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This free weekly e-letter in your email every Wednesday keeps you savvy about all the kid-friendly happenings as well as school open houses, free events, pediatricians and more.
Read it here.
Subscribe for free here.
Subscribe to the free SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter
This free weekly e-letter in your email every Wednesday keeps you savvy about all the kid-friendly happenings as well as school open houses, free events, pediatricians and more.
Read it here.
Subscribe for free here.
Come participate in a community parade of light.
At the FREE Lantern Parade 2022 on HIlton Head Is., every participant will have a lantern to march. Each lantern will be a representation of our history, our ecology, our recreation or ourselves.
Lantern Kits Available for Purchase at the Coastal Discovery Museum gift shop on Hilton Head Is.
2022 Hilton Head Island Lantern Parade
Sat. Nov. 12, 2022
Parade Route: Alder Lane Beach Access to Coligny Beach Park
Parade Starts @ Sunset (5:45 PM-ish)Created by and featuring artist Chantelle Rytter, the Lantern Parade is a free event and an opportunity for the surrounding community and visitors to celebrate the history, ecology and people of Hilton Head Island.
The only requirement to participate is having a lantern!
Lineup for the parade begins at 5PM at the Alder Lane Beach Access.
The parade will start at 5:45PM Sat Nov. 12, right after sunset, and travel north along South Forest Beach up to Coligny Beach Park.
Spectators can watch along the beach anywhere between Alder Lane and Coligny Beach Park.
Learn more here.
Santa Claus will arrive via heliciopter @ 5PM Sat. Nov. 5, 2022 @ Bass Pro Shops in Savannah Mall.
Bass Pro Shops will open Santa’s Wonderland @ 3PM Sat. Nov 5 featuring crafts, music, and games at the store’s lower level.
Santa is expected to land @ 5PM. A parade and story time with Santa will follow. Photos with Santa will not happen at this event but will start Sun. Nov. 6.
Bass Pro Shops Savannah, 14045 Abercorn St. Savannah, GA 31419, (912) 961-4200
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FIND MORE KID-FRIENDLY LOCAL HOLIDAY 2022 EVENTS HERE.
The Pooler Chamber of Commerce Fall Festival 2022 11AM-3PM Sat. Oct. 29 @ 305 W. Colllins St. will include a costume contest; food trucks; vendors; music; trunk-or treat & more.
This event is free and open to the public.
Learn more here.
SCCPSS All-City Choral Festival Concert, 3PM Sat. Oct. 29
Coastal Youth Choirs/ Savannah Children’s Choir, Inc. is pleased to assist with sponsoring the SCCPSS All-City Choral Festival.
Over 300 5th-12th grade students will be enjoying a weekend of singing with 4 different choirs. Eighteen schools will be participating. The festival was spearheaded by James Kirk who is currently the choral director at New Hampstead K8. Each year the festival gains momentum with more SCCPSS schools looking forward to participating in the two-day event.
SCCPSS officials have rescheduled the festival to this Friday & Saturday, Oct. 28-29 2022. The festival was originally scheduled during Hurricane Ian.
The concert will take place at New Hampstead High School on Sat. Oct. 29 2022 beginning at 3PM. FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
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About Coastal Youth Choirs/Savannah Children’s Choir, Inc.
Savannah Children’s Choir, now Coastal Youth Choirs, has developed a reputation for excellence in the city, county, and beyond. In addition to tours in the United States, the Premier Choir has performed in England, Ireland, and France and has also appeared on television in South Korea. The singers have experienced artist residencies with world-renowned singers and clinicians.
After sixteen years, this nonprofit’s mission remains the same – to unite, mentor, and transform the children and youth of greater Savannah and the Low Country into responsible, creative, and confident leaders through excellence in choral performance and music education.
Learn more here.
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Coastal Youth Choirs/Savannah Children’s Choir, Inc. is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
The Savannah Cultural Arts Center presents: The Savannah Spooky Spectacular, a Halloween themed variety show featuring music, dance, theatre, and more @ 7-8PM Fri. Oct. 28 2022.
FREE & open to the public. For all ages.
Costumes are highly encouraged and will be awarded with prizes. This is a free event open to all ages, so bring your family and friends out for a fun, spooky night!Here are some of the performers joining the show!
