Buoy Fest - Saturday, 5/16 California Drawstrings Ribbon Cutting - Thursday, May 21st Fourth Sunday At Four - Sunday, May 24th
Tea With Friends
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May kicks off the summer season in the Bay, with lots of events to celebrate. Popular benefits include Habitat's annual Women Build, a crawfish cookoff (Battle for the Paddle) for Hope Haven, and the St. Clare's Seafood Festival.
Art and music lovers will mark their calendars for the Second Saturday Artwalk, a 100 Men Hall performance, Fourth Sunday at Four and Mr. Atticus's Night Market. Are you ready? |
Upcoming Events
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5/6 - 5/9 Wednesday - Saturday
The annual Women Build event is filled with lots of fun, food, and hard, but satisfying work. No experience necessary! Join for one day or for all four for just $15.00.
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Women Build
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5/9 - Saturday
Joes & Pros Trout Tournament
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5/9 - Saturday
Don't miss Second Saturday Hot Spots The French Potager, (213 Main Street) and LuLu's (126 Main Street).
Click here for full Second Saturday details! |
Second Saturday Artwalk -
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5/16 - Saturday
Battle for the Paddle
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5/16 - Saturday
The event is being held outside on Buoy’s grounds and on the beach below the bar, so Buoy Fest organizers are encouraging festival-goers to dress in Hawaiian-style beach wear, leis and grass skirts and to bring along beach chairs, beach blankets and beach balls.
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Buoy Fest
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5/21 - Thursday
Business After-Hours - California Drawstrings
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5/22/Friday - 5/24/Sunday
In addition to the festival, the 4th annual St. Clare Seafood Festival 5K race will take place on the Waveland boardwalk on Saturday, May 23rd at 8:00am. You can sign-up for the 5K race on Friday at the festival from 6:00pm-8pm, in front of the St. Clare Church on Saturday, May 23rd starting at 7:00am, or on Active.com.
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St. Clare Seafood Festival
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5/24 - Sunday
Fr. Ron & Friends is an acoustic folk group led by Fr. Ron Clingenpeel, an Episcopal priest. Relying on the strong tradition of American folk music, this high energy group reaches back to play some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century in a Pete Seeger Singalong. Everyone who comes gets to join in!
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Fourth Sunday at Four
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5/29 - Friday
Mr. Atticus's Night Market
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All photos by Cleaver editor/photographer Ellis Anderson and Melinda Boudreaux unless otherwise attributed. High resolution files and prints are available for purchase, contact Ellis.
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15 Minutes
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March 14, 2015 Waveland St. Patrick's Day Parade
photos by Melinda Boudreaux
March 20th - Arts Alive!
Juried Show/Patrons' Party
March 21, 2015 - Arts Alive! in Old Town
March 21, 2015 - Arts Alive!
Singer-Songwriter Competition
This month: "Untamed" photography show, Easter egg hunts, organic gardening club launch, wine and tapas fund-raiser for Boys & Girls club (Taste of the Future), Stella Blues and BBQ festival, Second Saturday Artwalk, Handel Messiah Chorus performance, Second Annual Old Town Putt-Putt Tourney, a Ritzy Rummage Sale and a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at St. Rose.
And those are just the events we're featuring this month! For a FULL list of this month's happenings, go to our Community Calendar page! |
Upcoming Events
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4/3 - Friday
"Untamed"
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4/4 - Saturday
Easter Egg Hunts
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4/4 - Saturday
Bay St. Louis Organic Gardening Club
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4/9 - Thursday
A Taste of the Future
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4/11 - Saturday
Stella's Blues & BBQ Festival
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4/11 - Saturday
Both of April’s Second Saturday Hot Spots - Carroll House Bed & Breakfast and the Hancock County Historical Society home - are known far and wide for their warm hospitality as well as their charming history.
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Second Saturday Artwalk
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4/12 - Sunday
Gulf Coast Messiah Chorus
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Alert - Due to weather, this event was rescheduled from 4/18 to 4/25
4/25 - Saturday
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes, as well as a prize in new category; Best Group Costume.
