Welcome to Visit Augusta GA blog

Westobou Festival starts this week! There is so much going on and so many awesome shows to see that I get a little worried about my wallet. Luckily there are tons of free events during Westobou that are just as fun. And who doesn’t love free stuff? So, here are 5 free events that you shouldn’t miss! These not your style? Go grab a program (they’re huge, so you can’t miss ‘em!) or visit the Westobou website.

Sarah Hobbs: Flight in Place (Sept 21 – Oct   ::: Hobbs’ photography explores phobias and obsessive compulsive behavior in a large scale, eye catching a thought provoking exhibit at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. This one, I’ve got to see.

Artists Row Community Sculpture (Sept 29 – Oct 6) ::: Help build ARTie, the Garden City Dragon! Participating artists and community members will help construct ARTie outside the Old Richmond Academy using recycled materials. The sketch of ARTie is huge! I can’t wait to see the end product.

Welcome Practicalonga (Sept 29) ::: It’s a Mini Tango Festival! I’m a sucker for anything dance – Footloose, Take the Lead, Dancing with the Stars. So I’m definitely not going to miss the chance to see the passion of the tango first hand! It’s being held at Casa Blanca Café, which means I get to eat awesome food too!

Chamber Series: French Modernism in Music & Art with Martin David Jones and Clara Park (Oct 4) ::: Off the top of my head, I have no idea what French Modernism is. But it sounds cool and I love music and art. So, what the heck – I’m going! St. John United Methodist Church is the perfect backdrop for something like this!

Social Canvas (Oct 4 – Oct 5) ::: I heart Social Canvas. The Parade Grounds at Old Richmond Academy will be full of people, live music, artists creating works inspired by the music, crafts to make on your own and art for sale…could you ask for anything more?

Have you ever had the feeling that you’d just stumbled upon something or someone that was going to be great? I love exploring new artists. It doesn’t matter if it’s music, dance or visual art – I always get great satisfaction knowing that what I’ve just discovered is going to be BIG. I guess it’s kind of like the small group of followers who supported “The Nerk Twins” knowing that they were on to something. Imagine how they felt when their favorite local band suddenly changed the face of music as “The Beatles.”

This weekend, Augusta gets the chance to explore the work of budding contemporary artists. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art will host the 31^st Annual “Sense of Place” exhibit which displays the work of three up and coming modern artists and offers a provocative glimpse into the modern art world.

Tonight, September 16^th is the opening reception for the exhibit, which will run through October 14th. It’s free admission. There’ll be complimentary wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres at Ware’s Folly. And you’ll have the chance to discover something big. Who knows, one of them might be the next Andy Warhol.

Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art

506 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA 30901

706-722-5495

Click here to see the video!   ———–>  Westobou Ticket Launch Flash Mob in Augusta, GA

First Friday, August 5th was the kickoff for the 2011 Westobou Festival ticket sales.  The Westobou Performance Project made their presence known at the corner of Broad and Tenth Street.  Have you heard the term Flash Mob? Well, at 6:30 pm all these people wearing colourful tee shirts broke out into dance. There were probably a hundred or more. 

I’m not sure if all those that were downtown for First Friday knew whether or not this was going to take place but it was nice to see so many people out downtown. The street looked like a parade had passed through after all the confetti. 

The Westobou Festival is an annual 10-day festival that celebrates art and culture.

The 2011 Westobou Festival will be from September 29th through October 8th.

Everything from the creation of public art like Sarah Hobbs’ installation and viewing on Friday, Oct. 7^th, to huge concerts like Roseanne Cash on Thursday, Sept. 29^th, Langhorne Slim on Saturday, Oct. 1^st, and Lizz Wright on Saturday, Oct. 8^th, to internationally acclaimed ballets like Botanica by Momix on October 6^th and 7th and much more flood the Augusta area for locals and visitors to enjoy.

For a full list of events and ticketing information, visit the Westobou Festival website .

“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. So whether your planning a weekend trip to visit Augusta or looking to show visiting friends and family a good time, this is a fun itinerary that has a few of my favorite things to do.

Friday Night

Get a taste of Augusta’s downtown dining scene. There’s something to please everyone’s taste buds. Feeling adventurous? Try Bees Knees – this tapas style restaurant adds Southern flair to international dishes.

