Several Golden Isles festivals celebrate the leisurely ocean-side lifestyle and Southern hospitality of the region. Following is a sampling of what’s on tap throughout the year.
Discover treasures hidden on Jekyll Island in January and February as part of the Island Treasure (www.jekyllisland.com/event/annualfestivals) program. Colorful glass floats, designed to mimic the valuable glass fishing floats used by local fisherman in the early 1900s, are scattered around the island by volunteers for visitors and locals to find. The glass floats, which would occasionally wash ashore, became more valuable when the fishing industry replaced them with Styrofoam and plastic versions. The hunt tradition began in 2002, and each orb is created by an artist and stamped with the year and can be taken to the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center for authentication. This year, the globes will be hidden all over the island, not just on the beach.
The Shrimp and Grits Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival (www.shrimpandgritsfestival.com) draws more than 25,000 visitors to Jekyll Island each September over its three-day run. Admission is free, and attractions include cooking demonstrations of Low Country favorites, Georgia shrimp and grits provided by the best local restaurants and vendors selling paintings, sculptures, jewelry, textiles and pottery. A craft brew tasting tent was also added this year.
The Georgia Coast barrier islands host the Golden Isles SUP Classic (www.goldenislessup.com) in October, attracting top stand-up paddle-boarders and beginners alike. Hosted by Whitecap Stand Up Paddleboarding company and St. Simon’s Paddle and Putt store, participants follow a competitive seven-mile or recreational three-mile ocean course along the island’s edge. Attendees can try their hand at the sport year-round with rentals and lessons.
Organized by the Jekyll Island Museum (www.jekyllisland.com) each June, the Horton House Historic Site event features reenactments of the diplomatic interactions between the Spanish, British and Creek Native American leaders that took place on the land in 1736 and offers a peak into American Colonial life. The museum examines the island’s history from 1886, when it was an exclusive vacation destination for the wealthy, through ongoing modern restoration projects.
