FREE Kid-Friendly Holiday Ballet Rendition of The Nutcracker @ Savannah Cultural Arts Center, Nov. 17

Tybee Ballet Theatre presents The Land of the Sweets @ Savannah Cultural Arts Center’s Ben Tucker Theater on Fri. Nov. 17 2023 @ 7PM.

In partnership with Savannah Cultural Arts Center through the Spotlight and Weave-A-Dream Programs, this ballet will be unique and inclusive rendition of the beloved holiday classic, The Nutcracker. 

The performance will take place on Nov. 17 2023 at 7PM The Ben Tucker Theater in SCAC at 7PM at no cost to the public! 

Seating is limited, but you can reserve your free ticket online here.

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Tybee Ballet will present Land of the Sweets as ticketed events on Sat. Nov. 18 2023 @ Savannah Cultural Arts Center @ 3 & 7PM as well as Sat. Dec. 9 2023 @ 3 & 7PM and Sun. Dec. 10 2023 @ 3PM at The Tybee Post Theater. Purchase online here.

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Chatham County Parks & Recreation is hosting this free Trunk or Treat in Lake Mayer Park in Savannah on Fri. Oct. 27 2023,· 6 – 8:30PM.

Please bring your own trick or treat bag.

Lake Mayer Park, 1850 East Montgomery Cross Road Savannah, 31406

You love SouthernMamas.com Annual Best Home Holiday Lights Decorations list to ride around looking at lights. Here’s our smaller scale Savannah Halloween-Fall decoration list – by no means the best – just some fun picks from readers & us.

Ardsley Park – especially Abercorn between Victory and 52nd Street and Washington Avenue between Abercorn and Daffin – are teeming with waving skeletons, giant skeletons, dancing in circle ghosts & witches smacking into poles and more. You can even find yellow-raincoat clad Georgie with red balloon from Stephen King’s ‘It.” ( 235 Washington Ave., Ardsley Park)

Please send your additions for the list to anne@southernmamas.com

SEE OUR SAVANNAH HALLOWEEN HOMES INSTAGRAM REEL HERE.

* E. Park Avenue @ Price St., 7-11PM every night.

*45 E. 44th St., Ardsley Park

*3505 Abercorn St., Ardsley Park

*2909 Abercorn St. Ardsley Park

*36 51st St. – giant skeleton & more, Ardsley Park

*Reynolds & 52nd streets (pictured) & Reynolds & 51st streets, Ardsley Park

*536 & 408 E. 50th St., Ardsley Park

*337 & 139 Washington Ave., Ardsley Park

*235 Washington Ave., Ardsley Park (Georgie with red balloon from Stephen King’s ‘It’)

*Whitaker Street across from Forsyth has a few including 909 Whitaker St. – skeleton porch party

*122 E. 38th St. – witch trio, rocking chair skeletons & more , Starland District

*1002 E. Henry St.

*Store windows at E. Shaver Bookstore, 326 Bull St.

*Various fall-bedecked door steps, porches in Savannah Historic District including The Inn on W. Liberty, 109 W. Liberty St; 106 W.Jones St; 517 & 501 E. Broughton

*5505 Magnolia Ave. Magnolia Park neighborhood, Inflatables.

*5708 Colonial Dr., Magnolia Park neighborhood

Please send your additions for the list to anne@southernmamas.com

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Find Savannah-area fall fun here & in SouthernMamas.com event calendar.

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SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter, Oct. 5

Find all the Savannah fall fun for kids in SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter. Savannah Fall Festivals, Pumpkin Patch Farms & more kid fun.

Read it here

Subscribe for free here.

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Community Tree Giveaway 2023, Savannah

IT’S TRICK OR TREES 2023

You get FREE TREES as your spooky treat

Saturday, Oct. 28 2023
9-11AM
Tricentennial Park @ Georgia State Railroad Museum 655 Louisville Rd.

Pick up a free tree for your yard and learn all about the benefits of growing our urban forest.

