shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 1
FROM THE PUBLISHER
STAFF EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Chuck and Sue Cothran
Jeffrey Stites
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
jeff@liveoakmediainc.com
Louise Sheffield-Baccarny Carla Edstrom
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Patricia Langer Jan Morgan-Swegle
Lisa P. Stites
Janet Fortney
lisa@southportmag.com
Lisa P. Stites Jeffrey Stites
LEAD DESIGNER
PUBLISHER & SALES
Liz Brinker lcbgraphicdesign@gmail.com
Jeffrey Stites jeff@liveoakmediainc.com 910-471-7741
Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine is published once a month by Live Oak Media, Inc The opinions of contributing writers are not necessarily the opinions of the staff. Annual Subscription: $45 email jeff@liveoakmediainc.com 910-471-7741 Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine PO Box 10175, Southport, NC 28461 www.shallottemag.com email jeff@liveoakmediainc.com 910-471-7741
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 2
Spring Into Learning
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e captured this month’s cover photo while covering a Salad Bowl Garden class at the Shelton Herb Farm. Not only was it nice to be outside among growing things in February, but we learned quite a bit, and that was really fun. We also participated in a sort of reenactment of the Stamp Act Rebellion that took place at Brunswick Town 260 years ago, learning about how the early Brunswick County residents simply said “No!” to the King of England and forced his tax collector to resign rather than pay what they felt was an unfair tax. After successfully running off the tax man, we retired to a tent where we learned some colonial era dances. We’re both well into our 50s, college educated, wellread and always looking to experience new things, but there’s still so much out there to learn, and that’s a wonderful thing. This month offers even more chances to broaden your horizons. The Rice Festival at Brunswick Town explores Gullah Geechee culture, and check out our Book Signings and Meet the Author section on the calendar pages for lots of chances to hear from authors at Silver Coast Winery and our local county libraries. Spring is great time to get out of the house and learn more about the wonderful world around us!— Jeffrey
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Community Frankie Finds A Home STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFFREY STITES
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ur January Pet Issue had been out for a few weeks when I got an email from Joe Leone, owner of the Chubby Buddha Sports Bar in Ocean Isle Beach saying he’d picked up a copy and wondered if I’d be interested in hearing about the bar’s resident cat, Frankie. I’m a sucker for a critter story whether it’s Pet Issue month or not, and I remembered the Chubby Buddha fondly from my beer salesman days, so I was in and had to drive down to meet Frankie and hear her tale. When I walked up to the door of the Chubby Buddha, of course Frankie was there to say hi. She let me pet him then wandered off while Joe began telling me his story. While we talked, Frankie hopped up on the bar and posed a bit for photos then just kind of hung out listening. She is clearly right at home and one happy cat. Joe opened the Chubby Buddha 17 years ago, buying the building after renting a few years and saving the building from demolition. He put a commercial kitchen in half the building and ran Antonio’s restaurant in there while he kept the Chubby Buddha next door. The food side of the building is
now rented to Chunky Salsa, while Joe still operates the sports bar. “But anyway,” Joe said, getting to the story of Frankie while he pets him, “we’re here and two years in, one of my bartenders called me and says, ‘Can we have a cat?’ And I said, no, my first answer was, no. You know, we can’t have a cat, we’re a business. And she goes, come on, I’ll feed her, I’ll do this, I’ll do that. And I said, all right, I caved in.” He said he wasn’t very close to the cat at that time. He’d be at the bar and Franke was very skittish, maybe sticking her nose inside, mostly staying on the porch. But he fed her and she stuck around. “Then, one day, I pull up in the parking lot, and there’s people there, like, usually no one’s here when I pull up early. I said can I help you? She goes, “Didn’t you have the black and white cat?’ I said, yes, and she said, ‘I’m sorry. She’s passed.’ I’m like, what do you mean, what are you talking about? She goes, ‘No, no, she’s right there on the corner, and she must have got hit by a car last night,’ so I walked over there, and it looked like Frankie. “I’m like, Oh, oh, my God. I gotta call Julie, my bartender at the time. You know, she’s gonna be devastated.” Julia had been the one to call about tak-
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 4
ing the cat in originally. “I called Julie and said I have bad news, Frankie’s passed,” Joe said. “She laughed. She said Frankie was in the bar, sitting on a bar stool when we saw that cat on the road. So after that, I grew to pay more attention to her. I felt like she’s got nine, you know, nine lives, I mean, that’s one of her lives. And after that, we were like best friends.” While the bar was closed during Covid, Joe says he came in every day to feed Frankie. One day Frankie showed up with a dead mouse, and Joe, not being a cat person, didn’t know what to make of it. He took a picture of her with her mouse and showed it around and some folks more familiar with cats
explained to him that she was giving him a gift, a thank you. “That’s a thank you for Daddy,” Joe said. “Thank you for feeding me. Thank you for taking care of me.” Joe said Frankie was full grown when she came to them, so he figures she has to be at least 16 years old. Recently, the past four or five months, Frankie has begun hanging out inside the bar more and more. “We lock her inside here at night now, she doesn’t want to leave,” Joe said. The bar doesn’t serve food or have a kitchen, so there’s no problem with her living inside. “She started hanging out with all the people, it just kind of kicked in,” he said. “She’s a she’s a part of family now, you know? She’s very friendly, and, he, you know, we hope she’s around for a long time. We just love her.”
