Things to do / Travel Guide
January
In Atlanta, the Martin Luther King Celebration commemorates the noble efforts of local hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Taking place during the second week of January, this event is comprised of a Saturday night dinner called “A Salute to Greatness,” followed by a special service the following Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which takes place at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Three generations of Kings preached at this church.
In Buckhead in Atlanta, at the Cathedral of St. Phillip, there is an antique fair called the Cathedral Antiques Show. Held during the last week of January over a four-day span, this antiques festival features various wares on display and also includes a tour of some of the local Buckhead mansions.
February
Every year in the middle of February, Charleston gets its blues on at the annual Bonterra Blues Bash. The festival lasts 10 days, with local restaurants, clubs, and hotels participating, and it aims to please blues lovers of all stripes, from traditional to post-modern.
March
During five days at the beginning of the month, there is the premier Southeastern Flower Show, held at the Atlanta Exposition Center. The show features over 90 different garden vendors selling gardening materials, as well as various flower and plant displays. The event, which covers over four acres of landscapes and gardens, has special activities for kids, too.
On the 17th of March, and the accompanying weekend closest to it, the locals of Savannah commemorate St. Patrick's Day by turning both the Savannah River and the city's beer green. Local lore holds that this is the second-largest St. Patrick's Day festival in the country (after New York City). The St. Patrick's Day Celebration on the river also features live music and good food; the parade runs down River Street.
Also in late March is the very popular Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens. This is a four-day event that features self-guided walking tours where house owners open their homes and gardens to total strangers, letting them pop in and sneak a peek. Included in the event are special teas and staged luncheons, which exhibit the “fine” culture of Savannah and its famous Southern hospitality.
April
For three days in mid-April, there is the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, which is held all across the city. This event includes bicycle tours of exclusive Buckhead neighborhoods, and highlights the exotic local plant life at the height of spring. Featured are azaleas and, of course, the blooming dogwood trees. During the last day, there are several booths that are put up throughout the city offering activities for children and concerts.
May
One special event held at the start of May that is a must-see for any garden enthusiast is the Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour. Held over Mother's Day weekend and sponsored by the Atlanta Botanical Garden, this event allows visitors to tour around private gardens while raising money for local preservation efforts. Note that tours range in price from $10-$20 per garden.
During the week before Memorial Day, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is held at different places all across the city. In the past, this festival has attracted the likes of Nancy Wilson, Cyrus Chestnut, Max Roach, and Wynton Marsalis. Some of the concerts take place in Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta, and these events are all free. Events in other places throughout Atlanta require some sort of entrance fee, and those who wish to attend are encouraged to contact the Performing Arts Hotline.
Each year, the Savannah Symphony Women's Guild sponsors the Savannah Symphony Duck Race. This event takes place at the beginning of May and features a flock of rubber ducks as they glide along the tides that parallel River Street. The one with the “fastest” rubber ducky wins big money: $5,000, but all proceeds go to support the Savannah Symphony.
June
From the last day of May until June 4th, Myrtle Beach's Sun Fun Festival is a source of fun in the sun. There's a parade, some concerts, beach competitions, and, at the end of the day, a fireworks extravaganza. Many of the competitions are perfect for the young crowd.
During a seven- to 10-day period in late June, sometimes running all the way to the middle of July, the Atlanta Film Festival is held in various cinematic venues across the city. More than 80 different films are screened, ranging from big Hollywood productions to independent films to documentaries.
July
During the first weekend of July, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens sponsors the Asian Culture Experience. This event is a large-scale celebration of all things Asian, including Asian dance and theater performances, Asian music, an Asian art show, an Asian arts and crafts fair, as well as Asian-inspired children's activities. To get in, guests only have to pay the usual entrance fee to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
August
In Savannah you can catch the Summer Concerts in the Squares. It takes place from June until early August, in Johnson Square. Featured are jazz, Classical music, and some pop.
September
During the week and weekend of Labor Day in August there is a large-scale reggae, gospel, jazz, and blues festival called the Montreux Atlanta Music Festival. This is held all over Atlanta, in places like Piedmont Park and the Centennial Olympic Park, downtown. Most venues require some sort of entrance fee, but events in Piedmont Park during Labor Day weekend are usually free.
At the beginning of the month in Myrtle Beach is an event where one man's junk becomes another man's treasure: South Carolina's Largest Garage Sale. This event is sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department, and features lots of locals who set up stalls and booths across a giant parking lot where they hock their various second- and third-hand goods.
Every year in Savannah in mid-September, the Savannah Jazz Festival features local, national, and international jazz and blues musicians. The performances take place at a variety of locations throughout the city.
During late September and October, the Preservation Society of Charleston hosts the Fall Candlelight Tours of Homes and Gardens. These walking tours are self-paced and showcase the churches, homes, and public buildings of particular architectural significance.
October
What the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is to the Midwest, the Annual Myrtle Beach Fall Rally is to the South. This bikers' delight takes place late-September to early-October. You can choose to show off your bike, or, if you don't have facial hair, stand along the side and make way.
Every year in the middle of October, in the small Georgia town of Vienna, the state-wide barbecue cook off called the Big Pig Jig takes place. At this event, barbecue “chefs” compete with one another to see who can cook the most succulent and tasty pig; the event also includes a parade, a “Hog Jog” race, some carnival rides, and a sidewalk art contest.
Also in the middle of October is the Annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games event, held out at Stone Mountain Park in Gwinnett County. This two-day festival includes pipe and drum concerts, sword and reel dancing, a hammer throw and caber toss, as well as Scottish harping and fiddling, and Highland dancing.
November
For those who want to get a taste of local life in Atlanta, the Candlelight Tours, which are held in late November, are highly recommended. This event offers tours of historical homes and gardens in Atlanta and features storytelling focusing on Christmas. The Candlelight Tours is sponsored by the Atlanta History Center.
Starting in November and lasting until the middle of January, the Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand is all lit up for the Merrily Myrtle - A Holiday Celebration, which features parades, Christmas festivals, and musical concerts.
December
During the first Saturday of December, the Sugar Plum Festival is held at the Stone Mountain Village near Atlanta. This event is very popular with children, who can have breakfast with Santa Claus. After this first Saturday, kids can also come and visit Santa every Thursday or Friday evening until Christmas.
In early December in Savannah there is a dramatic reenactment of the Christmastime evacuation of Fort Jackson. “Christmas 1864” features over 60 Civil War re-enactors, who play Confederate soldiers fleeing during the oncoming approach of General Sherman and his troops.
For those who want to get a peek inside some of Savannah's most exclusive homes, check out the Holiday Tour of Homes. People who come to this walking tour are allowed entry into some of Savannah's most historic homes to gawk at the ostentatious Christmas displays. Sponsored by the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the houses on display change daily.
On the last day of the year, New Year's revelers crowd the streets around Underground Atlanta to gawk at the Big Peach as it rings in the New Year. The Big Peach is Atlanta's answer to the New Year's Eve events in Times Square in New York. Atlanta's celebration also features a laser show, some balloons, a pyrotechnic extravaganza, and a local marching band; the dancing takes place before, during, and after the spectacular.
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