There will be 13 species of native and fruit trees, kid-friendly activities, and treats for the whole family. Please limit 1 tree per person.

Costumes encouraged.

The trees are sponsored by State Farm through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Program.

Free SMF Community Family Jam presented by SMF Jazz Academy

It’s the Savannah Music Festival’s Community Family Jam presented by SMF Jazz Academy!

FREE and OPEN to the Public

Saturday, Oct. 21 2023, Noon-4 pm

Bring a comfy chair or picnic blanket to join us for a fun-filled day of music and family-friendly activities at Daffin Park. SMF Jazz Academy is bringing together talented musicians from the community for a jam session like no other.

Bring your family and friends to enjoy live performances by slam poetry and local jazz bands featuring toe-tapping rhythms and soulful melodies. Get ready to dance, tap along, and let loose!

Learn more here.

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Free Community Wellness Walks

Come walk to get outside and reap all the wellness benefits of walking in nature.

Bring the kids, bring the dog, bring your mom…just come!

A nature activity (scavenger hunt/hike) will be provided to anyone who would like to partake.

Free Community Wellness Walk

Fri. Nov. 3 2023: Wellness Walk 10AM Skidaway Island State Park ($5 park entrance fee)

Fri. Dec. 15 2023: Wellness Walk 10AM McQueen Island Trail

Learn more here.

Free Community Celebration Day, Sat. Oct. 14, @ Telfair Museums’ three sites, Savannah

Telfair Museums will celebrate the conclusion of the Community in Conversation: Legacy of Slavery in Savannah initiative with a Free Family Day on Sat. Oct. 14 2023 from 10AM to 5PM,

Visitors can enjoy free admission to all three of Telfair Museums’ sites (Jepson Center, Telfair Academy, and the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters) as well as special programs and activities at the Jepson Center.

The festivities will include live local performances, engagement with community partner organizations, and curator-led tours of the art exhibitions Richmond Barthé: Harlem Renaissance Sculptor, Created Beasts: Sculpture by Ulysses Davis, and the Telfair Academy. Art activities for all ages will take place from 1-4pM along with treats provided by Savannah Square Pops.

The day of fun will conclude with a family-friendly puppet parade around Telfair Square.

Learn more here.

For more information about Community in Conversation: Legacy of Slavery in Savannah, please visit telfair.org/los.

*Tours at the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters this day will be abridged and of limited capacity.

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Free Halloween games, kids’ karaoke dance party @ The Magical World of Toys, Savannah

Bring your kids to this free Halloween-themed event this Sun. Oct. 15, 11AM-3PM @  The Magical World of Toys, a new toy store in Savannah’s Live Oak neighborhood off Waters Avenue:

Halloween-edition game time, Halloween kids karaoke dance party.

Come in costume. Bring a pumpkin to paint.

Toy store owner Dante Pierson plans to host regular community kids’ events at the store.

Learn more here.

See SouthernMamas.com reel spotlighting the toy store’s stage & dress-up gear here.

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Savannah Wiener Dog Races @ Plant Riverside District, Sat. Oct. 7

On Saturday, October 7, Plant Riverside District will host the 2023 Savannah Wiener Dog Races, organized by Savannah’s Waterfront.

Registration begins at 9AM with races starting at 11AM in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.

Race heats are open to Dachshunds as well as “Almost Wiener Dogs,” with proceeds benefiting Savannah’s Waterfront.

Apart from the fastest run awards in all categories and weights, there will be exciting contests such as best dressed dog, best-dressed dog owner, and more. Entry cost is $25. The grand prize winner will receive a special trophy as well as a $100 credit for Yappy Hour at Electric Moon.

Click here to submit your dog’s online entry form.

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Music, food, art, kid zone and games for all @ Hull Park Fall Festival 2023, 1-6PM Sat. Oct. 21 @ Hull Park in Savannah (55th Street & Atlantic Avenue)

Please reserve your free tickets through EventBrite so organizers can plan, all are welcome to attend!

RSVP HERE

Learn more here.