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Community
2026 Gator Games
Athletic and Arts Contests For Over 50s STORY BY JANET FORTNEY, PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
D
id watching this year’s Olympics in Milan leave you motivated for competition? If so, and if you happen to be age 50 or older, you’ll be excited to hear that your opportunity to achieve local glory (and possibly state- and country-wide fame) is here through the Brunswick County Gator Senior Games & SilverArts program. The event is currently open for registration with a fast-approaching deadline – paper registration is due by March 11 and online registration closes March 18.
This Parks and Recreation Department program – for eligible adults age 50 and better – is a local, multi-sport, athletic and arts competition with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles and creative expression, encouraging seniors to stay active and engaged in the community. The 2026 games will run from April 8 to May 15 and will be held at various venues across Brunswick County including Leland, Southport, and Shallotte. “We have over 70 total events – indi-
vidual, partner and team – so there’s really something for everyone,” said Gary Mlynek, who, along with his wife Christine Ettl-Mlynek, serves as a North Carolina Senior Games and Brunswick County Games Ambassador. “We’ve been ambassadors for five years, but have been involved since 2012 in the games as participants in both the athletic and the SilverArts portion. Actually, I’m probably more involved in the SilverArts, but I’ve been involved in table tennis. [Chris and I] have done cornhole; we’ve done mini-golf and we help out at the other activities too. She’s also been involved in the SilverArts photography [competition]. I think the best thing about it for us is meeting new people and really having fun.” The Leland couple – originally Minnesotans but now living in North Carolina for 15 years – assists local games coordinator Khrystye Haselden in “getting word out about the games, recruiting new people and past participants, and helping to get things organized,” explained Mlynek. And there certainly is a lot to organize as the event boasts an extensive array of competitions, including billiards, 15 different swim matches, cornhole, football throw, basketball shoot, bocce, shuffleboard, discand mini-golf, as well as a one-mile Fun Walk. Partner events feature bowling, ten-
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nis, table tennis, and pickleball, and team events are 3-on-3 basketball and softball. “And that’s just the athletic [options],’ said Mlynek. “SilverArts has quite a few categories as well.” Mlynek is not exaggerating about the arts program. Among the extensive SilverArts categories are: Heritage Arts (basket weaving, crocheting, general fiber arts: jewelry, knitting, needlework, thrown and
hand-built pottery, and hand- and machine-stitched quilting, among several others); Literary Arts (various types of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry writing); Visual Arts (including acrylics and oil-painting, digital art, drawing, 2D and 3D mixed media, photography, and watercolor); and Performing Arts (such as comedy/drama performances, dance, and instrumental and vocal performances). And let’s not forget the cheerlead-
Community er teams – a new category for 2026 – that will be keeping the spirit going and rooting on competitors! For a complete list of the categories, go to https://bcparks.recdesk. com/Community/Page?pageId=7961. “We’ve had people in their 90s participate,” said Mlynek. “And we’ve had several parent/child teams participate, too. We’ve had couples participate in mini golf, table tennis, and bowling.” Mylnek believes that friendships have “absolutely” been made through the program, “especially in some of the team events where, for example, people have played doubles and [end up meeting] people who they then discover come from [the same] hometown.” As for that Olympic-style “thrill of victory,” in the sporting events, everyone who qualifies in first, second, and third places receives medals. Those who qualify within the top three spots in the SilverArts events receive ribbons. Additionally, anyone who qualifies in eligible categories can go on to compete at state level in Raleigh in mid-September. State-level qualifiers are then eligible to compete in the 2026 Na-
tional Senior Games in Oklahoma. Event organizers would be pleased for anyone with an interest to attend and support the Senior Games. “We always welcome spectators to come and cheer [everyone] on. We make it a point to tell people that if they are involved, bring their spouses to the different activities they’re involved
