Southern Byways

If the 22nd Annual Holiday on the Harbor in Destin, Fla., doesn’t get you in the holiday spirit, well, you just might need to check your pulse.
Scheduled for December 14, the event features over 20 boats gussied up with lights and other decorations. Sponsored by the Destin History and Fishing Museum (worth visiting when you have the chance), the activities along HarborWalk Village begin at 5 p.m. (however, it is highly recommended to show up before 5 p.m.)
During the Holiday on the Harbor, you can expect an evening filled live music, arts and crafts for the young …read more

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File this under “you just never know.”
From tornadoes to snow in about 24-36 hours. You’ve just gotta to love weather in the South.
Okay, so it might not stick, but snow of any size, including sleet is a big deal in the deep South.  Remember the freak snow blizzard in March 1993 that hit the South and rendered the area helpless, because, well states, like Alabama where I was, didn’t have snow ploughs and couldn’t do anything.
As I sit in 60 degree weather in the metro-Atlanta, Ga., area (suppose to lightly flurry here tonight), I’ve see  reports from Texas, Louisiana, …read more

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Warm lights, crisp greenery and festive decorations are one of the true combinations of the holidays. It’s during this time that historic homes across the South invite the public to enjoy them in their holiday finery.
Historic Augusta (Ga.) Inc., is presenting its Historic Holiday Candlelight Tour on December 5 – 6. Not only are the five home museums decked out in decorations, but also include period costumed interpreters, refreshments and music.
Museum homes on display include The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson (named as a new National Historic Landmark in October 2008), Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, …read more

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Roasted, boiled, baked, fried – when you enjoy your peanuts this weekend, well you can thank the 100-mile radius around Dothan, Ala., for them. Yes, that’s right – half of the peanuts grown in the U.S. are found in this area. 
And there isn’t a better way to celebrate the peanut harvest than at the 65th Annual National Peanut Festival in Dothan that kicks off on October 31 and runs through November 9.
Okay, I admit that I’m a little bias toward the festival since this is my hometown. I have many memories about Midnight Madness, a certain Gravitron ride that …read more

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Let’s see, there’s fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, shrimp kabobs, and well, you get the idea. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the main theme of the 37th Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., is -shrimp, and there are other seafood delicacies as well. But, really, it all comes back to the shrimp
Slated for October 9-12, the festival also includes live entertainment, a happening children’s area and over 300 vendors selling everything from arts and crafts to other items.
Here’s some extra incentive (as if you need any) to go this weekend: not only is the …read more

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The 1st Annual Field to Table Festival: A Taste of Appalachia at Biltmore in Asheville, N.C., is more than a culinary experience – it’s a celebration of a sorts. A celebration of the region’s bounty, and those who not only produce it, but also create dishes from it.
Through September 28, the festival provides you with an intimate look into connection between the farmer, the chef and the winemaker. Each day (PDF file), experts in different fields lead talks, demonstrations, tours and more.
For instance, on September 23 there’s a butter churning demonstration at Red Bend Barn, and a …read more

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This isn’t your traditional film or art festival. You don’t sit and silently watch the films, or quickly walk by a static exhibit. Here, you have the opportunity to walk around and take it all in. Some places, you can even be part of it.
“Extraordinary unique,” is how Mike Ragsdale, town evangelist, describes Alys Beach’s upcoming Digital Graffiti Festival.
And you know, he just might be on to something here.
Scheduled for August 30, the event is nothing like anything else that has taken place along the Beaches of South Walton, or even in the South for that matter.
“There is always …read more

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July is National Hog Dog Month and you still have a little over a week to celebrate. If you find yourself tooling around the South during this time, stop and have a dog (or two or three) at any of the following: Chris’ Hot Dogs in Montgomery, Ala., Varsity in either Atlanta or Athens, Ga., Nu-Way Weiners in Macon, Ga., Skin Thrasher’s in Anderson, S.C., Yum Yum Better Ice Cream in Greensboro, N.C., and Arbetters in Miami, Fla. Interestingly enough, there’s an article highlighting the best places to the all-might dog in South Florida. Hey, Texas, I didn’t forget …read more

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Every year in August, thousands make a pilgrimage to the mid-South in search of undiscovered treasures. They pilfer through various items on the tables, in the booths and on the blankets of over 5,000 vendors, who are set-up in open fields or in their front yard.  The bargain hunters are on a mission for pottery, glassware, furniture, farm tools or garden accessories. The more adventurous ones are eyeing the bulldozer, rail car, horse-drawn hearse or the large stuffed moose, wondering how can they get it home.
Welcome to what is considered to be the mother of all yard-sales  …read more

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From the city that has introduced the world to such drinks as Sazerac, Hurricane and other memorable concoctions is hosting the Tales of the Cocktail during July 16-20. This five-day event features a number of culinary and cocktail related programs. The Hotel Montelone is the nucleus of the event, but at designated sites throughout the French Quarter, there’ll be seminars, tastings, dinner pairings and more. Definitely don’t miss out the New Orleans Original Cocktail Tour.
Tickets are required for each event and need to be purchased in advance. If you’re thinking about driving in for a few days or staying …read more

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