Here it is once again, your Elegant Island Living guide to the holidays in the Golden Isles. Once November arrives, holiday shopping opportunities and Christmas celebrations come fast and furious. To make sure you don’t miss a thing in these months of merriment, we try to put it all together for you here. Here’s what we know so far, and we’re sure there will be more to come, so get out your calendar and start planning!
Bring your shopping list to the Lighthouse Museum Store during their Holiday Open House from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9th! Enjoy 20% off storewide and special members-only events throughout the day including breakfast, a wine tasting demonstration from 1-2:00 p.m., and the chance to win a holiday door prize! New and exclusive merchandise will be introduced and select vendors will be displaying their latest products. There will be also be book signings by local authors Larry Hobbs (10:00 a.m.), Buddy Sullivan (11:00 a.m.) and Amy Roberts and co-author Patrick J. Holladay, Ph.D. (1:00 p.m.). The Museum Store is located in the A.W. Jones Heritage Center at 610 Beachview Drive.
The Lord of Life Lutheran Church’s 11th Annual Holiday Market Craft Festival will be held at 2801 Frederica Road on Saturday, December 7th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. More than 30 indoor and outdoor vendors will be selling quality handmade items including art, pottery, jewelry, ornaments and holiday décor, specialty soaps, accessories, and many other gift ideas. “Flavor of Georgia” winner Rockingham Pecans and The Blueberry Barn, both from Alma, will both be there. (Pre-ordering the Rockingham Pecans by calling 912.632.1101 before the festival is encouraged). The church will host its delectable bake and homemade pickle sale, used book sale, coffee and breakfast snacks, and lunch. The raffle prizes are always outstanding and include restaurant gift cards, specialty gift baskets, and a hand crafted woodwork item donated by Golden Isles Woodworkers member Paul Speich. Funds raised by the Festival are used by the church as outreach to people in our community who find themselves in dire need and to send young people to camp. For additional information, call 912.638.4673.
Confections & Concoctions are what you’ll find at Cassina Garden Club’s 26th Annual Christmas Bake Sale on Saturday, December 7th. Taking place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the tabby cabins at Gascoigne Bluff, the Bake Sale will once again offer tasty and festive homemade cakes, pies, breads and cookies, as well as holiday treats and gifts like cheese straws, toasted pecans, jellies and jams. New offerings this year will be palmetto wreaths and table arrangements handmade by Cassina members, along with last year’s popular boxwood tabletop trees. “Gift Ready” amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs will again be available at excellent prices. See cassinagardenclub.org for information on preordering wreaths, tabletop trees, kissing balls and bulbs. Come early to stock up on delicious desserts and gifts, and cheerful, fresh Christmas décor! Funds raised during this traditional local event are used for the continued preservation and maintenance of the 1830s tabby cabins.
Glynn Visual Arts hosts its 9th annual Mistletoe Market in the Village on St. Simons Island from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, December 7-8. A mainstay of the Golden Isles’ holiday festivities, this fine art and gift market will feature 60-70 accomplished artists and artisans offering a wide array of quality artwork including two dimensional art, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, photography, woodworking, baskets, fabric and mixed media. This show combines fine art, fabulous gifts, great food, entertainment and family fun in a festive outdoor island holiday atmosphere. It is the perfect opportunity for residents and visitors alike to find that one-of-a-kind purchase or handmade gift for the holiday season while supporting small business and the local community. If you’re a dog lover, be sure not to miss the Holiday Hound Hike at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 7th. Precious pooches and an occasional potbellied pig parade around Postell Park and the Pier dressed in their holiday finery. Registration is $10 per dog and can be completed online in advance or at the park beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
On Saturday, November 16th, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., enjoy coffee and sweet treats inside Old City Hall in Historic Downtown Brunswick while you do some holiday shopping to support local artists and makers at The Moxie Craft Fest Handmade Holiday Market. This free event features carefully curated vendors with unique, on trend handmade and vintage wares. Historic Downtown Brunswick will be celebrating a month-long Festival of Lights and Window Wonderland during which merchants will decorate their storefronts and windows in a friendly competition and there will be plenty special opportunities to shop in weeks leading up to Christmas. Saturday, November 30 is Shop Small Saturday, featuring the many unique small businesses downtown has to offer. Merchants will be offering promotions and specials during normal Saturday business hours, as well as other fun activities. Adding to the celebration, a Winterfest Crafts Along Newcastle showcasing talented artisans and their creative crafts will be located in the squares along Newcastle Street between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, December 14, the Festival of Lights Craft Fair returns to the squares along Newcastle Street from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will also be live holiday music in Jekyll Square West with Michael Hulett and other performers. In the squares along Newcastle Street, kids can enjoy games and make-and-take crafts. Santa will make appearances in Jekyll Square East periodically throughout the day.