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in. We always welcome and encourage new participants. It’s all of Brunswick County, but our games are also open to people from surrounding counties. For example, [we have participants from] Wilmington, because they don’t have Senior Games in their county.” While the number of competitors from
each town in the county varies every year, Mlynek says that, “Brunswick County has such a fast growing population now. And so our local Gator Games have had the most participants of all North Carolina counties in the last two years. We’ve really had a lot of participation here.” According to Mlynek, the NC statewide games are a model program for the country. “The National Senior Games Association is a national, [non-profit] organization, so it’s available to all states. And in North Carolina, all 100 counties are involved in 54 different sanctioned events. North Carolina is also the only state that offers the SilverArts as part of the Senior Games. There are other states that are looking at our program and hopefully they’ll emulate it.” Athletes and artists, now is the time to get yourself registered for the Brunswick County Gator Senior Games & SilverArts at https://bcparks.recdesk.com/Community/ Page?pageId=7961. The cost is $20. For more detailed information, contact Brunswick County Parks & Recreation at 910253-2670.
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shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 7
M
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GIE WINN
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Community
Salad Bowl Class A Bite-Sized Way To Learn To About Gardening
STORY BY LISA STITES, PHOTOS BY LISA AND JEFFREY STITES
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inter in southeastern North Carolina is another great growing season, and having a garden, or even a small container garden on the porch, is an easy way to get your fresh greens all season long. Farmers at Shelton Herb Farm in Leland teach several classes throughout the year, mostly October through spring, aimed at helping people grow vegetables and herbs at home. Last month, the crew led a Salad Bowl class, and attendees learned what greens and herbs work in the cold season. They planted their selections, learning how to gently spread the roots and how much dirt and fertilizer to use. They got instructions on watering, how to know when certain plants were ready to be harvested, and how to generally care for their salad bowl throughout the season. “I think the greatest thing about this class is that you can see how much you can grow in such a small space, that you don’t need to have a full garden bed outside,” Farm Manager Alexandra “Alex” Modly said. “If you have a patio with some sunlight, you can grow your own salad. It’s delicious. And
colorful. It’s very fun to add that much color in the wintertime.” Salad Bowl class attendees Nadine Pirozzolo and Megan Peverall said they had attended a few years ago and came back again this year. “I love growing things,” Nadine said. “Both of us do. We have little backyard gardens, and I love coming up here during the summer and buying all my plants and everything from Shelton’s. I like this place.” Megan added that she likes
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the healthy aspect of the activity. “Salads are good, and they use organic fertilizer,” she said. “My husband loves to make kale chips, so I’m going to put them in with olive oil in the oven.”
ington, D.C. for a life of working outside and in the dirt, somewhere where her dog, Rhett Butler, could roam free. She said that the Farm staff is working to add some more demos, talks, and workshops as well, as they have space to do it. Right now, they’re sort of limited by the weather, doing things in spring and fall when it’s comfortable to be outside or in a greenhouse.
Alex led the Salad Bowl Class, checking on everyone’s progress as she guided them toward completing their colorful gardens. She came to the farm five years ago, after leaving a job in management consulting in Wash-
“We’re trying to increase the number of classes we do,” Alex said. “Folks love them. We always have great turnout.” She added that the farm used to schedule classes for garden or homeschool groups when asked to do so, but farm personnel have been growing the schedule. “Some of the other ones that we do are botanical hammer printing, which we’ve
“That’s actually one of the things we often say just about herbs in general, that if you’re new to gardening, herbs are a great starting point, instead of maybe vegetables or something like that,” she said. A lot of them are perennials, so people can get used to something as opposed to just enjoying an annual season of something. There are also fewer pests to deal with because not many things are trying to eat basil versus a tomato. It’s a way for people to kind of get used to the workflow of listening to the sun, the weather, the rain, and the plant itself.
