Southern Affairs
THE START OF A NEW YEAR brings an abundance of oppor-tunities to discover and celebrate new places and things. Your calen-dar is already filling up with doc-tor appointments and meetings, so why not spice it up with some-thing fun? Bundle up the family, and head to one (or more!) of the many festials and events going on throughout the South. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself and a great habit to start 2020 off the right way!
January 1, 2020
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, LA
One of the greatest college football traditions of all time takes place every January in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Each year, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the second-oldest bowl college game in the country, hosts a major championship game – either the champions of the Southeastern and Big 12 conferences or a College Football Playoff Semifinal. While the game is the high point of the festivities, Sugar Bowl events also include the Allstate Fan Fest, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Fan Jam, pep rallies, parades and more.
allstatesugarbowl.org
January 1, 2020
Gulf Shores Polar Bear Dip
Gulf Shores, AL
Bring in the New Year “Gulf Coast style.” Take the Plunge into the Gulf of Mexico for a unique, family friendly, Polar Bear Dip in Gulf Shores. The Annual Polar Bear Dip begins at high noon on January 1. It takes place at the west side of the Gulf Shores Main Public Beach. Locals, snowbirds, and visitors are invited to join us for this uniquely coastal beach party featuring entertainment by DJ Chuck-E-Chill, free chili and hot chocolate, and fire pits on the beach. The event is totally free. Souvenir t-shirts and koozies will be available and donations are encouraged with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Alabama Special Olympics and the Kiwanis Club of Gulf Shores.
gulfshores.com
January 16-19, 2020
Winter Blues Jazz Fest
Williamsburg, VA
The 2020 Winter Blues Jazz Fest takes place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend and is in the Merchant's Square area of downtown Williamsburg. Venues include the Williamsburg Winery, Muscarelle Museum of Art, the Williamsburg Lodge, the Williamsburg Art Gallery, and many of Williamsburg's best local restaurants. The over-riding goal is to provide an enriching and entertaining weekend full of jazz programs with options available to suit all tastes and budgets. The Winter Blues Jazz Fest has a little something for everyone.
winterbluesjazzfest.com
January 18-19, 2020
Yaga’s 11th Annual Chili Quest & Beer Fest
Galveston, TX
Fear not, your quest for chili and beer has been satiated! For the past eight years, Yaga’s has brought a diverse crowd of chili and beer lovers from all over the nation to Galveston, Texas. This year’s festival will consist of the ever-so-popular chili and beer-tasting event with a ton of added perks. Get ready for live music, a 5K Fun Run/Walk, a washer pitching tournament, a jackpot margarita contest, vendors and a historical strand merchant walk-about. As if that does not fulfill all of your festival needs, returning this year is the expanded Beer Festival. How does this not sound like a fun time?
yagaschiliquest.com
January 20-26, 2020
2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championship
Greensboro, NC
For the third time in the past decade, Greensboro, North Carolina has been selected to host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Enjoy the nation’s most prestigious figure skating event. It promises to be a memorable skating championship crowning the best in ladies, men’s, pairs and ice dancing competitions at the senior and junior levels of U.S. Figure Skating. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is one of the most fan friendly venues for the championships, with competition, practice and FanFest all under one roof.
ncskate2020.com
Feb 7-9, 2020
Eagles Weekend
Gilbertsville, KY
Guided eagle tours take place aboard the luxurious CQ Princess excursion yacht on the beautiful 160,000 acre Kentucky Lake. Eagle Weekends include a Friday evening educational presentation, Saturday morning and afternoon eagle viewing cruises, a Saturday evening live bird of prey presentation presented by the World Bird Sanctuary, as well as Sunday morning and afternoon eagle viewing cruises. This one of a kind event is put on by the Kentucky State Parks and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
parks.ky.gov
Feb 13-16, 2020
Savannah Book Festival
Savannah, GA
The Savannah Book Festival’s 13th annual Festival Saturday will take place on February 15, 2020 at venues in and around Telfair Square in beautiful downtown Savannah. Festival Saturday, which is free and open to the public, showcases over 40 of the nation’s biggest and brightest stars in the writing world. There are also three headlining author events that take place from Thursday to Sunday. Best-selling and thought-provoking authors are featured in the opening address, keynote address and closing address speakers.
savannahbookfestival.org
Feb 24 – March 1, 2020
Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival
Hilton Head, SC
The annual Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest, sponsored by the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation takes place at the beautiful Shelter Cove Community Park. The family-friendly event features area restaurants/chefs serving up local seafood specialties and other tasty cuisine. Relax on the lawn with live musical entertainment, a Kids Zone, a silent auction, crab races and more. Hilton Head often supplies year-round temperate weather and beautiful scenery for a few perfect days to enjoy.
hiltonheadseafoodfestival.com
Feb 27 – 29, 2020
Magnolia Film Festival
Starkville, MS
The year 2020 marks the 23rd annual edition of The Magnolia Independent Film Festival, Mississippi's first and longest running film festival. This year’s lineup will feature a large collection of independent films emphasizing the inspiring spirit and unique storytelling of independent filmmakers from all over the world. Each block of films showcases a carefully curated selection of films ranging from comedy to drama, animation to experimental, and narrative to documentary.
magnoliafilmfest.com
Feb 28- March 1, 2020
55th Anniversary Bridge Crossing Jubilee
Selma, AL
This weekend long event is a commemoration of the anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" and the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. Activities include a pageant, a dance, women and youth conferences, a parade, festival, interfaith service and National Voting Rights Hall of Fame induction. New for the year 2020 is the “Lift Our Vote 2020” movement to educate and help eradicate voter suppression. The jubilee is the largest Annual Civil Rights Commemoration event in the world attended by three sitting presidents, hundreds of civil rights leaders, and thousands of attendees.
selmajubilee.com
