Pleasure Island Businesses Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend

Photo: ICW by Lexi DiBenedetto

Check out these specials and events courtesy of Pleasure Island restaurants and shops just in time for Memorial Day:

The SeaWitch is open for business! Although a fire recently damaged part of the SeaWitch's Tiki Bar, the remainder of the SeaWitch will continue to be open, serve food and be a hotspot for your favorite bands. The entertainment line up for this weekend includes Hot Water Wagon on Friday Night and Just Woke Up on Saturday Night. According to management, the Tiki Bar will be rebuilt and be even better than before.

The Carolina Beach Seafood Company is celebrating its Grand Opening this Memorial Day Weekend. Featuring fresh local seafood, come in and check out their large assortment of fresh shellfish & fish - including just caught Spanish Mackerel. You will also find an appealing assortment of beer, wine & gourmet food products.

Shanty's II provides you with a week full of entertainment. Friday night will be "Dance Mix" with all of your favorite "Shag" tunes featuring the Island's own DJ Mike Worley Saturday night is "Shag Night". Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. each night. Wednesday, June 2nd is Line Dancing Lessons for $5.00. Thursday night is the first session of beginning Shag lessons which is a four week session for $30. For those who wish to drop in to brush up on a step, it's only $10. Shanty's II is a private club and membership is only $10.00 for the entire year. For more information, please call Shanty's at 910-233-3266.

Island Colors is kicking off the summer with a sidewalk sale on Saturday, May 29th. Select merchandise from some of your favorite brands including Fresh Produce Sportswear will be on sale from 25-75% off. They need to make room for the new merchandise that is arriving at the store. There will be a free gift with purchase on Saturday. For more information, please call (910) 458-7736.

Southern Charm will hold their Memorial Day Sale on Saturday and Sunday, May 29th and 30th. Select jewelry and merchandise will be 20% off. Kick off the summer season looking your best. New summer sundresses just arrived as well as a new shipment of Funky Bandz!

And of course don't forget the live music and fireworks at the boardwalk Friday night, the Carolina Beach Farmers Market Saturday morning, and a free showing of Avatar at the Lake on Sunday night. We might need more than a three day weekend to fit it all in!

Stay Safe In The Water This Holiday Weekend - Watch Out For Rip Currents

Photo: "Kure Beach" by Kelly Lawso

The water off the Pleasure Island coast is beautiful, fun, and refreshing, but it can also be dangerous. Rip currents, or strong channels of water flowing away from the shore, are common along the beaches of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Fort Fisher.

To increase your safety this Memorial Day weekend, or any time you are enjoying the ocean here are a few tips:

• Swim near the lifeguard stands. Lifeguards are on duty from 9:30 am to 4:45 pm seven days a week during the season.
• Pay attention to the flags posted on the lifeguard stands which indicate surf conditions. Green = safe swimming conditions, Yellow = moderate to rough surf, caution is advised, Red = surf conditions are dangerous and swimming is prohibited.
• If caught in a rip current don't panic or attempt to swim against the current. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Learn more from the Town of Carolina Beach Lifeguards.
• Keep a close eye on children playing in the water. Communicate with other adults in your party so everyone is aware of who is watching any children.

Stay safe and have fun!

Get Set For a Great Memorial Day Weekend

The official start to summer is finally here! It is going to be a wonderful weekend on Pleasure Island. Whether you are looking forward to relaxing on the beach, spending time with family and friends, or attending Carolina Beach events you won't be disappointed.

The weather outlook for the weekend is a little iffy - according to weather.com the temperature will be in the low 80s with scattered thunderstorms Friday through Sunday, but sunny and 85 degrees on Monday. There should be plenty of good beach time, but if you do get stuck indoors by a storm here or there check out the many Pleasure Island attractions available for inside fun!

Have a great holiday weekend. Take time to remember the men and women in the military who paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country, and be sure to be safe!

Get Your Summer Off To A Great Start On Pleasure Island

Photo By Diane Boissiere

Summer is almost here and there are lots of fun events and activities taking place on Pleasure Island to help you celebrate the start of the season. There is something for everyone. Bookmark the Pleasure Island Event Calendar so you can keep track of the fun events all summer long!

Tuesday, May 25: Boardwalk Blast Family Night Fun for the whole family including karaoke, bouncy toys, line dancing, face painting, and more. At the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.

Wednesday, May 26: Boardwalk Blast Cash Bingo 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.

Thursday, May 27: Free Concert - Mojo Collins & FIREWORKS!! Entertainment at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk Gazebo from 6:30 - 9:00 pm, and the fireworks start once it's dark out, around 9:00 pm.