per. And we’ve done a tomato pot in class before. I know that we’re going try to do one on this little dwarf tomato that gets no taller than a foot.” Staff also hosts demonstration-style sessions or talks at the Farm, 340 Goodman Road NE, Leland. Check https://sheltonherbfarm.com/ for information on upcoming classes or to schedule one for your group. “We do a seasonal, herbal infused vinegar demo, so we talk about what herbs we have this month, week, season. Everyone goes home with some of the different herbs, fresh herbs that we have, as well as a mason jar and the stuff to do an infused vinegar, except for the vinegar, so that you can choose your vinegar. And we demonstrate a couple of them and how to do it. It’s a great way to prolong the use of the herbs,” she said. done with kids mainly before, but we’re also going do an adult version of that, where you’re essentially using a rubber mallet to imprint the flower color into a fabric or pa-
Whether it’s a salad bowl class, or a session on growing seasonal herbs, the classes are for any skill level.
“We will walk you through this,” Alex said. “It is a nice, bite size way to learn about gardening.”
About 95 percent of the time, Alex said that all people need is encouragement and a pat on the shoulder that they’re heading in the right direction.
Now serving Brunswick County At Evoke Mind + Body, we use integrative services because we believe well-being isn’t onedimensional. It’s more than mental and physical health, connecting all aspects of yourself: emotional resilience, physical vitality, and sustainable lifestyle practices. That’s why we offer three services that complement each other: therapy, yoga, and wellness coaching.
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1. THERAPY: Address Root Issues and Build Mental ResilienceOur licensed therapists provide individualized care to help you work through anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. Therapy helps you explore underlying thought patterns, identify emotional triggers, and strengthen your ability to navigate challenges. 2. YOGA: Build Mind-Body Connection and Support Physical VitalityYoga at Evoke isn’t about mastering poses. This practice is about tuning into your body. Our classes focus on mobility, breath awareness, and nervous system regulation. They help you process stress somatically, while building strength and grounded presence. Whether you’re dealing with chronic stress, physical discomfort, or simply want to feel more at home in your body, yoga supports your ability to regulate and reconnect. 3. WELLNESS COACHING: Optimize Lifestyle with Personalized SupportOur wellness coaching sessions help you build a strong health foundation tailored to your real-life needs. Through evidencebased coaching and collaborative goal setting, we’ll identify practical, sustainable ways to optimize your current and future well-being. Whether you’re focusing on nutrition, exercise, stress management, or overall lifestyle balance, your plan is designed to support lasting change.
THERAPY | WELLNESS COACHING | YOGA 1014-A Grandiflora Dr. Leland, NC 28451 • 910.399.4002 | evokemindandbody.com shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 9
Community
Turtle Patrol News
the turtle season sharing photos and details about the nest.
2026 Merchandise and Nest Sponsorships
Information about the Adopt a Nest Program can be found by clicking the on the Shop/Donate/Adopt a Nest link on the homepage on the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program’s website (hbturtlewatch.org). Adoption sponsorship is $125 per nest.
STORY CONTRIBUTED
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very year since 1994, the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol has offered for sale a new T-shirt with a fresh sea turtle design. The Patrol recently conducted a contest for design ideas for their 2026 T-shirt. Congratulations to the 2026 contest winners, Addison Hedin, a freshman at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Terrie Buchner, who is an active member of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol. Their collaborative design, Every Turtle Counts, Every Action Matters, reflects the shared commitment to sea turtle conservation, education and environmental stewardship that defines our Turtle Patrol mission. The design is more than artwork — it tells a conservation story, and it represents the teamwork and dedication required to protect sea turtles today and inspire conservation-minded leaders for the future.
Sea turtles face increasing threats from habitat loss, artificial lighting, human disturbance, and climate-related challenges. The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol works diligently each nesting season to monitor nests, protect hatchlings, and educate the public on how simple actions, such as filling holds, light pollution, and respecting marked nests can make a difference. Selling merchandise supports these ongoing conservation efforts.