The Historic Downtown Brunswick Festival of Lights and Window Wonderland will begin on Friday, November 29th with the lighting of the City of Brunswick Christmas tree in Jekyll Square West. There will also be carriage rides, carolers, and the always highly anticipated visit from Santa! The Annual Brunswick Christmas Parade will take place Saturday, December 7, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Howard Coffin Park, and proceeding along Gloucester Street to end at Mary Ross Waterfront Park. Don’t miss this downtown tradition!
On Jekyll Island, golf carts don their Christmas best and jingle all the way through the Historic District on Saturday, December 7 during the festive Holly Jolly Jekyll Parade. Golf cart line up begins in the Golf Course parking lot at 4:30 p.m. The parade begins at 5:00 p.m. with the route heading west on Captain Wylly Road, south on Old Plantation Road to Stable Road, then along Pier Road, and winding behind Sans Souci to end on the Main Lawn around the Great Tree. Walk-up registration only. Monetary contributions are welcome. The parade will conclude with the celebratory lighting of the Great Tree.
The Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation will present its inaugural Lights of Courage tree lighting ceremony to honor and remember loved ones and caretakers on Monday, December 2nd from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Nunnally House and Gumaer Gardens on the Southeast Georgia Health System’s Brunswick campus. You can purchase a light in honor or memory for $25. Call 912.466.3360 to donate or visit wearethefoundation.org.
On Saturday, December 7th, Magnolia Garden Club’s annual Historic Brunswick Christmas Tour of Homes & Bake Sale returns with a new twist. For the first time, the self-guided tour will feature a variety of home styles decorated for the season, including grand Victorian, mid-century-modern ranch, historic cottage, and a newly restored modern loft. Stops will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the bake sale staying open until 4 p.m. Storytellers will share information about the area and particular houses. Participants have the option to walk, drive, or take Redbug shuttles as they tour the neighborhood. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 on tour day. Groups of 10 or more are $20 per person. Advance tickets can be purchased in Brunswick at Dot & Army, 1426 Newcastle Street, and on St. Simons Island at G. J. Ford Bookshop, 600 Sea Island Road or Righton Books, 222 Redfern Village. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event at First United Methodist Church, 1400 Norwich Street. This is also the location of the bake sale, which features delicious homemade baked treats and an assortment of other delicacies such as jams, jellies, etc. Come explore this vibrant, historic downtown community while enjoying the festive holiday atmosphere.
Experience what Christmas would have been like on a Southern rice plantation in the 1950s at Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site just off US Highway 17N in Brunswick. Come celebrate the season at the 39th Annual Hofwyl Plantation Christmas, on Friday and Saturday, December 6-7, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Stroll down the old carriage road and enjoy tours of an antebellum plantation house by candlelight. Sip hot wassail and cookies while singing Christmas carols in the parlor. There will be cannon and rifle demonstrations at intervals throughout the night by Civil War reenactors. Of course the evening wouldn’t be complete without an appearance by Santa Claus. Admission is $10 for adults and seniors, $5 for youth 6-17. For more information, call 912.264.7333.
Visit Sapelo Island for Holiday Tour Brunches in December. Brunches will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from December 3 through December 21st. All brunches include a docent led tour of the beautifully decorated Reynolds Mansion. Tuesday and Thursday tickets will include a bus tour of several locations on the south end of the island. Tickets are $35 per person and reservation must be paid for at the time of booking and is non-refundable. This price does not include the $15 round trip ferry fee which must be paid at the Sapelo Island visitor center on the day of your reservation. Tickets will sell out fast, so call 912.485.2299 early to reserve your spot.
