Features

‘Tis the season for The Brunswick Beacon’s annual Holiday Happenings show.

The eighth annual show unfolds 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Shallotte Middle School, 225 Village Road.

Admission is $2 for adults and free for children.

Highlights this year include a variety of vendors including artisans, retail and nonprofit, said show organizer Christy Williamson, advertising sales representative for the Beacon.

The Magic of Motown concert postponed from Sept. 14 because of Hurricane Florence is now set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College in Bolivia.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $40 adults and $35 seniors and students. For tickets, go to bccowa.com or call the Odell Williamson box office at 755-7416 or (800) 754-1050, ext. 7416.

By Linda Arnold

Live Life Fully

There you are with your gigantic “to do” list.

Before tackling it, though, you decide to do a quick email check or scroll through social media one last time before buckling down.

You start one article and the next thing you know, you’ve clicked through multiple links. Now, you’re off on a tangent that has nothing to do with where you started (although you may have scored some nifty “top 10” lists!).

Now that summer is over, Listen Up Brunswick County is preparing for its final performances of 2018.

Philadelphia-born former multicultural arts teacher Vance Gilbert makes a return appearance with a concert scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in the main Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College, 50 College Road in Bolivia.

As organizers cook up the 38th NC Oyster Festival this weekend, we take a look back at how it all began.

The area’s first oyster festival has origins dating back four decades ago, to late October 1978 in the same town where it’s held today.

“Fishing and oyster eating will highlight the South Brunswick Islands annual oyster festival to be held Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 26-29,” heralded the Oct. 19, 1978, edition of The Brunswick Beacon.

Ingram Planetarium invites all to a free celebration of International Observe the Moon Night at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in Sunset Beach Town Park.

Visitors will learn why the moon is special in our solar system while enjoying a variety of family-friendly activities that include observing the moon itself, weather permitting. If weather is poor, visitors can still enjoy free activities in the Paul Dennis Science Hall at Ingram Planetarium.

"You might not want to do that.”

I looked up as I felt a gentle hand pull me away.

“I don’t really recommend kissing Buttons. Her breath is kind of … let’s just say she could use a breath mint!”

One of my favorite perks of being a veterinarian is getting kisses from my patients. I love puppy snuggles, kitty headbutts and good, old-fashioned face-lickings. Nothing gives me greater joy than the affection of the pets I serve. I wasn’t going to let this whiff warning prevent Buttons and I from smooching.

By Linda Arnold

Live Life Fully

I had a very humbling experience recently.

I was unaware while driving and ended up practically running a stop sign — yikes!

To be honest, it wasn’t even a “rolling stop.” I was rushing to get somewhere, and I wasn’t paying enough attention to what was really important.

Fortunately, I was stopped by a police officer, and I credit the experience — and that officer — for a major wakeup call.

Hurricane Florence delayed but hasn’t washed out Grissettown Longwood Fire & Rescue’s 10th-anniversary Haunted Trail this year.

The annual popular spooky trek for 2018 is scheduled to launch at 7 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 12, at the station at 758 Longwood Road (N.C. 904) in rural Grissettown.