Spoken Word: Justin Toney
Dancers: Veron Jackson, Sharonika Simmons Saunders, Ricardo Richardson, MiKeshia McPhaul
Theatre: SSU Players By The Sea
Singer: Marlow Seavers
Musical Accompaniment: Matthew Duplessie
And Your Host: Melanie Goldey
Show starts @ 7PM.
Doors open at 6:30PM, but come early to see the opening of El Salon in the gallery, presented by SOY X SOY!
Learn more here.
Savannah Cultural Arts Center is at 201 Montgomery St. The lawn is at the southeast corner of the intersection of Oglethorpe and MLK. Parking: Limited (paid) street parking is available near the (SCAC). The closest parking garages are Liberty Parking Garage on Liberty and Montgomery and Robinson Parking Garage on Montgomery St. across from Chatham County Courthouse.
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Savannah Cultural Arts Center is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
This concert on Sat. Oct. 22 featuring student musicians is free & open to the public
Does your child play a musical instrument or is interested in starting lessons? Come see what SMF Jazz Academy is all about @ a free Fall Family Jam concert, noon-2PM this Sat. Oct. 22 2022 @ Salvation Army Community Center, 3000 Bee Road in Savannah.
Savannah Music Festival provides SMF Jazz Academy at no cost to participants through the generous support of donors and sponsors.
Learn more about SMF Jazz Academy or enroll a student here.
You love SouthernMamas.com Annual Best Home Holiday Lights Decorations list to ride around looking at lights. Here’s our smaller scale Halloween-Fall decoration list – by no means the best – just some fun picks from readers & us.
Enjoy giant skeletons, dancing in circle ghosts & witches, pumpkin & mum lined porch steps plus friendly porch skeletons, some which wave from rocking chairs, drink cocktails or even ride a bike. You can even find yellow-raincoat clad Georgie with red balloon from Stephen King’s ‘It.” ( 235 Washington Ave., Ardsley Park)
See our Instagram reel here
Email us your favorites: anne@southernmamas.com
FIND MORE FALL FUN IN SOUTHERNMAMAS.COM EVENT CALENDAR HERE.
Free Family Activities & More @ The Jepson Center, Savannah
Free Family Day – The Art of Still Life (Jepson Center Only)
Oct. 22 2022 , 10AM – 5PM
Jepson Center, Savannah
Free Family Day @ Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center features family activities from 1-4PM based on the exhibitions Feels Like Freedom: Phillip J. Hampton and Elegies: Still Lifes in Contemporary Art. Families may explore and experiment with art materials, create still lifes, and make string art inspired by the work of Phillip J. Hampton.
The afternoon also will include a demonstration of still life painting and a “living still life” activity.
Learn more here.
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Telfair Museums is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter
This free weekly e-letter in your email every Wednesday keeps you savvy about all the kid-friendly happenings as well as school open houses, free events, pediatricians and more.
Read this week’s issue here.
Subscribe for free here.
Halloween Costume Contest & Pumpkin Patch on Hilton Head Is.
Free event! Pumpkin Patch and fall festivities on Fri. Oct. 21 2022, 4-7PM.
Have the kids dress up and participate in the Halloween Costume Contest at 5:45PM.
Free bounce houses, pumpkins, and games! Train ride, concessions, rockwall sold separately.
Learn more here.
Shelter Cove Park, 39 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC, 29928
You’re invited to the inaugural Hull Park Fall Festival happening Sat. Oct. 22 2022, 3-7PM, Savannah
Music, food, art, pets & people costume contests, kid zone and games for all.
Please RSVP for this event so organizers can plan. All are welcome to attend!
RSVP online here.
Free & open to the public
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2022, 3-7 PM
Hull Park @ 55th & Atlantic streets, Savannah, GA 31405
This weekly Saturday Oktoberfest 2022 celebration will showcase a blend of old and new German traditions every October Saturday through Sat. Oct. 29 2022 @ Plant Riverside District-Pavilion Stage.
All family-friendly festivities are free and open to the public.