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Tybee Island Pirate Fest 2023 is Oct. 5-7

Tybee Island Pirate Fest includes bounce house, face-painting, and, our favorite, Tybee Pirate Fest Parade, 3PM Sat. Oct. 7 2023. The parade starts @ 6th Street and travels along Butler Avenue.

Learn more here.

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Find more FREE Savannah fall fun here.

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Savannah Children’s Book Drive & Local Author Fair, Sat. Oct. 7, Johnson Square

Come donate some new or gently used books, then pick up a few new ones @ the Savannah Children’s Book Drive & Local Author Fair, 10AM-2PM Sat. Oct. 7 in Johnson Square in downtown Savannah.

Savannah authors, representing a variety of genres, will do book signings and sales while Book Nation of Dreamers collects book donations. The event is free and open to all ages.

Learn more here.

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Find more Savannah Fall 2023 Fun here.

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SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter, Sept. 13

Find all the Savannah fall fun for kids in SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter. Savannah Fall Festivals, Pumpkin Patch Farms & more kid fun.

Read it here

Subscribe for free here.

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Skidaway Marine Science Day, Savannah

Oct. 14 2023, noon – 4PM @ UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island, Savannah

Free and open to the public

Come to Skidaway Marine Science Day, a popular, annual can’t-miss event for all ages, on Sat. Oct. 14, from noon to 4PM on the UGA Skidaway Marine Science campus, located on the north end of the island. The campus-wide open house will be presented by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

As part of Skidaway Marine Science Day, the UGA Aquarium will be open to visitors with no admission fee. Aquarium educators will offer an afternoon full of activities, including a hands-on reptile exhibit, behind-the-scenes peeks of the aquarium and lab studies on the dock behind the facility.

Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Shellfish Research Lab will provide behind-the-scenes tours of Georgia’s only oyster hatchery and share efforts by researchers to make oyster aquaculture a more durable and sustainable coastal industry.

In addition, environmental organizations and researchers studying important coastal issues will have tables with a variety of exhibits and hands-on activities for people of all ages.

All activities at Skidaway Marine Science Day are free. Food will be available for purchase.

Questions? Contact Cindy Lingebach at calingeb@uga.edu.

Learn more here.

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New Savannah toy story offers free community kids’ events including a fun one Thurs. 9/21, 6-8PM

Check out the new toys, the stage, dress-up gear and puppets at this new toy store in Savannah’s Live Oak neighborhood off Waters Avenue: The Magical World of Toys.

You’re invited: Family Game Night, Puppets & Kids Karaoke, 6-8PM on Thurs. Sept. 21 @ The Magical World of Toys. Plus, live kids’ music.

Toy store owner Dante Pierson plans to host regular community kids’ events at the store.

Learn more here.

See SouthernMamas.com reel spotlighting the toy store’s stage & dress-up gear here.

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Calvary Day School STEM Night, Sept. 26, Savannah

Each year Calvary Day School’s STEM night allows students, families, and community members to explore Calvary’s STEM department and STEM and Nature Center.

You are invited to attend Calvary’s STEM Night 2023, 5-7PM Tues. Sept. 26. @ Calvary Day School, 4625 Waters Ave, Savannah.

Visitors can participate in hands-on educational activities with community partners (Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, Children’s Museum of Pooler, Snapology of Savannah, Short Circuit: Specialty Electronics and Robotics, Georgia Southern University Center for STEM Education, Savannah State University, Center for Education Integrating Science Math and Computing (CEISMC), Coastal Financial Consultants – Thrivent, UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, and Lynch Associates Architect).

If you or someone you know works in a profession that would be interested in hosting a table and hands-on activity, organizers would love for you to attend. Contact Natalie Helbling at nhelbling@calvarydayschool.com.

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Free Open House With Games, Giveaway, Aerial Demos, Singing @ Savannah Children’s Theatre

Here’s your chance to find out all that Savannah Children’s Theatre has to offer.