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Mystic Krewe of Seahorse
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4/25 - Saturday
Ritzy Rummage Sale
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4/25 - Saturday
Murder in Maui Dinner Theatre
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- This month - A Dream Playhouse is the chosen class project of Leadership Hancock County 2015, but it's hardly child's play. Find out about the Leadership program and the 2015 class goal to raise awareness for CASA!
The class project may be a playhouse, but for the twenty-eight participants in the 2015 Leadership Hancock County program, it’s anything but child’s play.
The original playhouse drawing was selected by the Leadership class from dozens of entries submitted by by Hancock County school children. It’s being designed and built students at the Hancock County School District’s Career and Technical Center. When it’s finished, this Dream Playhouse will be raffled off to benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), the local branch of an effective national program that works to protect the interests of abused and neglected children. |
Talk of the Town
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Procrastinators will be able to purchase tickets at the last moment and the drawing will take place around 3:30pm. The family-friendly event will also feature cook-out food (courtesy of Tri-R Bar & Grill), free tours of the museum and music – as well as fun and games for children.
The Raising the Roof Patrons’ Party for the event’s sponsors will begin immediately afterward at 3:30pm, lasting until 5pm. In addition to the cook-out food, wine (donated by Rosetti’s Liquor Barrel) and beer (donated by Lazy Magnolia Brewery) will be served.
Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased online here.
The purpose of the project is two-fold: the class hopes to raise both awareness and money for the CASA program, as well as showcase the Waveland Ground Zero Museum.
Since the program was introduced nearly two decades ago, thirteen classes have produced 320 graduates, many of whom have gone on to become “change agents for the good of Hancock County.”
For the past three years, Janell Nolan has served as the chair of the Chamber’s Steering Committee for Leadership Hancock County (LHC). She calls the program a community effort, saying that it wouldn’t be possible without the support of volunteers, sponsors and local businesses.
Nolan says that each September the new leadership class kicks off with a leadership assessment and an alumni meet and greet. That’s followed by a two-day retreat in October that focuses on team-building and leadership skills. That session sets the foundation for the next six months where the classes take a close look at the six building blocks integral to economic and community development in Hancock County: social infrastructure, workforce development, Stennis Space Center, economic development, civic infrastructure, and cultural heritage and preservation. The program also tasks each class with a project. LHC participants receive a certificate of graduation and celebrate their dedication and hard work in June, with a graduation ceremony and dinner.
“The personal and professional relationships that are built in the leadership classes are invaluable.”
Nolan has observed a few things about the program. “Every year, it is truly inspiring to see how the LHC participants – whether collectively or individually, digest the nine-month experience and immediately begin working on fulfilling a need or taking on challenges to improve the quality of life in Hancock County. The 2015 class came up with an innovative plan that would benefit both CASA and the Ground Zero Museum.”
“The LHC Class of 2015 has been working on this fantastic project,” says Nolan. “It’s been nothing short of amazing to watch them pull it together. They’ve involved the school districts, the children, the faculty and staff of the Career and Technology center and built partnerships with many local businesses.”
“In just a short period of time, they’ve already increased awareness of CASA’s mission exponentially. It’s a win-win for everybody – especially our future - the children of Hancock County.”
For more information on the Raising the Roof event, click here.
To read about CASA’s annual Mardi Gras Gala, click here for the January “Talk of the Town.”
- In March! Lazy Magnolia Brewery celebrates a 10th anniversary, St. Pat's parade in Waveland, Souper Mudfest AND Second Saturday in Old Town. The Spring Pilgrimage Home Tour is also on the slate, along with Arts Alive!, a presentation on Women's Sufferage, Mr. Atticus's Night Market and a 100 Men Hall show with Eric Lindale.
For a full list of monthly happenings, go to our Community Calendar page! |
Upcoming Events
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3/6 - Friday
Tickets for the event are $15 at the door and include a specialty pint glass and beer samples. There will also be three cask beers available for this night only. Tickets may also be pre-purchased online through the Lazy Magnolia website at http://lazymagnolia.com.
