Wow, there are a ton of great events going on this weekend!  Enjoy one or a few of these great events: 

• RIVERFRONT FARMER’S MARKET, Saturday, 8am-12:30pm.  There are only a few weeks left to enjoy the farmer’s market on Water Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington.
• WINTER WONDERLAND @ MAYFAIRE, through December 24th at Mayfaire Town Center.  Winter Wonderland continues at Mayfaire Town Center with a one-of-a-kind outdoor Winter Wonderland with realistic nightly snow, holiday music, drummers, Santa, carolers, snow fairies and more.  Free!
• ENCHANTED AIRLIE, Thursday through Sunday at Airlie Gardens.  Festive lights, live music and the largest display of model trains in the Southeast.  Stroll through this whimsically lighted display at your own pace.  Advanced tickets are required!  I am looking forward to this next weekend!
• VISIT SANTA!, Thursday through Sunday until 8:30 in Hilton Park.  Bring your camera!
• LIGHTING OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST LIVING CHRISTMAS TREE, Thursday at 6pm in Hilton Park.  Holiday entertainment plus Santa, this is free!
• LAUGHING FOR LIFE, COMEDY BY THE BEACH, Thursday, 8pm at Thalian Hall.  A benefit comedy show that has joined forces with Steve Haydu’s St. Patricks Day Lotide Run.  The fund raises money for local families negatively impacted by cancer. 
• HOLIDAY LIGHTING OF THE BATTLESHIP, Friday through January 6th at the Battleship North Carolina.  Enjoy nightly from dusk until 11pm. 
• WINTER JAZZ, Friday, 6pm at the New Hanover Government Center.  Bring your chair, blanket and picnic (no glass bottles).  Enjoy music by Jim Felds Quartet with Sarah Parker.  Tickets are $8.00.
• ISLAND OF LIGHTS PARADE, Friday, 7:30pm at Carolina Beach.  The Christmas parade furnishes night time electric displays, featuring floats, bands, queens, clowns, horses, Santa and more.  Bring your chairs, blankets and snacks to enjoy the fun!  Parking is free!
• A TUNA CHRISTMAS, Friday, 8pm at Thalian Hall.  This is the popular holiday sequel to Greater Tuna which has been a nationwide sellout since its premier in 1991.
• SANTALAND DIARIES, Friday through Sunday, 8pm at City Stage.  The show is about an out of work slacker that decides to become a Macy’s elf during the holiday crunch.
• ISLAND OF LIGHTS HOLIDAY FLOTILLA, Saturday, 6pm at Carolina Beach.  The parade of boats will cruise from Snows Cut to Carolina Beach boat basin and back. 
• PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE WEEKEND, Saturday & Sunday at the Battleship North Carolina.  Activities include Battleship Alive Interpreters aboard ship and Azalea Coast Radio Club will provide HAM radio operators the opportunity to contact the ship.
• OLD WILMINGTON BY CANDLELIGHT, Saturday & Sunday at 4pm.  Call 762-0492 for more details.  Tour of the finest private homes, churches and historic sites in the downtown Wilmington area.
• A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS SHOW, Saturday, 7pm, at Fat Tony’s Italian Pub.  The 17-piece Wilmington Big Band plays to benefit Toys for Tots.  $8.00 per person or $4.0 if you bring a new toy donation.  Fat Tony’s is located at 131 N. Front Street.
• POPLAR GROVE’S CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE, Sunday at 12:00pm.  Take a tour, shop for handmade gifts and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies in the manor house.  Admission will be free!  Poplar Grove is located on US Hwy 17 North at Scotts Hill.
• 6TH ANNUAL WILMINGTON HOLIDAY PARADE, Sunday, 5:10pm in Historic Downtown Wilmington.  The parade begins at N. Front and Walnut at 5:10pm. 

To learn more about any of these events or Wilmington Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395 or visit my website at www.livingbythecoast.com. 