Come to a free Savannah Children’s Theatre open house packed with kid-friendly fun this Sat. Sept. 23 2023 11AM-2PM.

Savannah Children’s Theatre is opening their doors and sharing all they do- musical theatre classes, aerial arts, camps, field trips, audition shows open to all ages (7 and older) in the community as well as SCT’s new Pooler classes. 

There will also be face painting, craft making, aerial demos and interactive singing and games with the children that attend.

Bring a buddy and introduce them to all the ways they can join in the fun.

No reservations needed for this free open house.

Savannah Children’s Theatre is @ 2160 East Victory Drive next to High Cotton Kids and Planet Fitness in the Starbucks shopping center.

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Free Girls in Aviation Day for girls ages 8-18 on Sat. Sept 23, 10AM-2PM in Savannah

Sign up your child for a free fun event hosted by Sheltair Aviation in Savannah.

The Southern Wings Chapter of WAI presents the 2023 Girls in Aviation Day, 10AM-2PM Sat. Sept. 23 2023.

This FREE event will be packed with activities and inspiring experiences. Girls in Aviation Day is all about empowering girls to explore the amazing world of aviation.

The event features hands-on activities including flight simulators, aircraft displays, a drone demonstration and the chance to meet female pilots, engineers, mechanics and more!

Whether you dream of flying high in the sky or want to learn more about aviation careers, this is the event for you.

Register online here for Girls in Aviation Day 2023.

Anyone ages 8-18 are encouraged to attend! Students younger than 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Student registrations must include the parent or guardian information to complete the registration.

Details here.

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Wiener Dog Races – a longtime Oktoberfest tradition in Savannah – are back.

Plant Riverside District will be the new home for the Savannah Wiener Dog Races.

Plant Riverside District in Savannah will host the third annual Oktoberfest celebration from Wed. Oct. 4 through Sat. Oct. 28, including the return of the popular Savannah Wiener Dog Races. These family-friendly festivities will take place at Plant Riverside District, located on Savannah’s historic riverfront at 400 W. River St.

On Sat. Oct. 7, Plant Riverside District will host the 2023 Savannah Wiener Dog Races, which will be organized by Savannah’s Waterfront. Registration begins at 9AM; with races starting at 11AM in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Race heats are open to Dachshunds as well as “Almost Wiener Dogs,” with proceeds benefiting Savannah’s Waterfront.

The grand prize winner will receive a special trophy as well as a $100 credit for Yappy Hour at Electric Moon. $25 entry fee per dog. The official entry form is available online here.

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Oktoberfest Festivities

Every Saturday from 1-4PM during October, Plant Riverside District will feature a range of free German-themed activities. The Rhinelanders will perform live polka music at 1 p.m., followed by a Cupcake Walk Competition at 1:30 p.m., Keg Bowling Competition at 2:30 p.m. and Stein Holding Competition at 3:30 p.m. Special prizes will be awarded to winners in each category.

Oktoberfest 2023 at Plant Riverside District will officially kick off on Wed. October 4 at 7 p.m. with a free outdoor concert featuring the Uni-Big Band Halle in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. This special live performance will feature talented musicians from Halle, Germany, which is Savannah’s “sister city,” and is co-presented by Plant Riverside District and the Teutonic Council of Savannah and sponsored by The Halle Foundation of Atlanta. 

Throughout Oktoberfest, restaurants at Plant Riverside District will serve specialty beers as well as German food. 

Find more information about Oktoberfest 2023 at Plant Riverside District or to view a complete entertainment schedule here.

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The 18th Annual Buddy Walk will be Saturday, Oct 7, 2023 in Forsyth Park, Savannah.

Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society will partner with the Savannah Philharmonic and share Forsyth Park for the day.

Opening ceremonies for The Buddy Walk will be 10AM; Buddy Walk starts at 10:30AM. The Family Fun event after the walk will be 11AM-2PM and will kick off with the car raffle drawing and announcement of the raffle winner.

