinner plates, you can go to any of the following: St. Marys welcome center, Kingsland visitor center,  St. Marys Economic Building, Camden Printing, Tribune & Georgian and Once Upon a Bookseller, or from members of the Kiwanis Club of St. Marys. If you are interested in filling out an application for the run , click here.
 
Along with the parade at 10:00am, there will be entertainment at the waterfront park and throughout the festival. Vendors line the streets of downtown St. Marys with a wonderful variety from arts and crafts to specialty items and also our little shops here in the village are always fun to visit. The food at any festival is delicious but to add the rock shrimp dinners, it’s like a true southeastern Georgia festival made complete. This is a great way to spend your first Saturday in October, the beginning of fall. Not only do you get to enjoy the Rock Shrimp Festival but you also get involved with the community and see what makes St. Marys so special.
 
 All proceeds from the festival will go to the funding for the children’s programs and other programs that the Kiwanis Club sponsors, such as the Thanksgiving baskets that are put together and presented to families in need or gifts at Christmas time for children in the community. Come one, come all for a delightful day!
 

Annual Catfish Festival in Kingsland, GA

August 25th, 2011 by Mckenzie

Who doesn't like pie?

The Labor Day weekend Catfish Festival is held every year in Kingsland, Georgia. This year it will be held September 3rd through the 5th. This popular festival is one of the biggest events in southeast Georgia. With more than 65,000 people attending over the holiday weekend, there is always plenty of catfish to go around. It is said that there is over 10,000 pounds of farm-raised catfish cooked up and served for this fun event. The delicious catfish dinners are available beginning at 12:00 noon on Saturday and Sunday and 11:00am on Monday Labor Day.

Food vendors along with arts & crafts, antiques & collectibles and vendors selling art and other unique items line the streets of downtown Kingsland. There is plenty of entertainment too at this three day outdoor festival. In addition to the catfish, remember there are plenty of food options including deep-fried onion blossoms, oriental fare, barbecue, homemade ice cream, etc.

Several events occur during the weekend including the 5K run, car and truck show, parade and also entertainment from many different local and regional bands. For a full list of the events and times, go to www.kingslandcatfishfestival.com. The festival does a nice job offering things to do for the children as well as for the adults too. The Catfish Festival closes down every day at 6pm. 

On Monday morning the festival is not winding down by any stretch of the imagination, there is a big pancake breakfast sponsored by The Lions Club followed by the awesome parade which starts at 10am and heads down Highway 17 into Kingsland – the parade features our award winning high school band and our state championship high school football team – just what a hometown parade should have!

Overall, this is a great festival for family and friends to enjoy. Between the big parade on Monday and the secret recipe for the catfish, you just can’t go wrong attending this festival for a day or for all weekend. With this event being only 15 minutes from downtown St. Marys, you could enjoy a day at the festival and also visit Cumberland Island and tour the historic district of St. Marys too – what a fun holiday weekend!

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

February 7th, 2011 by Seth

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

March 11, 12, 13
Every year this prestigious event brings thousands of visitors from all over the world to see the display of antique and rare automobiles of all makes and models. All have been magnificently restored and are held to an exceptionally detailed inspection before display. Many of the lodging facilities on Amelia Island are running out of rooms already! Spencer House Inn is located only 45 minutes from the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and we still have availability for this event.

Christmas in Downtown St. Marys

December 5th, 2010 by Seth

Spencer House Decorated for Christmas

The Christmas Season has gotten off to a great start in St. Marys. We have all kinds of Christmas events happening downtown, and the Spencer House Inn is decorated, inside & out. There will be something for everyone this holiday season. 

The Waterfront Park was filled with

Read the rest of this page »