Get a shot of Augusta’s downtown nightlife. While you’re out and about, enjoy live Indie bands, bar bands, and drink specials downtown. A few of my favorite hot spots are Sky City, Soul Bar, Metro Pub and Stillwater Taproom.

   If you’re in town the first Friday of the month, go and enjoy the First Friday festival in the Augusta Commons area. It’s one of my favorite things to do on a Friday night. You’ll find live performances, music, art, vintage cars, fair food and more. Many of the downtown businesses host special First Friday events as well.

Saturday

Get a look at the local market. Take advantage of the cool morning weather and stroll down to the Saturday Market on the River. Grab a freshly roasted and brewed cup of coffee and some locally grown fruit to snack on for a light breakfast while you peruse the work of local artists and are serenaded by local jazz musicians.

Get some grub. Since you had a light breakfast, grab a good lunch—there are lots of cafes and restaurants to choose from. One of my favorite lunch spots is New Moon Café. They offer a good variety of soups, sandwiches and Panini’s that are made with fresh, and mostly local, ingredients.

Get on a trolley. Hop on the Lady Liberty trolley for the Saturday Historic Trolley Tour. Hear the legend of the Haunted Pillar and Civil War stories. Learn about the bones in the Old Medical College basement and a rambunctious boy who grew up in Augusta and became a U.S. President. Tour historic downtown and get a feel for all the unique shops and restaurants that you want to visit and more! Sound like fun? Make sure you call ahead  (706-724-4067) and make reservations at least 24 hours in advance.

Get a glimpse of nature. Rent a canoe, pontoon boat, or jetski from the Riverwalk Marina before setting off for a self-guided nature cruise down the beautiful Savannah River. If you prefer to hand over the captain’s hat, try an Augusta Canal Cruise so you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Get some seafood. Before you head out for a night on the town, stop by Rinehart’s Oyster Bar for a “beyond casual” experience and enjoy fresh, simple seafood. My favorite thing on the menu is their fresh oysters, of course!

Get your groove on. A short drive down the road from Rinehart’s, you’ll find the Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon. Grab a friend and hit the dance floor. If you’re feelin’ lucky, go try and grab a balloon during the balloon drop and see if you’ve won a prize!

Sunday

Get to sleep late. After a late night, if you’re like me, you’ll want to sleep in a little. But don’t worry, you can still make it in time to enjoy “Augusta’s Best Sunday Brunch” at the Partridge Inn. Cheesy grits, bacon, biscuits and gravy, omelets, muffins, fresh fruit…you name it, they’ve got it!

Get a piece of Southern art. Take some time to explore the Morris Museum of Art. It’s the first museum that is dedicated to Southern art and works of Southern artists. Admission into the Morris is free on Sundays.

Get something to take home with you. I never leave someplace without doing a little shopping first. Augusta has tons of cool shops for you to check out. Downtown you can hit Artists Row—a group of galleries and studios that sell local art and hand-made jewelry, The Book Tavern—a little bookstore packed full of new, used and rare books, Vintage Ooollee—a vintage clothing and accessories boutique, and any of the quirky antique shops—my favorite thing about antique shops is you never know what you’ll find!  

Looking for someplace to stay? Check out our hotel listings to see which Augusta hotel best fits your style and budget.

Dash Rip Rock onstage at the Metro

One of my absolute favorite things about Augusta is that on almost any night of the week, I can go listen to live music somewhere downtown.

Take last Thursday night, for example. I saw that the Metro posted to Facebook that a band from New Orleans called “Dash Rip Rock” was playing. I looked up their band page and listened to a few songs (country punk is what I’d call it), but what impressed me the most was what I saw. Musical preferences aside, this band had rave reviews from the “New York Times,” “Billboard,” “USA Today” and tons of other publications. I decided that we (my husband and I) were going.

Metro Pub and Coffeehouse is in the heart of downtown Augusta on Broad Street, which makes it easy to find for navigationally challenged people (like myself). The atmosphere is always fun and laid back. You can go hang out before the show and play pool, grab your friends and sit outside or sit by the bar and talk (the staff is really friendly). My husband and ordered a couple of drinks and enjoyed the weather outside for a little while before the concert. (Metro also runs pretty awesome drink specials, so you won’t pay an arm and a leg for a few adult beverages.)

My husband (a self-admitted music junkie) watching the show.Dash Rip Rock packed the house!