Coming soon to Hampstead will be a new shopping center which will be a part of the growing development along Highway 17 in Pender County.  Lowes Foods, a trendy restaurant and a salon are a few of the stores slated to be built.  The Hampstead Towne Center is scheduled to open next summer.  Hampstead is located about fifteen minutes north of Wilmington, NC.  To learn more about the Hampstead Towne Center or Hampstead Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395.

If you have just moved to the Wilmington area and are used to winter sports and colder weather then you may want to check out The Ice House.  The Ice House is an ice skating rink in Ogden that will entertain any age group.  There is open skating as well as a variety of other activities such as hockey, ice skating lessons, figure skating and birthday parties.  The Ice House is located just off of Market Street by Ogden Park making it accessible to everyone!  To learn more about The Ice House or Wilmington Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395. 

There are plenty of concerts, shows and holiday activities going on this weekend.  If you have spare time take some time to look at Wilmington Real Estate.

• EMANUEL AX, PIANO SOLOIST, Thursday.  The recital will take place at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium.
• SECOND CITY’S DYSFUNCTIONAL HOLIDAY REVUE, Friday at 8pm.  The show will take pace at Thalian Hall in Historic Downtown Wilmington. 
• 12TH ANNUAL CAPE FEAR HOLIDAY MEN’S CHORUS, Friday at 8pm.  This holiday concert will take place at Roland Grise Middle School.
• ISLAND OF LIGHTS PARADE, Friday at 7:30pm.  The Christmas parade furnishes exceptional night time electric displays, featuring floats, bands, queens, clowns, horses, Santa Claus and much more.  Bring your chairs, blankets and snacks to enjoy the fun time.  The parade will take place at Carolina Beach.
• ISLAND OF LIGHTS HOLIDAY FLOTILLA, Saturday at 6pm. Fishing boats and pleasure crafts electrically decorated with thousands of lights present a spectacular display on the Intracoastal Waterway.  The parade of boats will cruise from Snows Cut to Carolina Beach Boat basin and back. 
• CANDY COTTAGES AT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, Saturday.  Build a fantasy cottage for your holiday decorations.  The Children’s Museum of Wilmington is located at 116 Orange Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington.
• 2ND ANNUAL WILMINGTON FUR BALL, Saturday.  Enjoy dancing to the music of 360 Degrees, hors d’oeuvres, auctions and more at this black tie, red carpet, fund raising gala.  The Ball will be held at Thalian Hall in Historic Downtown Wilmington.
• MORAVIAN CANDLE TEA, Saturday from 10-2pm.  The Covenant Moravian Church on College Road will host this festival. 
• BATTLESHIP ALIVE, Saturday from 8-5pm.  See what life was like aboard the Battleship North Carolina. 
• HOLIDAY CONCERT, TCHAIKOVSKY’S NUTCRACKER, Saturday & Sunday at 8pm.  Wilmington Symphony Orchestra with Wilmington School of Ballet and Wilmington Ballet Company. the concert will be held at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium.
• 25TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF TREES, continues through December 2nd at the Coast Line Convention Center.  Hours Monday-Friday are 9am-9pm, Saturday & Sunday from 10:30-6:30pm. 
• THE POLAR EXPRESS COMES TO THE MUSEUM, Saturday at 5:30 & Sunday at 1:30 or 3:30pm.  The program will be held at the Wilmington Railroad Museum in Historic Downtown Wilmington.
• OLD WILMINGTON BY CANDLELIGHT, Saturday & Sunday in Historic Downtown Wilmington.  The tour will feature sites within the historic district.  Paths to the sites will be marked with luminaries and lamplighters will stroll the streets with light and information. 
• SANTALAND DIARIES, Friday through Sunday at the City Stage at 21 N. Front Street.  The show continues through this weekend. 
• CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AT POPLAR GROVE, Sunday from 12-5pm. Locally made crafts, ornaments, food and other fine gifts can be found at the festival.
• PET PHOTO NIGHT WITH SANTA, Sunday from 6:30-8:30pm.  Have your pet take a photo with Santa at Independence Mall.