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Lazy Magnolia Brewery
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3/14 - Saturday
ROUTE:
Parade begins near the city park at the corner of Central and Waveland Ave, traveling east on Central to Coleman ave, then to the Beach on Coleman, turning east on Beach to Lafayette, then up Lafayette to Central then left to Waveland Ave. |
Waveland St. Patrick's Parade
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3/14 - Saturday
Funds raised benefit the Hancock County Food Pantry, Hancock County Tourism and the Old Town Merchants Association.
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Souper Mudfest
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3/14 - Saturday
As always, two designated "Hot Spot" businesses are spotlighted. Meet the March Hot Spots, Biz-Zee Bee and Alternate Reality Artists Gallery on the Cleaver's Second Saturday page!
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Second Saturday Artwalk
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3/21 Saturday
Spring Pilgrimage Home Tour
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3/21 - Saturday
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Arts Alive!
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3/24 - Tuesday
Women's Suffrage in Mississippi
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3/27 - Friday
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Mr. Atticus's Night Market
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3/27 - Friday
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Eric Lindell & Co.
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More Fun Than Run
- This month: Icy Pint Athletics combines running and beer (AFTERWARD) in a monthly Fun Run at the Mockingbird!
Fluorescent greens, hot pinks, all shades of blue and silver creak across the wooden porch and through the old door. Running shoes carrying their smiling owners of all ages, shapes, sizes, and speeds. Over thirty eager people fill the Mockingbird Cafe tonight, as many do every Thursday for the IPA Happy Hour Fun Run. Jacqueline Mize checks people in as they enter, greeting them familiarly. A band is setting up keyboards, guitars, and amps. After a few minutes, everyone seems to be antsy to go, so they start filing back out onto the porch and sidewalk. | Beach to Bayou |
Everything about this bunch of athletes says fun and community. Most of them seem to shy away from the terms “athlete” or “serious runner” altogether. Jacqueline corrects me, “I do triathlons all the time, and I’m not a serious runner!” Instead, they talk about IPA like it’s a group of friends getting together once a week for some beer. After all, half of the experience is the icy pint that rewards you back at the Mocking Bird. “We run for beer!” exclaims Katie Dauro, a mother of two small children who attends the Fun Run most weeks. In fact, if you run, walk, or bike the short lap around Old Town, your second pint is free. ”Plus,” Katie reasons, “You burn the calories you’re gonna get in the beer.”
It’s clear, though, that Katie, Jacqueline, and all of their IPA friends don’t just run for beer. They come together to laugh, to train, to spend time with their families, and to show each other support. They all know they're part of something bigger than their own fitness goals or best times.
“We hold each other accountable,” Katie explains. “Somedays I don’t want to come, and some days my friends don’t want to come.” At the end of the night—beers in hand and endorphins pumping—it all seems worth getting off the couch. They call it accountability, but it seems much more like a fellowship of encouragement.
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Regardless of the weather, there are always some devoted to run. The Mockingbird Cafe is the loyal host to the Bay IPA. Like the best symbiotic relationships, IPA guarantees hungry runners and thirsty beer enthusiasts, while the Mockingbird provides the beer, tasty food, and (often) live music. A sweet deal that fosters community relationships and supports local small business.
It all started in Ocean Springs when Eric Collum was—as the IPA website explains--“enjoying a cold beer after a run and asking himself ‘Why am I not doing this with my friends?’” Then, when Jacqueline noticed the running community in the Bay, she wondered why she traveled all the way to Ocean Springs for IPA. Eric responded with a quick “sure” when she asked if they could start one here.
In the 2 years since Eric started IPA in Ocean Springs, over 500 people have come out to at least one run. The numbers continue to rise weekly. Many have already hit the 100 runs mark, like Jacqueline who just earned her IPA visor this month for reaching the triple digits. Eric is here to present it to her after she awards multiple perks to faithful “Top Shelf” members who hit milestones today.
Attending the Happy Hour Fun Run is completely free, but signing up for the Top Shelf Membership sets you up for a great list of perks. The annual membership is $25, which offers benefits like official IPA merchandise, runners insurance, discounted and free training sessions, and discounts at IPA events and local merchants. It’s definitely worth it for anyone wanting to run often and run well.