Jekyll Island transforms into a holiday wonderland known as Holly Jolly Jekyll November 29th through January 5th. In addition to the gorgeous lights that will be twinkling around the island, there are some other special seasonal attractions. Jekyll Island Mini Golf will become Peppermint Land in a celebration of the Christmas season and a nod to the island’s original amusement park. Enjoy one or both of the 18-hole courses while surrounded by life-size gum drops, peppermint sticks, gingerbread men and more. Don’t forget to snap a pic for the Christmas card! For pricing and hours, visit jekyllisland.com/activities/miniature-golf/ Once again this year, the Jekyll Island Skating Village will return. Located in the picturesque Historic District, this winter attraction features a synthetic ice rink and real ice skates. This unique surface takes the pain and cold out of ice skating and is easy for kids and adults of all ages. Skate amidst history, under ancient oaks, with a spectacular view of the Jekyll River. Closed Christmas Day. $5 per person, includes skate rental & 30-minute session. For hours, visit jekyllisland.com/holiday.
How about a movie? On Saturday, November 30, The Grinch will be on the big screen at Jekyll
Island’s free Movie on the Green holiday showing & Christmas carol sing-along. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. and we encourage you to sing loudly, because everyone knows the best way to spread Christmas cheer! On Friday, December 6 from 6:00-8:00 p.m., there’s Santa Cinema at the St. Simons Casino Theater. Bring the kiddos out to watch animated holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The movie will start every half hour so there are multiple chances to view. Be sure to bring your camera, because Santa will be there to visit with each child and present them with a special gift. Admission is $3 per person, cash only. On Saturday, December 7, join the American Cancer Society Victory Board at GTC Island Cinemas for Merry Movies. Kids are invited to wear their favorite pajamas for a picture with Santa at 9:00 a.m. and then stay for the movies that begin at 9:45 a.m. Parents can choose Mickey’s Christmas Carol (26 minutes) or Elf (1 hour and 37minutes). Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at at the door or in advance at acsvictoryboard.org.
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort has extra holiday magic up their sleeves this year for “A King and Prince Christmas.” They’’’ start the celebration on December 6th with the lighting of lobby’s Grand tree, one of the biggest and most beautifully decorated Christmas trees on St. Simons Island. Family-friendly festivities continue with a Teddy Bear Tea on December 14th and 21st, Brunch with Mr. & Mrs. Claus December 15th and 22nd, and Fireside Storytime with Santa on December 23rd.. These events will be open to the community, and people are also invited to stop in just to see the holiday décor and drop off unwrapped toy donations for their annual Toys for Tots toy drive. For more details, visit kingandprince.com.
The Jekyll Island Club Resort has numerous options for special moments with Santa and some delicious holiday delights, including Lunch with Santa in the Grand Dining Room on December 7th and 14th. Set in the beautifully decorated Grand Dining Room, guests will enjoy a lunch buffet with a visit from Santa. The kids can share their wish list with Santa, then the whole family can join in for a family photo (available for purchase from photographer). There’s Holiday High Tea on December 3rd, 10th, 16th, and 18th. This holiday tradition at the Jekyll Island Club Resort can be a family affair, a mother-daughter occasion, or a grown-up girls’ afternoon out. Enjoy the sounds of the season while you sip on our expansive selection of teas and dine on tea sandwiches, soup, warm scones with fruit compote and exquisite holiday sweets. On December 14th, the Jekyll Ocean Club’s Eighty Ocean Kitchen and Bar offers an oceanside Breakfast with The Grinch! Guests will enjoy a “Green Eggs & Ham” themed breakfast buffet with friends and family. Tickets are required for all “Whos” attending this festive event. Two seatings available: 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Visit the jekyllisland.com/holiday calendar to see details and make reservations for these events and more.
We can’t leave the sea turtles out! On Saturday, December 14th, spread holiday cheer with games, cookie decorating, and writing holiday wishes to the sick sea turtles at the Jingle Shells event at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. In addition to fun family activities, there will be holiday photo ops, eco-friendly gift ideas, and more to help you ring in the season from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free with paid admission to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. jekyllisland.com/event/jingle-shells/
Jekyll’s Beach Village will be the place to be on Saturday, December 21st for a Winter Carnival from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Enjoy free rides, games, bounce houses, and music on the Village Green followed by a special fireworks display starting at 7:30 p.m. That’s right! There will still be holiday fireworks on Jekyll Island! jekyllisland.com/event/winter-carnival/
On Thursday, December 5, experience a celebration of life, love, and giving as the wooded campus of Hospice of the Golden Isles is transformed into a magical place lit by the glow of thousands of holiday lights that shine in honor and memory of all those who have touched our lives. The annual Lights of Love program with music and luminary lighting will follow a 5:00 p.m. Service of Remembrance at Hospice of the Golden Isles, located at 1692 Glynco Parkway in Brunswick. Light refreshments will be served following the service. This beautiful memorial event is free and open to the public. If you’d like to honor your loved one by purchasing a memorial/honorary dove ornament, please call 912.265.4735 or visit hospice.me.