Participants will walk a mile around Forsyth Park. This event is a time of celebration and community, raising support and awareness for those with Down syndrome. Following the Buddy Walk, the Savannah Philharmonic will host its annual Phil the Park concert that evening.

Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society is partnering with Grainger Honda and Grainger Nissan of Savannah to sell tickets at $100 each for a chance to win a new SUV from Grainger Honda & Grainger Nissan. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold and the winner will choose between a 2023 Nissan Rogue and a 2023 Honda CRV. Both cars are valued at $33,000. All fees including tax, tag, and title will be paid by Grainger Honda & Grainger Nissan. You can buy your raffle tickets here: https://e.givesmart.com/events/ubQ/i/_Auction/mfyC/

The money raised at the Buddy Walk benefits Camp Buddy, two summer camps in Effingham and Chatham to help students retain their skills over the summer break. It also goes towards LDSS’s monthly Family Support meetings, new parent packets and educational opportunities for local families and advocates.

Registration for Buddy Walk 2023 is $15. Those who register will also receive a Buddy Walk T-shirt. When registering, you can either join a team or create your own. Register here.

ABOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY

The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) is a support group to benefit people with Down syndrome and their families through local leadership in support, outreach, education, and advocacy. LDSS holds a monthly support meeting on the third Thursday of the month at 6:30PM at 1525 Dean Forest Road in Savannah. There is an informational speaker and light refreshments. The event is also live-streamed. LDSS is an affiliate of the National Down Syndrome Society.

Find more information about LDSS, here.

Annual Savannah Phil the Park concert, Forsyth Park

You’re invited to the Savannah’s largest free concert in Forsyth Park: Phil the Park concert, 4:30-9:30PM Sat. Oct. 7 2023, hosted by Savannah Philharmonic & Savannah Philharmonic Chorus.

Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets, or grab a bite from your favorite local food trucks.

This Saturday afternoon and evening is full of festivities, fun and fantastic live music.

Learn more here.

Free Hispanic Heritage Parade & Festival, Sept. 16, Savannah

The second annual Hispanic Heritage Parade will be this Sat. Sept. 16 2023 @ at the corners of Montgomery and Broughton Street in downtown Savannah 

The parade starts @ 9AM on Broughton Street followed by the festival from noon to 6PM @ 201 Port St. Savannah on the grounds in front of Thompson Hotel.

Learn more here.

Register for a FREE kids’ fishing event on Tybee Island

Free fun for kids ages 5-12 on the Tybee Is. Pier on Sat. Sept. 23 2023 for the 12th Annual Gage Ochsner Kids’ Fishing & Water Safety Event.

Kids will visit educational booths and activities. Participants will receive a free rod and reel, tackle box, and life jacket. Have fun learning about fishing and water safety.

Must pre-register! Registration opens Wed. Sept. 6.

To pre-register, please visit:
Aquatic.chathamcounty.org or call 912-652-6793 for more information

Sat. Sept. 23, 8:30AM -Noon @ Tybee Island Pier

Organized by SAFE KIDS SAVANNAH

Questions: Jenna.morris@hcahealthcare.com

This is event is named in memory of Gage Ochsner, M.D., a long-time supporter of Safe Kids Savannah and specifically the Kids Fishing and Coastal Water Safety event.

Parents are invited to attend this free Savannah event to explore the benefits of healthy eating & wellness in children

Join Greenbriar Children’s Center to explore the benefits of healthy eating and wellness in children, from birth to age five. This fun-filled morning takes place inside Savannah Tech’s Eckburg Auditorium on Sat. Sept. 9, 9AM-12PM

Highlights of the day include a panel discussion from a variety of nutritional and health experts, Q&A session, vital health assessment, kid’s play area, and the chance to speak individually with panelists. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample a variety of healthy snack options, as well as visit with various wellness-related vendors.

RSVP is not required but encouraged. RSVP here. Partners for the event include Forsyth Farmer’s Market, Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning, Healthy Savannah, and others.

FREE & open to the public.

Where: Savannah Technical College, 5717 White Bluff Road Savannah, GA 31405