Southport Magazine

The Oak Island Lighthouse Run, which includes a half-marathon, a 10k, and a 5k, will take place on Saturday, April 20th. Photo by Bethany Turner

With spring now in full gear, we can really embrace the season. We are ready to let go of winter doldrums. It’s time to get our knees dirty in gardening or enjoy a warm breeze oceanside. It’s time to just go with the flow.

For some, the beautiful weather is welcomed annually with Oak Island’s Ride the Tide Kayak Float and Race, hosted by the town’s Parks and Recreation Department and The Adventure Company. Folks from ages 12 and up will race down Davis Canal on an outgoing tide, all the way to Blue Water Point Marina, on Saturday, April 13th. Folks interested in joining the 5.2-mile cruise should click here for more details.

As another way to get active, our Health columnist suggests ways to succeed in running your first race. Fittingly, this month’s Oak Island Lighthouse Run offers a 5k for starters, as well as a 10k race and a half-marathon. We’ve also selected a few more races to consider, and it’s all right here.

April even brings with it a plethora of social fund-raising events, from the Dosher Memorial Hospital Foundation Gala (here) to the Oak Island Beach Preservation Society’s annual wine tasting and silent auction (here). Likewise, the area’s autism/Asperger’s advocacy group, Put Together the Pieces, will host its first ever event for Autism Awareness Day in Southport this month (here).

The arts community is overflowing with culturally enlightening events, too. Calabash-based artist Karen Casciani is a world traveler—and her photorealism works broadcast her global influences. She’ll be the featured artist at Howe Outrageous Art Gallery and Marketplace for April (here). Audiences will have a chance to select “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical” at Odell Williamson Auditorium, as a New York City improv troupe will tickle funny bones (here). Plus, Jeanne Jolly—a folk-style songstress with a masters degree in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory—will grace the stage at Playhouse 211 (here).

This is the time of year when our community flourishes with ways to be engaged, involved, and active. We urge you to check out Occasions, our calendar, for even more events taking place here in April. You’ll be glad you did!

Until next time…

Bethany Turner
Editor