Friday, May 28: Free Concert - Machine Gun & FIREWORKS!! Entertainment at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk Gazebo from 6:30 - 9:00 pm, and the fireworks start once it's dark out, around 9:00 pm.

Saturday, May 29: Farmer's Market & Art Show 8 am - 1 pm at the Carolina Beach Lake

Sunday, May 30: Free Movie at the Lake - Avatar At the Carolina Beach Lake starting at dusk (around 8:45 pm.)

The best part is that these Carolina Beach events continue each week all summer long!

6th Annual Battle for the North End Cup Volleyball Tournament - Saturday, May 22 in Carolina Beach

Come down to the Carolina Beach Fishing Pier on May 22nd and enjoy a day of fun in the sun and sand as our lifeguards compete for the Battle of the North End Cup.  Proceeds help support your Pleasure Island Lifeguard Association.  

Sponsor a lifeguard team for $50 or form your own team.  There will also be a Paintball Human Target Shooting and a 50/50 drawing.  

Applications can be picked up at The High Tide Lounge or Tangerine Caribbean Grill or call Josh Flemming at 336-830-5876.

Big Print Block Party Art Festival - Saturday May 22 in Carolina Beach

On May 22nd from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., come see giant 4 x 8 foot woodcuts printed with a steamroller LIVE! This year's visiting artist is Julia Morrisroe of Florida.  

Come and see local and regional art of many mediums. Free art projects for kids and there will be plenty of Arts and Crafts booths as well.  

Visit www.capefearpress.com for more information.

Announcing the 2010 Seafood, Blues, and Jazz Headliner...Leon Russell!

Leon Russell

Known first mostly as a session musician, Russell has played with artists as varied as Jerry Lee Lewis, George Harrison, Delaney Bramlett, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Eric Clapton, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, Badfinger, Tijuana Brass, Frank Sinatra, The Band, Glen Campbell, and The Rolling Stones. With a solo career involving the genres of rock and roll, blues, and gospel music, Russell began his musical career at the age of 14 years in the nightclubs of Tulsa, OK. He and his group "The Starlighters", were instrumental in creating the style of music known as the Tulsa Sound.

It is an honor to have Leon Russell grace the stage at the 17th Annual Seafood, Blues, and Jazz Festival which will be held October 9th and 10th, 2010 on Pleasure Island at the Fort Fisher Military Recreational Area in Kure Beach, NC.

For more information visit www.pleasureislandnc.org or call 910-458-8434. Tickets will go on sale in July.

Spotlight on Business: Sunrise Broadcasting

SUNRISE BROADCASTING is a local Wilmington NC radio cluster. While the name Sunrise Broadcasting is fairly new to the market, their stations are not. With stations such as Jammin’ 99.9, Z 107.5, Surf 98.3, ESPN AM 630, and Sunny 104.5, they have the market covered. Sunrise Broadcasting takes pride in helping businesses around the community grow to their fullest potential. They are not only willing to help the community by offering local businesses access to a wide audience, but they are committed to community out reach as well.

Their newest station Sunny 104.5 personifies their commitment. You can catch Craig and Sheila at numerous events through out the area. From the Walk For Those Who Can’t, to The Walk To Defeat ALS, to the Fabulous Fantail Film Festival on the Battleship North Carolina, they are there to help in any way they can.

Drink your morning coffee with Wilmington’s favorite duo! Craig & Sheila get your day started with the latest news, weather, and traffic updates, plus plenty of entertainment, fun, and celebrity dish. And if listening to their show just isn’t enough for you, tune into WILM from 6a-7a for a live hour of the Craig & Sheila Show on CBS-10 WILM!

Sunny 104.5 is a mainstream Adult Contemporary radio station that targets women, is the most popular choice for “At Work” listening, and enjoys consistent popularity. Tune into Sunny on the web 24/7! Log onto 1045SunnyFM.com and listen from work or home!

Sunrise Broadcasting takes great pride in offering a line up of radio stations that are committed to providing the Cape Fear region with great entertainment, on going support for many charitable organizations, and marketing strategies designed to help local businesses grow.

If you are interested in getting more information about advertising on any Sunrise station, please call Senior Account Executive Kristine Altman at 264-5119.

Carolina Beach Vacation Rental Showcase: 103 Charlotte Ave

Are you planning on vacationing on Pleasure Island this summer? It's not too late to book a beautiful vacation rental home no matter what size, style or location you are looking for. We will be featuring a few of the special Carolina Beach and Kure Beach vacation rental homes here over the next few weeks - and all of them still have some weeks available during the peak season.

To start here is 103-103 Charlotte Ave in Carolina Beach - The Bella Luna.

Professionally decorated town home in the heart of Carolina Beach. Gorgeous ocean views from each level. Fully furnished with the exception of linens. Pet friendly with fee. Full Week & Mini-week rates available.