To top off the Icy Pint, there is more than just weekly fun runs in three locations (Ocean Springs, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport). They host runs and other events, represent at local runs and triathlons, offer training and workshops, and just simply hang out sometimes. As their website boasts, “If you ever run, even if it’s only a few feet; if you like to drink; if you want to help create awesomeness… you are in the right place.” That is if you’re running with Icy Pint Athletics.
For more information about the fun runs, the annual membership, or what IPA is all about, go to their website, icypintathletics.com, and Facebook/IcyPintAthletics.
ArtsAlive! 2015 is slated to take place from 10am – 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 21st in Old Town Bay St. Louis. The name has been around since 2004, but what began as a simple studio tour is now a “multi-faceted celebration of the arts - one where music, art, food, and literature mix it up for an unforgettable experience.” | Arts Alive! |
The Artists Showcase is the main focus of the event, with dozens of artists showing and selling their work at “host” businesses in Old Town. Free demonstrations and talks by the artists about their techniques take place through the day.
The showcase is open to artists nationwide for a nominal fee ($25 for members of The Arts, Hancock County, $50 for non-members, which includes a year’s membership in The Arts). Artists are paired with host businesses for the day and are featured on the event’s website and in the event program. Deadline for artists to register is March 4th. Applications are available at www.ArtsAliveGulfCoast.com.
“Think of it as sort of an ‘American Idol’ for the arts,” says The Arts president Cynthia Mahner, smiling. “Our new motto is ‘Celebrating Art, Engaging Communities and Enriching Lives!’ So we’re staging events that will engage entire families and get them excited about creative endeavors of all kinds. People can come out and cheer on their favorite artist or student.”
Several different competitions are offering nearly $3,000 in cash prizes for top contestants on the day of the event. There will be a “Flash Fiction” writer’s contest which is open to all ages. Writers are given just three hours to write a story about a specific topic, announced that morning. There’s also a “Southern Sweets” culinary competition, and a singer-songwriter competition that has already attracted entries from all over our area.
In addition, a juried art show and high school student art show - both offering generous cash prizes - will be on display. In the afternoon, a fun theatre tableau will take place on the courthouse steps, with actors bringing to life the characters from a famous painting.
Mahner says the new ArtsAlive has been enthusiastically embraced by both artists and Old Town merchants. “The response has exceeded our expectations again this year and that’s always a great place to be.”
For complete ArtsAlive! information, click here.
by Karen Fineran
Mystic Krewe of Seahorse Set to Ride For Second Year
photographs courtesy Ann Madden
In case you haven’t heard, or witnessed strolling gaggles of pirates saunter down Main Street this past year, there’s a new Krewe in town. The Second Annual Lundi Gras Parade of the Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse will be held on Monday, February 16 from 6-8 p.m. in downtown Bay Saint Louis. The theme for this year’s parade is “Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay,” a celebration of the culture and music of the 1960s. The parade will feature bands, antique cars, decorated golf carts, and costumed walking krewes! | Talk of the Town |
The Krewe held its first annual parade last year on Lundi Gras evening – the first Lundi Gras parade on the Mississippi Gulf Coast! Since that March 2014 debut, the Seahorse Krewe had tons of fun with its year-round celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bay St. Louis during the War of 1812.
Marketing Director Maggie Rafferty Cantrell said that the Krewe has been wildly popular since its inception, drawing nearly 600 members in its first year. Thousands turned out to see the golf cart and antique car parade last year, and she is hoping for an even greater turnout this year.
Queen Nikki Moon said that she was thrilled when she was asked to reign over Seahorse this year. “What a huge honor!” she exclaimed. She explained that the Mystick Krewe of the Seahorse was conceived as a way to commemorate the history of Bay St. Louis, while at the same time creating fun events that would keep Bay residents more involved in their beautiful town, all of which is expected to bolster the economic health of this community and make it an even better place to live and visit.
The Krewe is named after the U.S.S. Seahorse, a War of 1812 schooner, which fought a British fleet on December 14, 1814 during the Battle of Bay St. Louis. That battle was an important action in the War of 1812, and was the last naval battle against a foreign power in American waters. While the Americans ultimately were defeated in Bay St. Louis by the stronger British ships, the engagements helped delay the British arrival in New Orleans, bought Andrew Jackson valuable time, and contributed to the American victory at the famous Battle of New Orleans a few days later.
