Looking Forward to Fall Festival Season Down South
By Toni Davis
We Southerners are predictable. When the summer heat settles in, we slow down; we get lazy, we chill out on the beach and skip classes. When we detect the first hint of Fall is in the air and things cool down even the tiniest bit, we get strangely invigorated...we develop an insatiable thirst for music, art and all sorts of cultural diversions. It has always been this way, and I suppose it always will be. Of course, we each have a different definition of culture.
It may be the weird-but-wonderful Keys way of life epitomized by Fantasy Fest in Key West...or the easy grace and shabby elegance of Pawleys Island that led to the creation of the Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art...or the fresh outdoor fun and flavor of the Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival...the soulful, youthful, creative energy of the Voodoo Music Experience in historic New Orleans...or the delightfully sophisticated and ambitious Atlanta Arts Festival. Whatever your preference, Fall 2008 is shaping up to be Southern Festival Season at it's best, so, if you're thirsty for a taste of culture, try them all!
When we detect the first hint of Fall is in the air and things cool down even the tiniest bit, we get strangely invigorated...we develop an insatiable thirst for music, art and all sorts of cultural diversions.
Fantasy Fest
Key West, Florida
October 17-26, 2008
Just when you thought you couldn't bear one more moment of politics...Fantasy Fest organizers race to the rescue with Pirates, Pundits and Political Party Animals! Yep, 2008 Fantasy Fest takes a poke at politics, and, if you've ever been to Fantasy Fest before, you know exactly what that means, right? 2,000 half naked Obamas and 2,000 outrageous John McCains in drag, hundreds of giant George Bush heads and at least a couple shotgun-toting Cheneys in jockey shorts. Arnold Swartzenegger and Condoleezza Rice will be there, too, of course, and it will be a complete zoo - hysterically irreverent and ultimately kooky. This year, Key West celebrates the 30th year of Fantasy Fest...where fantastical fun will be shared as usual by more than 70,000 costumed partygoers.
Key West Special Events Calendar (Click Here)
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Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art
Pawleys Island, South Carolina
September 12-28, 2008
If you've ever been to Pawleys Island and the beautiful coast of South Carolina, you know that the natural beauty of the place is surpassed only by the endearing eccentricity of its residents. There are a lot of very wealthy people living along the Carolina Shore; they have enough money to could live anywhere in the world, but they choose to spend their days in the LowCountry where the lifestyle is proudly proclaimed to be ‘shabbily elegant.' The art and the music is aggressively eclectic: "Newgrass" by Sam Bush, Barrage String Ensemble, the Long Bay Symphony...to name a few.
Myrtle Beach Special Events Calendar (Click Here)
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Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival
Panama City Beach, FL
Columbus Day Weekend - October 10-11-12, 2008
I grew up on Panama City Beach, so this festival has a special place in my heart ... for many years, it was known as the Indian Summer Seafood Festival, but the Emerald Coast has grown up and it's Festival has grown up with it. As much as I treasure the memories of my simple childhood lifestyle in this beautiful beach town, I have to admit that I am very happy to welcome the fine cuisine, the fine wine and the outstanding entertainment and cultural opportunities that Northwest Florida's boom has brought to my hometown. The idea is simple - a celebration of the wonderful array of local area seafood prepared by local chefs merged with local and nationally acclaimed wines, entertainment and vendors with a special focus on families. The Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival is a true toast to the coast, and there is nothing more beautiful than an October day on Panama City Beach – take it from a true local!
Panama City Beach Special Events Calendar (Click Here)
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Destin Festival of the Arts
Destin, Florida
October 25-26, 2008
Destin has a reputation as an upscale resort for the wealthy, and, in many millions of ways that is true! But, this is also a complex, diverse community, and it's personality is reflected in its art. There is always a phenomenal showing of artwork at the Destin Festival of the Arts, but there is much more going on than merely art appreciation. Two entertainment areas offer a variety of live entertainment, and the food is spectacular. The Destin Festival of the Arts is held at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, overlooking the sugar white dunes and emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This fine arts festival will feature over 100 artists, ArtStop--a children's interactive art area, live music, bistro food court, an adult/student collaborative exhibit and festival t-shirts and posters.
Destin Special Events Calendar (Click Here)
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Voodoo Music Experience
New Orleans, Louisiana
October 24-26, 2008
The Voodoo Music Experience celebrates its tenth anniversary this October 24, 25, 26 in New Orleans with three of modern rock's most pivotal acts: R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots. New Orleans-born Lil Wayne, the hottest rapper on the planet, has been added to the lineup of the Voodoo Experience music festival. These artists-along with the Neville Brothers, who are making their first-ever Voodoo appearance--highlight a bill that also continues to honor the rich musical traditions of this unique American city, with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Irvin Mayfield's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and The New Orleans Bingo!
New Orleans Special Events Calendar (Click Here)
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Atlanta Arts Festival
Atlanta, Georgia
September 14-16, 2008
This fall, Piedmont Park will welcome the debut of the Atlanta Arts Festival. The Atlanta Arts Festival is a professionally juried, fine arts exhibition dedicated to filling the void of a fall time arts Festival in the city of Atlanta. It's mission is to bring together outstanding artists from all over the country with the large and enthusiastic art buying community of the Atlanta area. AAF will feature 200 of the country's finest painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metal craftsmen, glass blowers and more! Participants for this year's Festival have already been juried and selected. Many of those selected do not often get to Atlanta so the Capital of the South is looking forward to welcoming a new variety of artists new to the Atlanta market.
Atlanta Special Events Calendar (Click Here)
