Festive Flotilla
SAIL AWAY FROM that Thanksgiving food-coma and celebrate on the water Friday, Nov. 28, with the Swansboro Holiday Flotilla. This annual holiday parade held the Friday after Thanksgiving, will award prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in both small and large boat categories. Call 910-326-7370 for recorded information or visit swansborofestival.zoomshare.com.

An Enlightening Parade
Make Emerald Isle winter green Saturday Nov. 29 at the Emerald Isle Holiday Parade. The parade starts at 4pm, and parade goers are invited to Merchant’s Park directly following the parade for the official Christmas Tree Lighting. There will be free refreshments, as well as a holiday caroling sing-a-long. Santa Claus will be around to visit with the children. For more information, contact Diane Schools at 252-354-2916 or dschools@ec.rr.com.

O Tannenbaum
Looking for the perfect holiday tree idea? Be sure to stop in at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, Dec. 1-12, for the Festival of Trees. The festival is sponsored by Hospice of Carteret County and features over 50 beautifully decorated trees, great entertainment all week and visits from Santa. For more information call 252-247-3883.

‘Artfelt’ Gifts
Crafty shoppers know the best way to give the gift of art this holiday is to shop at the Arts and Crafts Coalition Holiday Show and Sale, Dec. 1-14. Local artists will display their juried works for sale in the old News Times Building on Arendell Street in Morehead City across from Hampton Inn. There will be an array of paintings, pottery, photography, textiles, 3-D art and jewelry. Hours are 10am - 6pm daily. For more information call Alex Russell at 919-495-3233 or 252-764-3089 or e-mail alex@gilaproductions.com. I Saw (More Than) Three Ships

This season spread some holiday cheer the way Carteret County knows best … by boat! The Christmas Flotilla will parade along the Morehead City waterfront Dec. 6, starting in Morehead City at 5:30pm and arriving in Beaufort about 6:15pm. Awards will follow at the NC Maritime Museum Watercraft Center in Beaufort. Seas-ons Greetings
At the holiday open house at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, Dec. 6, visitors get free admission with one nonperishable food item per person. Visitors will enjoy holiday decorations and a chance to see Santa. Call 252-247-4003 for more information.

He ‘Knolls’ If You’ve Been Bad Or Good
Kids of all ages are welcome in Pine Knoll Shores for the annual Christmas Parade, held on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 10am. The parade route begins at Magnolia Court, continues up Oakleaf Drive and ends where Oakleaf Drive meets Sycamore Road. Numerous entertaining parade units are planned with many surprises, including marching bands, decorative floats, and of course, Santa! For more information call Jacquie Pipkin at 252-622-0340 or e-mail at JPIPKIN@ec.rr.com

Trim the Tree With Tacky Tinsel
Put on your worst holiday sweater, most embarrassing musical holiday ties, elf-ear shaped earmuffs or whatever says “tacky holiday wear” and head straight to the Tacky Christmas Party Benefiting Christmas Cheer, Dec. 6, from 7pm-midnight. The party takes place at Chef’s 105, 105 S 7th Street in Morehead City. Free Poor will provide entertainment and party goers can participate in a holiday raffle to help give someone else a Christmas. The raffle starts at 10pm, and you must be present to win. For more information call Gina Szommer at 252-422-8377.

Breakfast With A Beard, Belly And Bowl Full Of Jelly
Children full of sugar plumb visions, and low on actual sugar plumbs? Head into Beaufort, where they can share their wishes with jolly St. Nick! The Beaufort Music Festival will sponsor “Breakfast With Santa” Dec. 6 at the Dockhouse Restaurant, located on Beaufort’s historic waterfront. Held from 8-11am, this breakfast costs $5 and includes French toast, fruit, juice, coffee and singing by Christmas carolers. Children will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken with Santa himself and photos will be printed on site at a cost of $5. For more information call Mo Will at 252-422-8365 or e-mail info@beaufortmusicfestival.com.

Follow the Light
The Pine Knoll Shores Garden Club is making preparations for its traditional Luminaria display on Christmas Eve. Luminaria will be placed on Mimosa Boulevard down to Brock Basin, as well as on Beechwood Drive to Hall Haven. Kits, consisting of eight candles and bags, will be on sale for $5 at town hall after the Dec. 6 Christmas parade and continue until Dec. 22. The garden club invites residents to join the display, which will be dedicated to the PKS World War II veterans and the PKS widows of World War II veterans.

Donations are appreciated to help pay for the candles and they can be in the form of memorials. Donations can be dropped off at town hall for the garden club. Volunteers are always welcome to help set out the Luminaria on December 24, helping to light the candles at 4pm and pick up the jugs on Christmas morning. Call Mary Hudak (252-247-2168) or Yvette Bannen (252-240-1528) if you are able to lend a helping hand.

Walkin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Don’t miss a chance to see the holidays through time Dec. 12-13 at the Beaufort Historic Site in Beaufort, 2pm-4:30pm. Enjoy a walk featuring open house tours of historic Beaufort bed and breakfast inns and the Beaufort Historic Site buildings decorated in period fashion for Christmas. For a less pedestrian tour, a special narrated holiday bus tour through the historic district is available aboard the vintage British double-decker bus. Seasonal music of the colonial period can be heard throughout the Historic Site. The Christmas Walk is free but there is a fee for the bus tour. For more information call 252-728-5225.

Breakfast With The Big Guy
Children of all ages can join Santa for a Christmas story and have breakfast with him afterwards on Dec. 13 at the Emerald Isle Community Center, 7500 Emerald Drive. Breakfast is at 10am, and the admission fee is one unwrapped gift per child or five canned goods per child. You must pre-register to attend. For more information contact Laura Lee Davis at 252-354-6350 or ldavis@emeraldisle-nc.org.

Marching Through Morehead
You’ll want to let the holidays pass you by on Dec. 13 with the Morehead City Holiday Parade, one of the largest parades in eastern North Carolina. The fun starts at 11am on Arendell Street. For information or to enter call 252-808-0440.

And Join the Chorus
Get some inspiration for caroling this holiday with two concerts presented by the Crystal Coast Choral Society under the direction of Finley Woolston. The choir will perform Benjamin Britton's Ceremony of Carols with harpist Gen Bolena on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 pm. Other seasonal music and the always popular audience sing-a-long of Christmas carols will be enjoyed. This concert will be held at All Saints Anglican Church, 292 McCabe Road, in Newport.

A repeat concert will be given at the Swansboro United Methodist Church, Hwy 24 (665 W Corbett Ave). This concert will begin at 3pm on Sunday, Dec. 14. Admission to both concerts is free, but donations will be welcome.

An invitation is extended to all singers interested in joining the group for Jan. 6, when Woolston will prepare the chorus for performing Mozart’s Requiem with the Carolina Chamber Symphony and director Robert Chumbley. Chumbley is the Executive Director of the Turnage Theatre Foundation in Washington. Woolston will conduct the first part of the concert featuring a variety of choral music. Two performances of the "Requiem" will be held in spring of ’09. For more information call Marilyn Zmoda at 252-247-5929 or Woolston at 910-324-5864.


Read more articles in the December print edition of Island Review.

●  Shorelines

●  Garden Scapes

●  Crooked Capers

●  Book Bag

●  Chamber Connection

●  County Perspective

●  Coastal Currents

●  Coastal Report

●  Property Watch

●  Rental Signs


●  Emerald Isle Mayor's Note

●  Emerald Tidings

●  Emerald Isle Town Meeting

●  Atlantic Beach Town Meeting

●  Atlantic Beach Mayor's Notes

●  PKS Mayor's Notes

●  PKS Town Meeting