The Fourth of July is a great time to be in the Golden Isles. St. Simons Island celebrates with the fun-filled annual Sunshine Festival, a tradition for more than 60 years. Brunswick’s “old-fashioned” festivities that include family games and free watermelon slices earned them a spot on Travel + Leisure’s list of America’s Best Towns for July 4th. Coastal Living named Jekyll Island among the “Top Spots to Celebrate the Fourth.” So, no matter which local venue you choose, you can’t go wrong!
The Sunshine Festival kicks off on Saturday, July 2 with more than 76 local and regional artists and crafters set up in Postell Market displaying and selling their creations. The juried show includes painting, photography, pottery, jewelry, garden art, artisan products, wood crafts, and more. The Arts & Crafts show will continue through the weekend and the 4th of July with booths open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
Saturday night up in Darien, it's Red, White & Blues on the Bluff. The annual concert on the waterfront will feature Bonnie Blue playing your favorite classic & Southern rock tunes. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, and children under 6 are admitted free of charge. Gate opens at 6pm. Fireworks follow the music.
Sunday evening, July 3, you have your choice of outdoor concerts: you can pack a picnic supper and cooler of your favorite beverages, grab your lawn chairs and blankets and head over to Mary Ross Waterfront Park for Rhythm on the River with Thunderbird playing Southern rock classics from 6-8pm. That's a free community concert. You can also bring your picnic to the St. Simons Lighthouse lawn for a seaside concert of Motown and R&B hits from the Harwell, GA band Still Cruzin’. This concert in the A Little Light Music summer series is presented by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. Adult admission is $12, payable at the gate. Music starts at 7:00 p.m., but you’ll want to get there early to grab a good seat. We promise there will be a crowd.
On Jekyll Island, Sunday night, there’s a special holiday showing of Grease at Beach Village Green at 8:30 p.m. Go sing-along with Rizzo, Danny, and Sandy out under the stars. For more information about Jekyll Island’s Movies on the Green, see page 60.
Monday, July 4 starts early with the Sunshine Festival 5K Race & 1Mile Fun Run through the Village, hosted by the Golden Isles Track Club. This race draws more than 1200 participants annually and is a terrific family tradition. Race Day registration and packet pick-up begins at 6:00 a.m. at Mallery Park and closes at 7:15 a.m. sharp. The 1Mile Fun Run starts at 7:30 a.m. followed by the 5K Race at 8:00 a.m. Finish door prizes and race awards will be presented in Mallery Park following the completion of the 5K. Proceeds from the annual run benefit the club’s designated charities: St. Simons Island Land Trust for walking, jogging, biking and running trials, and Glynn County Public Schools for cross-country and/or track teams scholarship grants and purchase of shoes, uniforms, etc. Register online at SunshineFestivalofRaces5K1mile.itsyourrace.com or download a registration form at smcpheters.com.
Updated information about the annual Sunshine Festival Golf Cart Parade on SSI: Parade starts at 2:00 p.m. at Park Avenue by the ball park. Route has been changed to add the caution light down Ocean Blvd. and then right at Parker's where carts will disburse. $10 pre-registration at St. Simons Bait & Tackle or Frederica Station.
Fireworks will take place at the St. Simons Island Village Pier on Monday, the 4th, as usual. Come down early to grab a good seat, and spend the afternoon playing at the pool or have a picnic at Neptune Park. The waterfront park will be filled with music from the St. Simons Casino bandstand beginning at 3:00 p.m. with Squirt Gun playing your favorite tunes from the 80s. Our favorite ukulele girl and her talented band, Jamie Renee & The Walkers will bring their unique twist to old and new songs from 5:00-7:00 p.m. At 7:00, Southern rockers Traveling Riverside Band will take the stage and perform until the fireworks at 9:00 p.m. and then keep the party going for those who stick around after the explosive finale too. So don’t sit in traffic, stay and rock out with the band.
For Sea Island residents and guests, July 4th weekend is usually packed with activities for the whole family. Monday begins with a flag raising ceremony and ends a day of patriotic celebration, music, games, and more with a Fireworks Spectacular at the Beach Club around 9:00 p.m.
In the heart of Historic Downtown Brunswick, it’s an “old-fashioned” Independence Day celebration at Mary Ross Waterfront Park on Monday evening. The fun begins around 7:00 p.m. with classic “ole timey” games and contests that include sack races, a hula-hoop contest, tug-of-war, horseshoes, and more. Prizes are awarded to winners. Free slices of watermelon are handed out all evening, compliments of the City of Brunswick. The holiday fireworks show over the waters of the East River and Oglethorpe Bay takes place about 9:00 p.m. and generally lasts about 30 minutes. The festivities are sponsored by The City of Brunswick and Golden Isles Arts & Humanities.
Red, White & Boom is the theme of the day for Jekyll Island on Monday, July 4th. Great Dunes Park’s annual fireworks display begins after sundown around 9:00 p.m. and with the great visibility from virtually everywhere around the park, Jekyll Island Convention Center and Beach Village, it’s easy to find a good seat. It’s always a fun day to spend at Summer Waves!
And in the spirit of public safety, we'd like to remind you that the AAA-Budweiser Tow To Go program will be active from July 1 through 6:00 a.m. on July 5. Since its inception in 1998, Tow to Go has safely removed more than 24,000 impaired drivers from the roads. This service is designed to be used as a last resort and is offered based on the availability of AAA Service Technicians and tow trucks during times of high call volume. The AAA tow truck takes both the vehicle and the driver home or to a safe location within 10 mile radius. Service is confidential, free, and available to non-members in Georgia and Florida. Phone number to call: (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246.
Stay up to date on the special events, sales, and live music scheduled for 4th of July weekend by following Elegant Island Living on Facebook on checking our website regularly. If you don’t get our weekly newsletter, the EIL Insider, go online at elegantislandliving.net and subscribe today!