During the battle of Bay St. Louis, the Seahorse was dispatched into the Bay of St. Louis to harass a fleet of British ships, and to secure munitions in case they fell to the British, while another ship, Alligator, was sent to Chalmette to warn General Jackson of the British approach. In Bay St. Louis, a crowd of townspeople gathered on the bluff at Ulman Avenue to watch the approaching British fleet, and there the first cannon shot was fired from the shore toward the Brits (by an elderly bystander, according to legend). Under the assumption that he had cover fire from shore, the captain of Seahorse attacked the British fleet, they countered in kind, and history was made.
The reenactment was conducted by two Biloxi schooners from the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, each with about 40 passengers in period dress to act out the drama. On land, 200 North Beach Restaurant owner Ann Tidwell reenacted the role of "Miss Claiborne," whom, according to legend, used Mayor Toulme's cigar to ignite the first land-based cannon shot. Other bicentennial festivities that weekend included a costumed Inspection Ball, schooner tours, sailing excursions, Bay Bridge 7K and 1K Runs, a veterans’ motorcycle ride, and a naval oceanography watercraft exhibit.
This year’s golf-cart and vehicle night parade is scheduled to start rolling through downtown Bay St. Louis at 6 p.m. on February 16, 2015. It will assemble at the Historic Train Depot at Blaize and Bookter Avenues, head west on Bookter, turn right on Necaise Avenue, right on Main Street, left on 2nd, right on Demontluzin, right on Beach Boulevard, right on Main, and end at Cue Street near the parking garage. This is THE ONLY parade on the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Lundi Gras, and is the happening place to be on Monday night.
For more information about the Krewe, the parade, and information about joining, please call Marketing Director Maggie Rafferty at (662) 617-9422.
Krewe of Diamonds Set To Sparkle in Downtown Bay St. Louis on Fat Tuesday
The Krewe of Diamonds remains the only predominately African-American Krewe to parade on Mardi Gras Day on the Mississippi Coast. Each year, our townspeople look forward to enjoying the premier event of Mardi Gras Day in the Bay-Waveland area.
The Krewe of Diamonds usually announce their King and Queen at their ball, which will be held on Saturday, February 7th at 8 p.m. at the Bay St. Louis Community Center. Tickets can be purchased by calling a Krewe of Diamonds member.
The parade is set to begin at 1:00 P.M, first lining up at Commagere Park on Bookter Street at St. Francis St., then down Booker to a left onto Necaise Avenue, on to a right on Main Street, a right onto Beach Blvd., then right on Union Street and continuing to Blaize Ave. (Third Street). From Blaize Ave., the parade will turn right on Sycamore Street and roll to Old Spanish Trail, ending on Bookter Street.
So, on Mardi Gras Day, pack up your King Cakes, sandwiches, fried chicken, barbecue, and ice chests of beverages, and head downtown or to the Depot District to enjoy a truly enjoyable local tradition.
Those interested in participating in the parade, or for more information about the Krewe of Diamonds, should call Corinn Burton at (228) 671-1471, or Sharon Alexander at (228) 493-2092.
This month - From Mardi Gras parades to concerts to awesome art events - we have it covered at the Cleaver! | Upcoming Events |
2/6 - Friday
2/8 - Sunday
2/10 - Tuesday
2/14 - Saturday
Valentine's Second Saturday Artwalk |
2/14 - Saturday
Tickets are $18 in advance/$29 at the door. Advance ticket purchasers will receive a grab-bag of discounts and promotional offers from area boutiques and restaurants upon check in at The Hall. Doors at 7pm; show starts at 8pm. Cash bar. Tickets can be purchased on their website. | Zena Moses and her band |
2/16 - Monday, Lundi Gras
Want to decorate a golf cart or form a marching group and join in? Parade Entry-$30 per unit UNTIL January 1, 2015; $50 AFTER January 1, 2015 | Mystic Krewe of Seahorse Parade |
2/17 - Tuesday, Mardi Gras
2/21 - Saturday
Students will: + Develop personal creativity through Narrative Pantomimes,Group Tableaus, and Theatre Games + Develop interpersonal skills and awareness through Improvisational Acting and Interactive Group Dramatizations + Develop aesthetic sensitivity and theatre skills through integration of scenery, costumes, art, music, and dance | Bay Children’s Theatre Academy Winter Workshops |
This Month - The Arts Alive! festival returns to Old Town Bay St. Louis in March. Learn how you can be part of this dynamic event that will get your creative muses buzzing!
