Southport Magazine

Though summer’s heat is well upon us, our area is buzzing with ways to have fun and keep cool. We’re offering our advice for beating the sun’s rays in the form of seven delicious frozen beverages, ranging from the decadently sweet and coffee-flavored, to the richly healthy with the use of varying fruits and vegetables. Flip to pages 20 and 21, the Cheers section, for a peek at this summer’s most delicious blended treats.

The very first weekend of August will be a vivacious one, as Bald Head Island will be invaded by pirates! Guests can meet actors and skilled swordsmen such as Captain Horatio Sinbad as he’ll be carried into our waters on the ship Meka II. For more details on the event, check out page 4.

Oak Island is bustling with action this month, from the 24th annual Arts and Crafts Festival (page 12), which is sure to display a plethora of unique, local art, to the 10th annual Surf Off (page 8). As the island’s surf contest celebrates a decade of riding the fury of the Atlantic Ocean, spectators can revel in witnessing the competitor’s skills.

Odell Williamson Auditorium will make its own waves this month, as the California surf music legend The Beach Boys will headline on August 29th. On page 11, contributor Shannon Rae Gentry reveals the band’s latest endeavors after over 50 years of musical success.

Speaking of music, the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce will delight in Jimmy Buffett tunes all weekend long from August 23rd through 25th with its first ever Phlock to the Beach. (When fans of Jimmy Buffett, called Parrotheads, get together, it’s known as a “phlock”!) We offer full details of the fun, from a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” contest to two pub-and-grub crawls, on pages 6 to 7.

Finally, our health columnist reveals the latest way to keep cool beneath the hot sun: stand-up paddleboarding! Check out her section on page 23.

Wishing you an air-conditioned August,
Bethany Turner