Every Saturday from 1-4PM, the Pavilion Tent along the riverfront at Plant Riverside District will feature free live polka music by Bob and the Polka Dots as well as a free keg toss, bratwurst eating contests and stein holding competitions.
Learn more here.
Savannah’s famous Weiner Dog races – which were a longtime Savannah tradition when Oktoberfest was held at Rousakis Riverfront Plaza on River Street – are not happening this year. Questions? Email PRD-Entertainment@kesslercollection.com
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Family activities & more
Free Family Day – The Art of Still Life (Jepson Center Only)
Oct. 22 2022 , 10AM – 5PM
Jepson Center, Savannah
Free Family Day @ Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center features family activities from 1-4PM based on the exhibitions Feels Like Freedom: Phillip J. Hampton and Elegies: Still Lifes in Contemporary Art. Families may explore and experiment with art materials, create still lifes, and make string art inspired by the work of Phillip J. Hampton.
The afternoon also will include a demonstration of still life painting and a “living still life” activity.
Learn more here.
Free Family Halloween Fun in Richmond Hill, Ga.
Free family-friendly Trunk or Treat event Sat. Oct. 29 2022, 11:30AM-4PM at JF Gregory Park in Richmond Hill.
There will be contests, treats and fun!
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GO PLAYGROUND HOPPING. FIND OUR FAVORITE PLAYGROUNDS HERE.
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When playground hopping in Savannah, add the following two partially-shaded Tybee Island playgrounds to your list of best Savannah-Lowcountry area playgrounds.
Plan your visits with a trip to the free weekly storytime @ Tybee Island Public Library (405 Butler Ave.), 10:30-11:30AM Wednesdays.
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Jaycee Park playground, Tybee Island
*Located on the north end of Tybee Island in the National Historic Fort Screven District next to the Guard House at the intersection of Campbell Road on Van Horn Street. The park is a five to ten minute walk to the beach.
*Rubber, padded surface in the playground area.
*Shade covers over part of the playground.
*Near small Frisbee golf course, bike/walk paths, picnic tables.
Learn more here.
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Memorial Park playground, Tybee Island
*Located behind Tybee Island public library between Butler and Jones Ave. The park is within walking distance to the beach.
*Shade covers over part of the playground. (not as much as Jaycee Park Playground)
*Rubber, padded surface in the playground area.
*Near bike/walk paths, picnic tables, large grass fields.
Learn more here.
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Side-stops: rails-to-trail & free storytime
En route to Tybee Island, stop by McQueen’s Island trail (park just outside Fort Pulaski gate off US 80 East) for a walk on this still-being-repaired rails -to-trail complete with oodles of fiddler crabs & shore bird sightings.
Stop by Tybee Island public library for free storytime 10:30-11:30AM Wednesdays.
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Find more playgrounds in the Savannah and Lowcountry area here.
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Find our two favorite Hilton Head Is. playgrounds here.
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Lowcountry Celebration Park, Hilton Head Is.
Pair your visit to The Sandbox Children’s Museum on Hilton Head Is. with a visit to the Lowcountry Celebration Park, located next to the museum.
The park off Pope Avenue near the Coligny Beach parking lot and Coligny Beach Park features:
*The Adventure Playground, named after the ship Captain William Hilton was on when he discovered Hilton Head Island. It features a reimagined design of the ship, playground, wading pool/splash pad and more. The ship includes: cannons that spray a light mist, crow’s nests, swing bridges, port holes, rope nets, periscopes.
*An open pavilion and lawn for events.
*A perimeter walk
*Two fitness stations
*Wi-Fi
*The Sandbox Children’s Museum
*Public restrooms
The playground is within easy walking distance to a Hilton Head Is. public beach via Coligny Beach Park (1 Coligny Circle)
Lowcountry Celebration Park
94 Pope Ave.
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
GO PLAYGROUND HOPPING. FIND OUR FAVORITE PLAYGROUNDS HERE.
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The Sandbox Children’s Museum is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
Cannon Firings & Fort Talk @ Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument just outside Savannah on the way to Tybee Island has Saturday weekly cannon firings @ 11AM, 1PM and 3PM.
Park staff and volunteers in living history attire conduct a program that concludes with the firing of reproduction cannons. Come learn how Civil War cannons were fired – and why it matters.