The Very Lively Arts Alive Returns to Old Town! ArtsAlive! 2015 is a different sort of art festival - one where music, art, food, and literature mix it up for an unforgettable experience in the historic seaside town of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It all takes place on March 21, 2015, from 10am - 8pm in Old Town. | Arts Alive Column |
The event has been produced by The Arts, Hancock County for more than a decade, but in 2014, the organization launched a completely fresh concept, winning over participating artists, Old Town merchants and festival goers who came from as far away as North Carolina.
According to Cynthia Mahner, president of The Arts, “ArtsAlive! exposes our community to art and fosters creativity in children and adults throughout the coast community. And it gives professionals and aspiring artists, writers, chefs, and musicians a place to showcase their talents."
“It’s also more engaging than a typical art show, since you get to see artists creating and competing. It’s a very exciting day for both artists and the public."
Last year over $4,000 in prize money was awarded in the various competitions and more than 100 writers, songwriters, chefs and visual artists participated.
This year two-dozen local businesses will sponsor artists along the streets of Bay St. Louis. Many of the restaurants, such as the Bay Town Inn, Trapani’s Eatery, and the Cypress Café will have painters demonstrating in their front yards. Jewelers, potters, needlepointers, and even furniture makers will be out in front of various businesses, providing a unique opportunity to meet artists at their work and see how they create their masterpieces.
The Literary Showcase will partner with Bay Books to give writers a chance to shine, including a bevy of local authors signing their books through the day along Main Street. The Aspiring Writers contest promotes writing for students, with a big participation from the grade school and high school levels. Last year’s “Flash Fiction” contest with cash prizes was a big success, and will be repeated again this year. For more excitement, Bay Books will be adding a poetry contest this year.
In the Culinary Showcase, amateur chefs will bring their strongest contenders to the Sweets of the South competition during ArtsAlive! 2015, with cash prizes awarded to the top three winners. Members of the public even get to sample the candies, cakes and pies to help select a People’s Choice Award. Even acting will be represented, with members of the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre presenting a short performance on the Courthouse lawn.
Those interested in participating should sign up immediately. Please go to www.artsalivegulfcoast.com for complete information and entry forms. Entry deadline for the juried art show is February 28, 2015.
This month - The annual Mardi Gras Gala benefit for CASA invites people to laissez les bon temps rouler for a great cause!
by Karen Fineran
CASA’s 4th Annual Mardi Gras Gala will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Bay St. Louis Community Center. The reigning King and Queen of the 2015 Annual Mardi Gras Gala are Bay St. Louis residents Mr. Dave Mayley and Ms. Camille Tate.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children is a nationwide network of community-based programs that recruit, train and support citizen-volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in courtrooms and communities. CASA volunteers, appointed by judges, monitor and visit each of the children until he or she is placed in a safe and loving permanent home.
For many abused children, their CASA volunteers will be the only constant adult presence in their lives. Judges rely upon CASA volunteers to make valuable recommendations about the children’s welfare; the volunteers truly are the voices of the children, and the eyes and ears of the courts.
CASA’s Hancock County Chapter currently is working with nearly 500 children in the foster care system here (more children than in many much more populated cities and counties). Research has shown that children assigned with a CASA volunteer are more likely to be adopted, much less likely to re-enter foster care or spend time in long-term foster care, and less likely to be bounced from home to home. It takes a lot of dedicated work and funding to take on a mission of this gravitas, and private funding is crucial to CASA’s success.
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Scenes from the 2014 Casa Gala
As Hancock CASA’s Executive Director, Cynthia Chauvin, explained, “Hancock County has a particularly large need for CASA’s work. There are more children here in foster care than in New Orleans and Jefferson Parishes combined! Funds raised from the Gala will allow us to continue in this important work. The role of the volunteers, in visiting the children and making recommendations to the judges, is really critical in this county.”