To learn more about any of these Wilmington Weekend Events or Wilmington Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395.

This is an action packed weekend!  There are plenty of activities for everyone including quite a few Halloween festivities.  In between your fun make sure you take a look at Wilmington Real Estate!   

• HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL, Wednesday from 5:30-8pm.  A family Halloween carnival sponsored by the UNCW Center for Leadership Education and Service.  The carnival will include games, prizes, candy and an outdoor haunted forest.  The carnival will be held in the Warwick Center Ballroom and it is free!
• TRICK-OR-TREAT UNDER THE SEA, Thursday from 5-8:30pm.  The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is hosting this aquatically themed Halloween fun for all ages, including a costume contest, crafts, storytelling, a haunted house and “scary surprises”. 
• FLAMENCO VIVO! CARLOTA SANTANA, Friday at 8pm.  Flamenco Vivo comes to Thalian Hall in Historic Downtown Wilmington for one performance and the company will also conduct a master class on the campus of UNCW. 
• TALES OF HALLOWEEN PAST, Friday at 7pm and Sunday at 2:30pm.  Six original stories told live at the Cameron Art Museum.  After the performance enjoy wine & cheese with the performers.   
• SCARY STORIES HALLOWEEN EVENT, Friday and Saturday from 4-8pm.  The Children’s Museum and the New Hanover County Library Growing Readers present the first Scary Stories Halloween event!  There will be storytelling, games, music, dancing, face painting, slime making and trick or treating.  Come dressed as your favorite character from a book.  This event is for all ages, but is geared towards children that are 2-8 years old. 
• GHOST SHIP, Saturday at 6pm.  This event will be held on the Battleship North Carolina where you will hear true Battleship tales. 
• PORT CITY MOPARS CAR & TRUCK SHOW, Saturday at Mayfaire Town Center.  Proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
• LITTLE MISS CHRISTIE, Friday & Saturday at 7pm.  This non-scary musical adventure is fun for the entire family.  The show will be held at Roland Grise Middle School.
• DOGFEST 2007, Saturday from 11-3pm.  Enjoy music by Lenny Frank, vendors, education and refreshments.  Activities will include doggie contests, segway demo and rides, pumpkin painting contest for kids and Halloween contests for kids and dogs.  Proceeds will benefit CFGRR and the Morris Animal Foundation Canine Cancer Campaign.  The festival will take place at Empie Park.
• HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL @ POPLAR GROVE, Friday through Sunday.  Haunted barn, haunted hayride, rides, games, food, prizes, fortune tellers, non-scary hayrides and activities.  Friday’s hours are 6pm-midnight, Saturday from 2pm-midnight and Sunday from 2-10pm.  Poplar Grove is located at 10200 US Hwy 17 North in Scotts Hill.
• HOG HALLOWEEN RUN, Sunday at Carolina Coast Harley Davidson.  HOG members wear costumes and decorate their bikes for a ride through Wilmington.  T-shirts are for sale with proceeds going to a local charity. 
• THE CAPE FEAR WEDDING SHOW, Sunday from 12-3pm.  75-90 vendors will show off their wares and discuss their services with prospective brides and grooms.  Features will include a bridal fashion show, “Grooms Corner” lounge and a live remote radio broadcast.  The show will be at the Cape Fear Community College Schwartz Center on 411 N. Front Street.
• THE LANDFALL TRADITION GOLF TOURNAMENT, Friday through Sunday from 8am-7pm.  The Landfall Tradition is a 24 team collegiate golf tournament showcasing many of the top teams in the country.  Free admission!
• HALLOWEEN HORSE DRAWN GHOST TROLLEY, Friday through Wednesday in Downtown Wilmington.  Take a ghost story ride into the Haunted Barn for a Halloween spoof.  Free treats for children.  The trolley leaves continuously from Market and Water Street on a first come first serve basis. 

To learn more about any of these Weekend Events or Wilmington Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395.  Happy Halloween!