Cannon demonstrations last about twenty minutes, with time afterward for visitor questions.
Learn more here.
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Fort Talk
Join Fort Pulaski National Monument for a daily fort talk, every day through August 2022, @ 11AM for 30 minutes.
Programs take place underneath the pecan tree inside the fort.
Learn more here.
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Fee: Regular entrance fees apply. Admission is $10 an adult, with 15 and younger free.
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The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, Inc. will host the inaugural Savannah Day of Peace on Sun. Sept. 25 2022, noon-4PM at Daffin Park, located at Victory Drive and Waters Avenue, in Savannah.
This event, which is free and open to the public, will offer opportunities for community members to increase the peace, counter violence, become conflict-resilient and encourage unity.
The Savannah Day of Peace will feature a Peace Parade led by Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and Savannah City Council members, Courageous Conversation Circles designed to encourage deeper dialogue to promote peacebuilding, a wellness area for mental health and a Youth Artists Corner. The 2022 Peacebuilder Award Honoree will also be announced, and the City of Savannah’s new Peace Proclamation will be on display.
The Mediation Center plans to maintain the momentum and to create a larger movement by organizing monthly peacebuilding events at different locations across Chatham County. These events will feature neighborhood-based activities designed to engage local community members, youth, faith leaders, law enforcement, business and professional associations in peacebuilding efforts.
According to the Savannah Police Department, Savannah had 1,134 violent crimes in 2021, including 34 homicides and 788 aggravated assaults. Violent crime categories that saw increases in Savannah from 2020 and 2021 include homicide (9%) and residential robbery (41%).
Community mediation provides more than just an alternative to litigation or violence — it offers constructive, intentional processes for resolving differences and conflicts between individuals, groups and organizations. Ultimately, mediation reinforces the social infrastructure undergirding society and builds bridges across identity, sector, class and ideological divides.
This FREE Savannah event is open to girls ages 4th grade & older interested in aviation
Sheltair Savannah and Fly Corps Aviation is hosting a Girls in Aviation Day in Savannah on Saturday, Sept. 24 2022, 10AM-1PM.
The event is open to girls in grades 4-12 and is free. Interested participants must register by Sept. 14 2022. Younger participants must have a parent with them.
Sheltair, Fly Corps, and their supporting partners for the event will host many different aviation themed activities including a maintenance display, aircraft marshaling workshops, glider making, radio basics, and more! There will be a panel of accomplished women from various aviation fields to answer any questions you may have about pursuing aviation.
Register for Girls in Aviation Day online here
Fall 2022 Golf Classes for ages 5-12 in Savannah including free intro clinics
We know that learning to play golf can be an overwhelming and frustrating experience if you don’t have a clear plan!
That is why the A-SWING Junior Golf Academy in Savannah provides kids with the most effective developmental programs and technology to learn to play golf, even if you as a parent don’t play.
Give your child a gift that will last a lifetime by enrolling today. Visit www.MyJuniorGolfer.com or call Coach Paul at 912-655-9119 for more information.
The A-SWING Academy provides your child the only Certified PGA professional instruction and a developmental curriculum. The A-SWING Academy curriculum allows your child to learn and improve at their pace. And each week, the kids will have a “Character Word” and a “Legend of the Game” to learn about, which will tie into that week’s instruction.
Golf provides your child the skills to play a sport that will last a lifetime, while also developing their character in areas of honesty, integrity and perseverance. Class sizes are limited to 8 kids so your child will receive a lot of individualized attention.
Visit www.MyJuniorGolfer.com to learn more or register or call Coach Paul at 912-655-9119 to ask for guidance.
FREE Intro Junior Golf Class for ages 8-12, Sat. Aug. 20 2022, 9-10:30AM. Register online here.
FREE Intro Junior Golf Class for ages 5-7, Sat. Aug. 20 2022, 10:30AM-Noon. Register online here.
Fall Semester of clinics start the week of Aug. 23 2022. Classes for ages 8-12 & for ages 5-7. Find class dates that work for your schedule & register online here.
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The A-SWING Junior Golf Academy is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
Bank of America credit and debit cardholders receive FREE general admission to four cultural attractions in Savannah this Sat. Aug. 6 2022.