Chauvin added that Hancock CASA has already doubled the amount of volunteers assigned over last year; there are currently 53 volunteers, serving 31% of the children in Hancock County foster care, and putting in more than 2,000 combined hours of service per year.
Hancock CASA is actively working to recruit more volunteers, and get that percentage up, so that more of the needy children of this county can be helped. Chauvin is excited about the upcoming Gala, which “is a great way for everyone and anyone to become involved with CASA without actually becoming a volunteer.” 2015 Queen Camille Tate The January 17 Gala will begin at 7:00 p.m. and run until midnight, at the Bay St. Louis Community Hall on Blaize Street in Bay St. Louis. Admission is $40 per person in advance, and $50 at the door. Your ticket includes admission, dinner, mixers, and entertainment (the event is BYOB). Cocktail attire is suggested.
The festivities will include dinner, a live band, a silent and live auction, and the crowning of the King and Queen. This year’s band is Cuisine from New Orleans, who will provide big horn rock’n’roll music hearkening from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Dinner will be provided by Jimmie Ladner and Friends.
All proceeds from the event will go to providing child advocacy services to the abused and neglected children of Hancock County, including funding for recruiting, training and supporting the volunteers that help these children get through the foster care system and safely to the other side.
Tate says, “It’s a real privilege to be nominated the Queen of this year’s CASA gala. It’s very important that the people of Hancock County get behind CASA and support its efforts, because of the large number of needy children in and out of foster care in this county. . . . And, besides, the Gala is just so much fun!”
So, grab a few friends and come out for the fun – it’s guaranteed to launch you into the Mardi Gras spirit while also supporting the most needy children of Hancock County. Tickets to the gala can be purchased at the CASA office at 412 Highway 90, Suite 3, Bay St. Louis. Event sponsorships are still available and begin at $100.
For more information on the event, or to become a sponsor or volunteer, call 228-344-0419, or email Cynthia@casahancockcounty.org. (One does not have to be a lawyer or social worker to be a volunteer, as training and support are provided by CASA’s professional staff.) For more information, and fun photos from past Mardi Gras Galas, please visit the Gala website.
Seahorse Fever in the Bay
Upcoming 200th anniversary of the Battle of the Bay of St. Louis
The premise is to have the whole community participate in the reenactment of “The Battle of Bay St. Louis,” an encounter that occurred 200 years ago during the War of 1812. Planned events on the actual anniversary include a maritime reenactment – with cannon fire! - a 5K race, a veteran’s parade and fireworks. Two Biloxi schooners from the Seafood and Maritime Museum will take part in the reenactment, but while they’re not “fighting,” people can purchase tickets for on-board tours.
And that’s just on the anniversary day. November 15th has been declared Pirate Day in the Bay as a warm-up for the December festivities. (See details under Upcoming Events). And earlier this year as part of the whole big shebang, a new Mardi Gras parade and a putt-putt Golf Tournament took place. Both were so wildly popular that they’re now going to be annual events.
The entire extravaganza can be traced back to two brothers, Donald and Robin Rafferty.
In late 2013, the two history buffs realized that the 200th anniversary of the little-known maritime battle of the Bay was approaching. The brothers gathered a group of friends for a brainstorming session and within a few months, the Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse was formed.
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Then in April, a whimsical 18 hole Putt-Putt Golf Tournament in Old Town raised money for the Krewe. The event was such a hit a similar fund-raiser is being planned for 2015. The publicity surrounding these events has brought Seahorse membership to over 550, with more expected to join as the excitement surrounding the reenactment grows.
The historical event that’s at the center of all this merriment happened in 1814 as a precursor to the more famous “Battle of New Orleans.” The Sea Horse was an American schooner that single-handedly took on the British fleet in a “David versus Goliath” encounter, right in front of the Bay St. Louis shoreline. While the little ship was hopelessly out-manned, it managed to delay British forces, giving Andrew Jackson (who was commanding American forces in New Orleans) more desperately needed time to organize that city’s defense and keep control of the Mississippi River out of British hands.
Since the event occurred two centuries ago, accounts of the battle vary, but as local historian Charles Gray often says, “history is lies agreed upon.” His version of the battle, which is made up of “a composite of different sources” will appear in the December Cleaver.