Another action packed weekend in Wilmington!  Besides these activities it would make a perfect weekend to look for Wilmington Real Estate.  There are a lot of home choices plus interest rates are still low.

• CREATURES OF THE NIGHT HIKE, Thursday from 7-8:30pm.  Prowl Halyburton Park after dark and clear up some misconceptions about night creatures such as bats, owls and wolves.  Enjoy some smores afterwards!  Halyburton Park is located at 4099 S. 17th Street.
• CAPE FEAR RED TROUT CELEBRITY CLASSIC, Thursday through Saturday.  An Inshore Red Drum &  Speckled Trout Tournament to help, “Catch the Cure for Cystic Fibrosis.”  The tournament will be held at the Figure Eight Island Yacht Club.
• CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE PARADE, Saturday at 9am.  Thalian Hall & Children’s Museum of Wilmington collaborate to kick-off an exciting season of family theater.  The parade will start at the corner of Chestnut and Third Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington.
• MIKE MARSHALL & DAROL ANGER WITH THE WOODSHOP FOLKESTRA, Saturday at 8pm.  The concert will be held at UNCW Kenan Auditorium.
• ALL FORD CAR & TRUCK SHOW, 9TH ANNUAL, Saturday at Independence Mall. 
• BAT’S ALIVE!, Saturday at the Children’s Museum of Wilmington.  Entertaining and educational, don’t miss this opportunity to get up close and personal with live bats.  The Children’s Museum is located at 116 Orange Street in Historic Downtown.
• LIGHTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL, Saturday from 12-5.  60+ International Breweries in one place.  Admission includes a glass to sample all the beer you want.  Live music, food and shuttle service will be available.  The festival will be held at Hugh MacRae Park. 
• ALMOST HEAVEN:  THE MUSIC OF JOHN DENVER, Saturday from 4-8pm.  This is an engaging off-Broadway hit featuring almost 30 John Denver classics.  The show will be held at Thalian Hall.
• 6TH ANNUAL WILMINGTON OKTOBERFEST, Friday & Saturday from 11-9pm.  This is a community-wide, family-oriented funfilled festival with music, food and lots of children’s activities.  The festival will be held at Independence Mall and will benefit Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity.   
• HOT WAX CHALLENGE, Saturday & Sunday.  Surf contest at Fort Fisher will have several different categories.
• HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL @POPLAR GROVE, Friday through Sunday.  Haunted barn, haunted hayride, rides, games, food, prizes, fortune tellers, non-scary hayrides and activities.  The costume contest will be on Saturday. The hours of the festival are Friday from 6pm-midnight, Saturday from 2pm-midnight and Sunday from 2-10pm.  Poplar Grove is located off of Hwy 17N just north of Porters Neck.
• CAPE FEAR ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW, Saturday & Sunday at 10am.  An exhibition & sale of decorative, fiber and visual arts, painting, sculpture, photography, glass, pottery, jewelry, clothing, mixed media and more.  The show will be held on Water Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington.
• DIRTY SOCK FUNTIME BAND, Sunday at 2pm.  Two shows will be held at Thalian Hall, one at 2pm and the other at 4:30. 
• FALL COIN SHOW, Saturday and Sunday from 10-4pm.  The show will be held at the American Legion Post 10 at 702 Pine Grove Drive.

To learn more about any of these Wilmington Weekend Events or Wilmington Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395.

From Blues to Fishing this weekend looks to be a busy one!  It is also a great weekend to look at homes because the Real Estate market has been quite active over the last few weeks.  If you are a house hunter it is time to start locking into your dream home, otherwise you may lose it.  To learn more about any of these Wilmington Weekend Events or about Wilmington Real Estate contact me at 910-431-9395. 

• WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS SOCCER GAME, Wednesday at 7:30pm.  The Hammerheads take on the Richmond Kickers at Legion Sports Complex.
• BIRDS OF PREY…LIVE, Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30pm.  Get a closer look at live birds of prey from the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter.  The event will take place at Halyburton Park located at 4099 S. 17th Street.
• FAMILY NIGHT AT NC AQUARIUM: SHARK SHINDIG, Thursday from 5-9pm.  Sharks move into the limelight for the last “Family Night” of the season at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher.  The evening will include feasting alligators, talking scuba divers, steel-drum and music by the Sea Pans.  A variety of films and interactive programs about sharks will round out the evening.  The NC Aquarium @ Fort Fisher is located at 900 Loggerhead Road in Kure Beach. 
• CAPE FEAR BLUES CRUISE, Friday at 7:30pm.  3 bands, 3 bars and 3 decks of pure blues fun!  Besides the bands there will be heavy appetizers served.  Tickets are available at Cape Fear Riverboats at 101 S. Water Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington. 
• FOURTH FRIDAY GALLERY NIGHTS, Friday from 6-9pm.  The gallery nights offer an opportunity to enjoy evening hours at many of the downtown art venues.  Participating galleries and art studios are open from 6-9pm and are identified by the cluster of brightly colored beach balls outside. 
• MAYFAIRE MUSIC ON THE TOWN, Friday from 6-9pm.  Enjoy music on the lawn behind Linens n’ Things.  This weeks band will be The Jetty Jumpers.  Mayfaire Town Center is located on Military Cutoff near Eastwood Road in Wilmington. 
• DOWNTOWN SUNDOWN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES, Friday from 6-10pm.  This week’s band is Slippery When Wet (Tribute to Bon Jovi) with No Dollar Shoes.  Concerts are from 6-10pm in front of the Federal Courthouse at the corner of Front and Market Streets.  Food, wine and beer will be available for sale within a designated area. 
• CAROLINA BALLET GALA PERFORMANCE, Saturday at 8pm.  Wilmington audiences will have the rare opportunity to witness the premiere of the new works developed in residency at a special Gala Performance in Kenan Auditorium.  Presented by the UNCW Office of Cultural Arts, the evening will include the performance at 8pm and will be followed by a “Meet-the-Artists” dessert reception. 
• GREATER WILMINGTON KING MACKERAL TOURNAMENT, Friday & Saturday.  Registration begins at Johnson Marine with Capt. Meeting at 7pm on Friday.  The weigh-in will be at Dockside Restaurant on Saturday from 2-5pm with awards to follow.  Fishing hours are from 6am until 5pm on Saturday.  First place prize is $25,000. 
• WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL, Saturday at 10am. Presented by the Cape Fear Community College Boat Building program, the festival serves as an annual celebration of the tradition and craft of wooden boat building.  This year the event will feature over 50 wooden boats including kayaks, skiffs and boats from the Simmons Sea Skiff Club.  Students in CFCC’s Boat Building program will exhibit their own work and conduct boat building demonstrations.  The festival will be held on the banks of the Cape Fear River and their is no admission!
• SUMMER ARTILLERY SHOOT, Saturday from 10-4pm.  Staff and volunteers dress in period Civil War uniformas to shoot the fort’s cannons.  The event will take place at Fort Fisher State Historic Site in Kure Beach.  The cannons are loud so make sure to bring your ear plugs!
• BASKETS OF SUMMER, Saturday from 8-5pm.  This is a one day fun-filled basketry event for all skill levels.  Poplar Grove Plantation will be the setting for this event and it is located at 10200 Hwy 17 N in Scotts Hill.  
• CAPT. EDDIE HANEMAN SAILFISH TOURNAMENT, Thursday through Sunday at the Bridge Tender Marina.  Captains meet on Thursday, fishing will be on Friday and Saturday with Awards being presented at dinner on Sunday. 
• CAPE FEAR BLUES FESTIVAL, Friday through Sunday.  A 3 day celebration of blues music that happens between the beaches and the historic riverfront of Downtown Wilmington.  Events include the Blues Cruise, workshops, outdoor concert, live club shows and an all-day blues jam in Hugh MacRae Park.