The Bank of America Museums on Us program offers FREE weekend general admission to Bank of America, Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank credit and debit cardholders on the first full weekend of each month.
Georgia State Railroad Museum: Diesel caboose rides on the hour from 10AM- 3PM (last ride at 3PM)
Check the Train Ride Schedule to experience a Site Tour by Train on a historic steam or diesel locomotive!
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Savannah Children’s Museum: “Wonders of Weather”
Visitors of all ages can explore the “Wonders of Weather” through fun activities and crafts. The museum is currently entirely outdoors and features over a dozen exhibits designed to expand the imaginations of children including an exploration maze, a reading nook and a sensory garden.
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Savannah History Museum: (Saturday only) Loyalists & Liberty Battlefield Tours
Learn about the American Revolution in Savannah. Experience a black powder demonstration, immerse yourself in 1779 Savannah, and hear about the personalities that shaped the city’s fight for freedom.
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Pin Point Heritage Museum: (Saturday only) Experience the Gullah/Geechee culture first hand.
For nearly 100 years, the community of Pin Point was quietly isolated on the banks of the Moon River just south of Savannah. Explore the refurbished museum complex and experience multimedia presentations, exciting exhibits and unparalleled views of the marsh
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Use the Bank of America Museums on Us Location Finder tool to search for participating cultural attractions, understand any applicable new admission protocols at Museums on Us partner institutions, and to check with museums directly for operating hours.
Present your Bank of America, Merrill or Bank of America Private Bank (formerly U.S. Trust) credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general admission to any participating institution during the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each month. Cardholders only; guests are not eligible for free admission. Program excludes fundraising events, special exhibitions and ticketed shows. Not to be combined with other offers.
Join the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Is. and its partners in this FREE Family Fun Day 2022 for all ages, 10AM-1PM Tues. Aug. 9.
Come early or stay for lunch at the weekly Farmer’s Market on site between 9AM and 1PM
Visit the Coastal Discovery Museum’s boardwalks, learn about the salt marsh, and walk to the horse barn and pasture to see the marsh tacky horse “Comet” and his companion horse “Hawk”.
Stop by the Karen Wertheimer Butterfly Habitat to see the life cycle of native butterflies and learn from museum docents how to plant a butterfly-friendly garden of your own.
Express yourself – artistically – with hands-on activities offered by the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and The Sandbox. Make a piece of “Tiny Art” to take home or to share with the Tiny Art Galleries around town (sponsored by the Town of Hilton Head Office of Cultural Affairs). Create your own tie dye shirt using real indigo dye or watch sweetgrass basket makers at work.
Sing along with Jevon Daly at one of the two “Kids Concerts” (10:15AM and 11:30AM) in the Birdseye View Theater. Jevon is a local favorite with the young and old alike and is known for his summertime concerts at Coligny Plaza.
Watch and learn about local birds from the Hilton Head Audubon Society. Dive into our local history and environment with the Lowcountry Master Gardeners, the Outside Foundation, Hilton Head Archaeological Society, the Gullah Museum, Heritage Library, Explore Mitchelville, the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage and others.
Stop in the Discovery House for the “Children’s Book Fair” to purchase signed copies of educational and local children’s books to take home. Authors scheduled to attend include Susan Diamond Riley, Susan McElroy Montanari, Lisa Anne Cullen, Rebecca Chamberlain, Patricia Bee, Donna Brainard, Mary T. Jacobs, Miho Kinnas, Iris Jackson, Robin Prince Monroe, and Antawn Eady. Find out more about our local literary scene with the Pat Conroy Literary Center.
Visit special exhibitions in the Discovery House. “Conservation in the Classroom” (Main Gallery) includes student artwork focused upon the conservation and protection of dolphins, sea turtles, shore birds, and horseshoe crabs. “Nikon Small World” (Sea Island Room) is a traveling exhibition of 20 jaw-dropping, prize-winning photomicrographs (photographs taken through the light of a microscope).
There’s something for everyone at Family Fun Day!
There is no charge for admission on this special Museum Day and reservations are not required.
Please call (843) 689-6767 ext. 223 for details or learn more here.
Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926