Live at Birdland features The Birdland Big Band directed by Tommy Igoe in a setting designed to recreate the ambience and experience of a night at Birdland. This dynamic new ensemble, straight from the jazz mecca of NYC, provides an unforgettable musical event that goes beyond the traditional and sets the standard for the 21st-century jazz orchestra. World music is explored from every corner of the globe to surprise and delight audiences of all ages while infusing the best of American jazz with excitement that hasn’t been seen in decades.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. performance at Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College.

Leopard’s Chase has ranked 4th in the state of North Carolina for three consecutive years for one of the top 100 public access golf courses in the nation. The 72-par modern course, with classic touches, is one of the award-winning four Big Cats courses open at Ocean Ridge Plantation, a spectacular community by The Coastal Companies. It reflects the true craftsmanship of designer Tim Cates’ natural style, with one of its distinguishing features being the significant number of holes which require a short carry over water and tidal marshes.  Leopard’s Chase, bountiful with native grasses and plantings, provides a very visual experience for golfers, including hints at each tee box about what to expect next.

In conjunction with the other Big Cats courses, Lion’s Paw, Panther’s Run and Tiger’s Eye, Ocean Ridge Plantation offers a total of 72 holes for golfers (A 5th course – Jaguar’s Lair, will soon add its noble roar to the Big Cats, giving Ocean Ridge and The Coastal Companies the distinction of having 90 holes of championship golf).

Southeastern North Carolina continues to be a popular vacation, retirement, 2nd home and relocation area, and as a point of illustration, today we borrow some recent news from a local attraction. The USS North Carolina Battleship, which sits about 40 minutes north of Ocean Ridge, announced their attendance numbers were the best they have seen in 18 years. From their press release:

“We are honored by the number of people who continue to visit and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Battleship coming to Wilmington and assuming duties as the State of North Carolina’s Memorial to those who served during WWII,” states Captain Terry Bragg, Executive Director of the Battleship North Carolina. “As the growth trend continues, it is special to all that so many still care about the crew and the history of this magnificent vessel.

Brunswick County (Ocean Ridge Plantation) and New Hanover County (Wilmington) are separated by the Cape Fear River, the home of our beloved battleship. After many years of service, most notably during World War II, the USS North Carolina was moored along the river in 1961. In 1962 the ship was dedicated as the State’s memorial to its World War II veterans and the 10,000 North Carolinian’s who died during the war.

We here at Ocean Ridge are very proud of all service members that served on the USS North Carolina, and are thankful to all who serve in our armed forces.

May the peace and joy of the holiday season be with you throughout the coming year!

From The Ocean Ridge Real Estate Team.
~ Glenn, Valya, Mike, Beth, Sally, Jake, Deborah & Francesca

Arts and Crafts vendors are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday. and 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday. There are also a wide variety of food vendors serving fare from clam chowder to gyros and turkey drumsticks, and for dessert, you’re sure to find one of your favorites amongst the funnel cakes, cotton candy, and more.

For the competitive sort, there is a horseshoe tournament and a sandcastle building contest. Children enjoy face painting, huge kites flying overhead and the children’s rides and amusements. There is live musical entertainment both days at Holden Beach’s new Pavilion.

Come join us this weekend for this fun, free event!

Admission is $5, but free for kids under 8. The festival is centered around 2nd Street, beside the Museum of Coastal Carolina. For more info, check www.ncoysterfestival.com/

Wilmington, NC - Downtown Historic Waterfront

Good news for southeastern North Carolina! Outside Magazine recently ranked Wilmington among its list of nineteen Best Towns. From the magazine, “These towns are the finest places you’d ever want to call home, from a Midwestern mountain-biking hub, to a Seattle-area hang-gliding mecca, to, um, Boulder.”

Here’s what they wrote about Wilmington:

“Similar to Charleston: southern charm, a 300-year-old harbor, ample seafood. But what sets Wilmington (pop. 106,500) apart from its genteel South Carolina neighbor is an economy in overdrive—not long ago, it was the second-fastest-growing economy in the U.S. Thanks to EUE Screen Gems, it’s also home to the largest motion-picture and television studio outside California. (The local film industry employs some 800 people.) Situated where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic, the former military port’s recreation options are mostly water-based—sea-kayaking, sailing, deap-sea fishing—and the biggest party of the year is, naturally, Riverfest, a frenzy of vendors, fireworks, music, athletic competitions, and invading pirates.”

Ocean Ridge Plantation is located just 45 minutes south of Wilmington and just across a bridge from Sunset Beach. Our community is in the perfect location, nestled in the Brunswick Islands coastal corridor. Have you planned a visit to our area yet? Call us at 800-556-6570 or fill out a contact form start planning a visit to Wilmington & Ocean Ridge Plantation.

Bill Medley is a seminal figure in the history of American music. He is perhaps best known as half of the unmistakable duo, The Righteous Brothers. Their raw emotional rhythm and blues sound essentially created the genre “blue-eyed soul.”

The opening of this state-of-the-art medical facility reinforces what those who call Brunswick County home know – that it is an exceptional place to live that both cherishes its relaxed and un-crowded lifestyle, while continuing to develop the technology and modern conveniences that you’d expect in a prosperous, growing community.