Hop aboard Lighthouse Trolleys for their Annual Christmas Tour of Lights on St. Simons Island. This long-running Fendig family tradition and 90-minute tour includes a “surprise” visit with Santa Claus with hot chocolate and cookies. Their tours make you feel like a member of the family and are great for everyone, kids, adults, grandparents, even office staff! Please feel free to bring your own food and drinks, including alcohol, but no glass is permitted on board. Christmas Trolley departs from the St. Simons Pier December 13th-December 24th 7:00-7:15 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.; December 26th & 27th Tour of Lights at 7:00 p.m. only and no visit with Santa included. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 & under. And now Cap’s offering a tour of Jekyll too! This 90-minute trip will depart from Lanier Plaza on US 17 in Brunswick and will travel to and around Jekyll Island to view the Lights Show, a stop for hot chocolate and drinks (additional purchase at Jekyll Island Club hotel). If you’re on Jekyll Island, you can join the tour in front of Fuse In Beach Village. Let Lighthouse Trolleys be your Jekyll "sleigh" ride with their fully covered and weather protected VIP executive mini bus. You even get the bonus of seeing the lights of Jekyll, St. Simons, and Brunswick while crossing over the Sidney Lanier Bridge. For more information and booking for both tours, visit lighthousetrolleys.com. Saint Simons Colonial Island Trolley Tours has also offered Christmas Light Tours on St. Simons Island in December, but at the time of print, there is no information for 2019 tours. We suggest you visit colonialtrolley.com for updated information closer to the holidays.
Jekyll Island is upping their holiday light game this year and is offering their own Holly Jolly Jekyll Light Tours for the first time. You can take a ride on Jekyll’s jolliest holiday trolley to see more than half a million lights around the island. Sit back, relax and enjoy the magical wonders of the season from historic live oaks dressed in their holiday best, to light displays set in a coastal wonderland. This 40-minute holiday lights tour will include a pit-stop at Faith Chapel and finish off with festive holiday beverages. Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, November 29 through December 29, 6:30 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. (except December 7) Tours start at Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum. $15 for adults, $7 for children 5-12, children 4 and under are free. For tickets or more information, call 912.635.4036. There are also carriage tours available. See jekkyllisland.com/holiday for all options.
The Golden Isles Community Messiah Chorus will be continuing their long-standing holiday concert tradition. Their performance of Handel’s Messiah is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Saturday, December 7th at Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica. The concert is free and made possible by generous supporters from the community. There will be only one performance, and seating is limited, so come early to celebrate the season in song.
This year, the Golden Isles Live! Christmas Concert moves to Strickland Auditorium at Epworth by the Sea. This festive event will be held on Friday December 6th at 7:30 p.m. and feature American operatic tenor, Ben Gulley with the Mark Lowrey Trio. Opera News called Gulley “an outstanding tenor and San Francisco Classical Voice described him as “startlingly-gifted.” His career is marked by lead and feature roles in opera, solo engagements, concert work, film work, nationwide touring, and prestigious appearances abroad. For the past two decades, Mark Lowrey has been considered one of the hardest working musicians in Kansas City. Though at heart a jazz musician, Lowrey’s contributions regionally and internationally span from hiphop to chamber music; from Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Argentinian musics to pop and rock. Tickets are $50 ($20 for students) and available at goldenisleslive.org.
Golden Isles Arts & Humanities presents A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas at The Ritz Theatre. Bring the whole family out to see Charles Dickens' immortal tale of the mean old miser Scrooge and his magical night discovering the true meaning of Christmas. December 13-15 and 20-22, Friday and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets available at goldenislesarts.org.