Spoiler alert: The most riveting part of Gray’s version occurs when an elderly woman on crutches shouts to shore-side onlookers of the battle “Will no one fire a shot in the defense of our country?” She grabs a lit cigar being smoked by Bay St. Louis Mayor Toulme and lights the fuse to a cannon, which fires into the midst of the British attackers. Mayhem ensues.
The Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse seems to be embodying the feisty spirit of the cigar-wielding matron. We know the next question avid readers will be asking: How do we join? There’s an actual website and you can download the membership application there. The cost to join is only $30 and it includes a very cool membership card, as well as email updates about all the planned activities – including the Inspection Ball that will take place the night before the reenactment.
On the evening of Friday, December 12th, at the Bay St. Louis Community Hall, a costume ball will kick off the anniversary chain of events. The ball (yet another opportunity to dress in your interesting period outfit!) takes place from 5:30 - 11pm. Tickets cost $25 for members and $35 for non-members. There’ll be food and beverage and major comradery as the names of the 2015 king and queen of the Krewe of Seahorse Mardi Gras Parade are announced.
But you don’t have to be a member of the Krewe of Seahorse to enjoy any of the events surrounding the anniversary. Simply wearing a costume will make you part of the spectacle instead of a spectator. That’s always more fun - and makes for eye-catching photos that will get posted on Facebook and cause a stir with your friends who don’t live in places nearly this interesting.
For more history about the battle, click here for the Krewe’s history page. Also, Charles Gray suggests reading Paul La Violette’s 2003 book, Sink or Be Sunk! The Naval Battle in the Mississippi Sound That Preceded the Battle of New Orleans. It’s available at Bay Books on Main Street.
Meet the Candidates will be held at American Legion Post 139 in Bay St. Louis (645 Green Meadow Road) from 6pm – 9pm on Monday, July 11th and Thursday, July 14th. Candidates have been invited to speak for three minutes each, discussing issues critical to economic recovery and quality of life. Refreshments will be provided by the Hancock Chamber, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Hancock County Alliance for Good Government, the Hancock Chamber Kiln Business Council and the Press Association of Hancock County.
On Monday, July 11th, Meet the Candidates in Bay St. Louis will feature candidates for Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Tax Assessor/Collector, Supervisors from all five districts, State Senate District 46 and State House District 122. On Thursday, July 14th, candidates for Coroner, Constables (Places 1, 2 and 3), Justice Court Judge (1, 2 and 3), Sheriff, County Superintendent of Education and State House Districts 93 and 95 will have an opportunity to speak.
Those running for statewide office are encouraged to attend and speak on either night. During both evenings of the Bay St. Louis forum, the Hancock Chamber will be offering information from the Circuit Clerk’s office on voting times and places, registration, absentee voting and district maps.
Lana Noonan, chairman of the Hancock County Alliance for Good Government, said the forums are offered as an opportunity for “the candidates to meet the voters and the voters to interact with those offering themselves up for public service.”
“While signs, ads, and coffee shop buzz are fine, nothing beats meeting the candidates in person,” said Noonan.
Judi Redshaw, Vice President of the Hancock Chamber and Chairman of the Chamber Kiln Business Council agrees. “We owe it to our children to educate ourselves before we vote,” she said.. “Citizens need to base these crucial votes on information, instead of signs on a street corner.”
The Diamondhead Community Association will be giving voters in their area a similar opportunity, beginning at 6:30pm on Wednesday, July 13th and Wednesday, July 20th at the Diamondhead Country Club (7600 Country Club Circle). Candidates will answer a list of identical questions, then will be invited to stay after the formal presentation to field more questions.
In Diamondhead on the 13th, candidates for Supervisor in both Districts Three and Five are expected to be on hand. On the 20th, those running for County Sheriff and County Education Superintendent have been invited. John McFarland, Marketing Director for the Sun Herald will be the moderator.
“The decisions that will be made by elected officials in the next few years will affect many future generations,” Redshaw noted. “It is up to us as responsible citizens to understand how important our choices are.”
For more information, contact the Hancock Chamber, 228.467.9048 or go to: www.hancockchamber.org
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