Wow…talk about a variety of things to do this weekend in Columbus, GA…hope you're ready for all of this fun!
First up…and this is TOO cool…Saturday (Oct. 23) is the 4th Annual Southern Pirate Festival at the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus and it’s bigger and better than ever. It’s actually two events in one with the family oriented Southern Pirate Festival happening during the day and the Dead Buccaneer’s Ball happening that evening for the over 21 crowd—and you have to dress in costume for the Ball! During the festival there are all kinds of awesome activities going on; live music on two stages, sword swallowers, fire-eaters, belly dancers, pirate battles and jugglers. For the kiddies there are treasure hunts, pony rides, animal shows, story telling and more. Attendees can climb aboard the full-scale USS WaterWitch or have a chance to fire the 15,000 lb cannon. Admission to the daytime festival is regular museum admission of $5-$6.50 and for the Dead Buccaneer's Ball, it's $25. You can get the entire schedule on their website to make sure you don’t miss a thing. It’s going to be a blast! (706.327.9798)
Now this next event is for the 21+ crowd and so make sure you get a sitter. On Saturday, you can sample 100 American Craft Microbrews during the Brews Boogie in the Rankin Courtyard (1000 Block of Broadway) from 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM. It’s $25 for the sampling and that gets you into the Blues Boogie, which will start at 7 PM. The Blues Boogie will have 3 stages in the Rankin Courtyard, Livery, and inside The Loft. If you choose not to partake in the beer sampling, you can still purchase tickets to the concert for $10. You’ll hear some amazing musicians including Marshall Ruffin, Neal Lucas and Heather Luttrell. And if you’re worried about missing football, don’t be—SEC games will be broadcast on the big screen in the Loft throughout the afternoon and evening. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Children’s Miracle Network. (706.596.8141)
Everybody loves Halloween and this is a great opportunity to start celebrating a little early and get into the spooky spirit. On Saturday, you can take the family on a walk on the Trick or Treat Trail at Oxbow Meadows (South Lumpkin Rd) where you’ll meet wetland wildlife characters that will tell you about their role in the environment and give you a Halloween treat. So it’s really different from any trick or treating you’ve ever done before. Attendees will also enjoy games, crafts and face painting sponsored by CSU’s Department of Education and Health Professions. At 6 PM you can see a great presentation about owls and then watch as rehabilitated owls are released into the wetlands. From 7 to 8 PM watch the full moon rise with telescopes from the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. It’s a night full of frightful festivities that aren’t really frightening at all but are fun and educational. Admission for all this is only $5! (706.687.4090)
Here's some more family-fun stuff…This weekend the village of Westville will be transformed into a Civil War town as they put on their Civil War Days program this Friday-Sunday. The theme for this year’s event is The Struggles of Succession. Attendees will see hundreds of re-enactors portray life in a Georgia town during that time period. You can visit with soldiers and villagers as they go through their daily routine and learn what life was like during wartime. This event is put on in cooperation with the Southeast Coalition of Authentic Re-enactors, so you know you are getting as realistic experience as possible. It’s a rare opportunity that we get to see history come to life first-hand instead of just reading about it in books or watching it on television. It’s another great way to have fun with your kids as they learn something new. The village of Westville is about 45 minutes south of Columbus. Admission is $10. (229.838.6310)
And there are a couple of chances to catch some really good music this weekend as well. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents “Electric Violin – Awesome” featuring electric violinist Tracy Silverman. The show is Saturday, October 23 at 7:30 PM at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $5 - $36. Call 706.256.3612 for more information. And, the Schwob School of Music invites you to the 2nd concert in the Faculty Chamber Series in Legacy Hall at RiverCenter. The performance is Sunday, October 24 at 4:00 PM and is FREE. Call 706.649.7225 for more information.
No kidding guys…this just scratches the surface of stuff going on this weekend, so if you want to find out more, check out the Community Calendar for more details on these events and tons more.
Now, go have some fun…
shelby
Arts / Dining / Events / History