3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
Rates: $975 to $1450 per week

To learn more or to reserve the Bella Luna for your Carolina Beach vacation call Ocean Breeze Properties at 910-707-0308 or visit them online at www.oceanbreezenc.com.

Pleasure Island is a wonderful place to spend your North Carolina beach vacation. With the ocean, live music, rides at the boardwalk, water park, fireworks, outdoor movies, night life, and MUCH more, Pleasure Island has it all. Check out what will be going on when you're in town on the Pleasure Island Event Calendar.

Carolina Beach Farmer's Market - Saturday, May 8th

After only two weeks it is easy to pronounce the Carolina Beach Farmer's Market a huge success! It has been well attended each week, and both vendors and shoppers have been very pleased with the Market. This is the place to buy your fresh produce; plants for your herb, vegetable, and flower gardens; free range eggs; and local meats and cheeses. Local artists also have their work for sale - paintings, woodwork, jewelry, and photography have all been featured. If you haven't gotten a gift for Mother's Day yet you can be sure to find something Mom will love at the Farmer's Market!

The Carolina Beach Farmer's Market is held every Saturday from  8:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Carolina Beach Lake.

Wondering what to do with the fresh tomatoes and basil you'll get at the Market this week? Try this recipe:

Tomato Basil Penne Pasta

4 servings

Ingredients
    * 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta
    * 1 tablespoon basil oil
    * 1 tablespoon olive oil
    * 3 cloves garlic, minced
    * 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
    * 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
    * 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    * 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    * 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Directions
   1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook pasta in boiling water until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
   2. Heat basil and olive oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in oil until soft. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in pepperjack, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. When cheese begins to melt, mix in cooked penne pasta. Season with fresh basil.

Cook's note: Use 2 tablespoons olive oil if basil oil is unavailable.

Recipe submitted by timbertiger. Recipe provided by:

Did you make a delicious dish with something you picked up at the Carolina Beach Farmer's Market? Post the recipe in the comments section of this post to share with others!

Freeman Park (North End of Carolina Beach) Season Pass Rate Changes

Photo by Alicia Devereaux

The Town of Carolina Beach recently implemented a rate change for a Freeman Park season pass.  Beginning on May 15, 2010, the cost of a 2010 Freeman Park Season pass will rise from $60 to $100.  In addition, a tiered fee structure was implemented for season passes whereby a season pass would cost patrons $60 for the 2011 season pass up until March 31st.  The season pass would rise to $100 if purchased after March 31st.  The cost of a Freeman Park daily pass will remain at $20.

The Town of Carolina Beach will also implement a new entrance plan during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  During peak entrance hours, the Town will allow for two lanes of traffic to enter into the park.  Patrons wishing to leave the park will only be able to do so for limited timeframes during the peak entrance hours.  The Town will also have a wrecker on hand to assist with removing vehicles that get stuck within or near the entrance.  The purpose of these changes is to get patrons into the park quicker and to help clear backed up traffic on Canal Drive.  If the plan is successful at easing traffic congestion, the Town will continue to implement the plan on busy holiday weekends.

Information provided by the Town of Carolina Beach. For more information call 910-458-2996.

10th Annual Touch of Class Charity Auction Friday, May 7

The Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce through their Pleasure Island Foundation for a
Sustainable Community, a non-profit organization, will be holding their highly anticipated Touch of Class Charity Auction on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Courtyard by Marriott, Carolina Beach.

This wonderful event features hors d’oeuvres, full dinner, a live and silent auction and a
Diamond Soiree for your chance to win a 1/2 carat Diamond. Some of the incredible items up for auction
include Discover Scuba package, golf packages, weekend getaways, jewelry, original artwork plus an autographed guitar from the 2009 Seafood Blues and Jazz Festival headliner, Delbert McClinton!

Flight of Fancy

Three featured items include:

• A Pecky Cypress wall sculpture - a beautiful mermaid, entitled “Flight of Fancy” crafted by local artist Shaw Lakey.
• A Cedar wall sculpture also by Shaw Lakey called "Turtle Empowered". Like the mermaid it has bronze and copper accents and is truly a work of art.
• And, a brand new “street legal” Golf Cart donated by Randy Wood of “Red Hotz”.

Turtle Empowered

 A portion of the proceeds will benefit Step up For Soldiers, the wonderful support organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of our wounded combat veterans. Admission is $35 which includes two tickets for beer or wine, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and a bidding paddle (tax and gratuity included).


Charity Auction Schedule
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Registration
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm - Silent Auction
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm - Butlered Hors d’oeuvres
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Dinner Stations
7:30 pm - Live Auction

For more information visit www.pleasureislandnc.org or call 910-458-8434.flight