Children's choirs from local schools will be caroling at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort in December. Currently scheduled 6:30 p.m. performances by the choirs include Frederica Academy on December 9, Goodyear Elementary on December 10, Golden Isles Elementary on December 12, Glynn Middle School on December 16, Jane Macon Middle School and Sterling Elementary on December 17. Afternoon performances at 1:00 p.m. will include St Simons Elementary on December 17 and Oglethorpe Point Elementary on December 18. Come hear the children sing!
Helping others is a wonderful way to demonstrate the spirit of the season. One way to do this is to lend a hand at Lord of Life Lutheran Church during Operation Christmas Child’s national Collection Week on November 18-25. The church, located at 2801 Frederica Road on St. Simons Island, is serving as a Central Drop-off and will be open for shoebox drop-off November 18-20 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 5:00-7:00 p.m.; November 21-22, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; November 23-24, 12 noon to 3:00 p.m.; and November 25, 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 5:00-7:00 p.m. Samaritan’s Purse is a non-denominational Christian organization which supports a variety of ministries, including Operation Christmas Child (OCC). Since 1993, OCC has distributed over 168 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 100 countries or territories around the world. Lord of Life has extra shoeboxes available, if needed, or pack your own shoe box. Items that go in the shoeboxes are specified for a girl or boy, ages 2-4, ages 5-9 or ages 10-14 and can include items like toys, games, puzzles, books, stuffed animals, art supplies, grooming items, hair accessories, hats, socks, pajamas, t-shirts, shoes, etc. Candy and toothpaste are not permitted. To volunteer and count shoeboxes and pack cartons, call 912.638.4673.
On Saturday morning, December 7, runners wearing jingle bells and holiday attire will hit the road in the 8th annual CASA Jingle All the Way 5K and One Mile Fun Run. Proceeds from this holiday-themed run with awards for top finishers, team spirit, best costume, etc. benefit CASA Glynn and CASA Camden and their network of volunteers who support Southeast Georgia children in foster care programs. In our local area, there are approximately 200-250 abused and neglected children in foster care at any given time because they are unable to live safely at home. CASA volunteers watch over and advocate for these children to make sure they move quickly through the system and they are placed in a safe, permanent home. For many children, those volunteers may be the only constant adult presence they have during this process. Participating in the Jingle All the Way Run is a way to support CASA’s work and allow them to help others have a happy holiday. To register for the run, go to active.com.
The St. Simons Civinettes and members of the Glynn County Volunteer Fire Department are as busy as Santa’s elves making preparations to escort ol’ St. Nick on his annual Christmas Eve journey around St. Simons Island on the antique red fire truck known as Engine 32. For more than 70 years, these volunteers have made this magical journey possible. Santa stops to take last minute requests and hand out stockings. Whether you come out simply to wave to Santa on the lighted truck or have children who want to make sure the jolly gent in red has them on the “nice” list, please join in this beloved island Christmas tradition. The EIL elves will be posting information via social media about the location of the stops and estimated times of arrival on Christmas Eve, so follow us!
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort is inviting local charity organizations to build gingerbread houses to be displayed in their lobby for the resort’s Gingerbread House Spectacular. These houses will be on display in the lobby for two weeks beginning on December 5th and will each have information about the organization and a silent auction bid sheet for visitors to place bids, raising funds for the charity. A Fundraising Finale will be held on December 19th. If you are involved in a local non-profit and would like to participate, you still have time to join the fun; please contact Leigh Cort at 904.806.3613 or by email at leigh@leighcortpublicity.com. We encourage everyone to come out and see these Christmas creations and support the organizations that made them.
For a hands-on gingerbread house workshop, head over to Jekyll Island’s Mosaic Museum on Friday, December 20th and take part in the Historic Gingerbread House Building from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Get creative and design your own historic gingerbread house, inspired by the houses of the Club Era millionaires. Design yours to look like one of the original cottages or put your own holiday spin on it. Join historical educators for an evening of family-friendly fun, festive holiday beverages and prizes! And try not to eat too much of your house during construction! $35 for adults, $25 for children 5-15, children 4 and under are free (price includes gingerbread house materials and one drink ticket). For tickets or more information, call 912.689.9294.
Please be sure to follow EIL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and check our online calendar at elegantislandliving.net frequently for updates and additions. The EIL Elves will be out and about and hope to see you at some of these special events!
