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Top 5 things to get excited about in Augusta, Ga during December!

December 9, 10, 15, 16, 17

If you get a little tired of seeing the same holiday shows every single year, then you’ll love Misconception: The Lost Gospel of Christmas. Le Chat Noir’s inappropriately humorous, irreverent and endearing retelling of the greatest story ever told explores what might have happened if the birth of Jesus had happened during modern times.

December 11

The Augusta Museum of History is hosting their first ever Polar Express for children this year! Kids dressed in pajamas will receive their very own golden ticket and will board a real train and hear the story of the Polar Express while munching on cookies and hot chocolate.

December 16

Another first for the holidays in Augusta is the Magic of Santa Claus Trolley Tour! The entire family can take a magical journey that includes a sightseeing trip to view the city Christmas lights of both Augusta and North Augusta with stops along the way to meet with Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves from the North Pole! Stay warm in the trolley with cookies and cider or coffee.

December 18

A holiday favorite returns this year at the Imperial Theatre – 12 Bands of Christmas is back and bringing some of the best local artists to one stage for the biggest musical Christmas party of the year! If you want to take the show home with you, make sure you pick up a 12 Bands of Christmas CD while you’re there!

Through December 31^st

Stroll through millions of twinkling Christmas lights with a hot chocolate in hand at Lights of the South. While you’re there, you can take the kids to meet Santa, see Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, roast marshmallows and find your way through a lighted Christmas Tree maze!

“Whirl (N): a rapid round of events, affairs, etc”

We all need a little mini-vacation sometimes and a weekend whirl to freshen things up is always fun. October in Augusta, Ga ushers in cool fall weather and plenty of ways to enjoy it. Downtown is in full swing with exhibits, concerts, performing arts and festivals. So start planning your trip now for October 14^th – 16^th!

Friday Night

Cruise the Augusta Canal. Order dinner to go from Casa Blanca Cafe, grab a bottle of wine and a light blanket and put it all in a picnic basket before you head down to the Augusta Canal for a moonlight cruise with live music on board.

Saturday

Cruise around town. After strolling through the Saturday Market on the River, head over to the Augusta Museum of History and take a historic tour of Augusta aboard a trolley. You’ll learn about the legend of the Haunted Pillar, the bones in the basement of the Old Medical College building and lots of other cool facts about the history of Augusta.

Art Credit: Leonard "Porkchop" Zimmerman

 

Cruise through Gåårtdensity. Pronounced Garden City, Gåårtdensity Gallery offers an eclectic mix of urban art and jewelry from local artists. Make sure you check out one of my favorite artists – Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman – at the gallery. You’ll love his fun interpretation of pumpkins as part of the “Lurking in the Orange” exhibit, opening this weekend!

Cruise to 5 O’Clock. Head over to Kings Way and dine like a king for dinner at the 5 O’Clock Bistro. Make sure you try the Southern Fried Goat Cheese Pie with Georgia Peach Vinaigrette – it is absolutely delicious!

Zombies are cruisin’ for a bruisin’. Learn how to spot and slay zombies in Augusta’s first interactive haunted attraction – Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp. Le Chat Noir combines off-Broadway style theatre with haunted house scares and audience participation for an awesome Halloween season experience that you definitely should try.

Sunday

Cruise through the sky. Boshears Skyfest is a local favorite each year. Take a ride on a helicopter or airplane, watch air shows and parachute teams perform, ride the carnival rides and eat fair food for lunch before heading home.

Top 5 things to get excited about in Augusta, Ga during October!

September 29 – October 8

Music and art and dance…oh my! The Westobou Festival goes into full swing this month – transforming Augusta into the coolest place on Earth. Not convinced? Check out these awesome events that are just oozing “cool factor”: 1. A Film Comedy Evening with Peter Teschner. Who’s Peter Teschner? Only one of the most well know movie editors of our time with comedy classics like The Little Rascals, Borat, Dodgeball, Semi-Pro and Horrible Bosses under his belt.  2. Botanica by MOMIX. You might have seen the world class ballet troupe MOMIX on a Target commercial or on T.V performing on stages in some of the biggest and best cities in the world.   3. John Williams Spectacular. John Williams is the man. If you’ve seen any Indiana Jones, Star Wars or Jurassic Park or Home Alone movies then you’ve heard his work. The Symphony Orchestra Augusta brings all that to life…complete with Star Troopers.

October 7 – 9

Hola! Antio! Hello! Goodbye! The annual Greek Festival and Hispanic Festival offers the chance to eat as much food as possible in three days – all in the name of a cultural experience! See live performances, hear live music and devour everything in sight without feeling guilty.

October 7 – 9

If walls could talk… Get a glimpse into Augusta’s most beautiful, eclectic and historic homes in the Summerville community during the Summerville Tour of Homes. The walls may not be able to tell you their story, but you can still hear it from the spirits of the past! Historic Augusta’s annual Walk with the Spirits event features the ghosts of previous owners of the very houses you’ll see during the Tour of Homes!

photo courtesy of http://gregconnellairshows.com/2011/07/boshears-skyfest/

October 15 – 16

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No…it’s SkyFest! Boshears Skyfest brings planes, parachutes, helicopters and more to one place for a weekend full of family fun! I plan to take a helicopter ride. Afraid of heights? Then live vicariously through the parachute tricksters during one of their shows or ride one of the carnival rides.

October 13 – 30

Trick or Treat! Give me something fun to watch. Learn how to kill identify and kill Zombies (you know, just in case we ever have an outbreak) during Le Chat Noir’s haunted interactive attraction, Zombie Apocalypse Training Camp. Gun shy? Then sit safely in your seat and experience the classic story of Young Frankenstein. October’s ALIVE!

Just across the river in North Augusta is the Living History Park and this past weekend was their Colonial Days event.

What a great time!  Demonstrations and living exhibits about all things colonial abound: pottery, butter churning, candle making, blacksmithing, woodworking, and meat smoking are just a few.

Be sure to try their BBQ!

Colonial Days is a two day event, but the park is open to the public year-round and is still a beautiful place to visit although the buildings are closed except for special events.

Living History Park
299 West Spring Grove Ave.
North Augusta, SC 29841

I spent my Halloween day with my friend’s two little goblins: Alaynah, who was dressed up like a dead cheerleader, but mistaken for a pirate all day, and Nick, who was Superman. I decided to take them on a Petersburg Boat  ride along the Augusta Canal. These canal rides are provided daily Monday through Sunday by the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center located inside Enterprise Mill. Because it was Halloween we were in luck because those who came in costumes were offered a free boat ride; a savings of $12 per person.

Before the boat ride we toured the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center. The kids loved this because it offered them a fun learning experience. They were able to view and operate educational models, press buttons and turn wheels while having the opportunity to learn about how the Augusta Canal provided electricity for the city of Augusta and its mills in the past and still does today for some.

After the museum tour it was time to board the replica of the original Petersburg Boat, made from long leaf pine, which provided transportation of goods until it was discovered that trains were a more efficient transportation system. The kids had a blast and saw an abundance of wildlife such as beavers, yellow bellied sliding turtles and birds. We also saw fishermen, kayaks and canoes, because the canal offers recreation also. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the economic opportunities the canal offered the city of Augusta and poised the question “where would Augusta be if the canal had never been constructed?” It may still be here, but things would be very different. We Augustans love our city and don’t want to think about the what if!

If you are interested in learning the history of the beautiful city of Augusta and also finding an activity that is fun for the entire family than look no further because you have found it.

Augusta Canal Interpretive Center
1450 Greene St # 400
Augusta, GA 30901-5237
(706) 823-0440
www.AugustaCanal.com