Purchase their Turtle Patrol merchandise (t-shirts, hats, and bags) at www.hbturtlewatch.org. Use the “Shop & Donate Here!” pull-down menu or use their online shopping link on their homepage to view their catalog and make a purchase by credit card or check. You may also purchase their merchandise at The Lighthouse Gift store which is located on the causeway to Holden Beach, at 3434 Holden Beach Road.
2026 Season Nest Sponsorships The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program (also known as Turtle Patrol) is excited to announce its new nest adoption sponsorship program. This program supports the Turtle Patrol’s efforts to protect endangered sea turtles on Holden Beach. Adopting a nest can be a way to celebrate a special event, honor or remember a loved one or promote a business, family or organization. The number of nests available for adoption are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis as nests are laid on the beach. The nesting season is May 1 through August 31. Nest adoptees will have their name displayed at the nest and will receive an electronic certificate of adoption. The HBTWP will communicate with nest adoptees throughout
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 10
This Adopt a Nest Program is symbolic, and no one may claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, its eggs or hatchlings. If you have any questions about the Adopt a Nest Program, contact the HBTWP at adoptanest@hbturtlewatch.org. Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program, Inc. is an all-volunteer, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization that operates under the authority of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission This is a great way to get involved and support the turtles and Turtle Patrol on Holden Beach whether you live at the beach or far away.
Community
Help With College
League of Women Voters Scholarship CON TRIBUTED
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s a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to supporting post-secondary education, the League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear (LWVLCF) is pleased to once again offer scholarships to three graduating high school seniors. The $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to one senior graduating from each of the Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender County school districts. The scholarships are designed to supplement tuition and other college-related expenses for students who are actively engaged in serving their community (school, community organizations, faithbased organizations, etc.) To be eligible, applicants must be committed to continuing their post-secondary education in the Fall 2026 semester.
A qualified candidate will… •Be a graduating senior from a public high school in Brunswick, New Hanover, or Pender County. •Provide a completed online application and other required items by March 31, 2026 . •Provide proof of commitment to attend a post-secondary institution. •Request two non-family members to submit letters of recommendation by March 31. The link to the application, specific instructions and other important details can be found on the LWVLCF
website at lwvlcf.org/scholarship/. All required components must be submitted by March 31, 2026. Questions may be submitted to communications@lwvlcf.org. After the application, letters of recommendation and all other required uploads are submitted, and they will be reviewed by the LWVLCF Scholarship Committee. The scholarships will be awarded to the winning applicants at their respective school service awards ceremonies.
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 11
YOU’VE SPENT DECADES BUILDING A LIFE HERE
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County and the places they call home. Whether you’re browsing residential sanctuaries, buying land for a future endeavor, or looking for your next rental destination, we invite you to experience the legacy of exceptional customer service and professionalism that has defined us for forty-five years and counting.
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SOUTHPORT OFFICE | 1023 N HOWE STREET, SOUTHPORT NC | 910-457-5258 OAK ISLAND OFFICE | 210 COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, OAK ISLAND NC | 910-278-5213 The information contained herein, while not guaranteed, has been obtained from sources deemed authoritative. The properties and information contained herein are offered subject to errors, omissions, modifications, availability, price change, prior sale, and withdrawal without prior notice. Please note that if you are currently in a contractual relationship with another agency, REALTOR®, or property manager, this advertisement is not a solicitation of that business relationship.
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 12
Community Gardener Scholarship Awards Available To County High Schoolers STORY CONTRIBUTED
T
he Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of Brunswick County is proud to announce the launch of its 2026 Educational Award Program, providing three $2,000 awards to graduating seniors from Brunswick County’s public high schools. Established in 2008, the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of Brunswick County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the programs of NC Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County. The Association’s mission is to provide horticultural education and outreach to the public through Extension programming. In support of that mission — and to encourage the next generation of horticulture professionals — the Association will award three $2,000 educational awards, one each to a graduating senior from North Brunswick, South Brunswick and West Brunswick High Schools. Eligible applicants must:
•Be a graduating senior in the Brunswick County School System •Plan to enroll full time in an accredited two- or four-year college program •Intend to pursue a horticulture-related field such as horticulture, agricultural science, environmental or natural resources, soil and crop sciences, sustainable agriculture, landscape horticulture, turfgrass management, greenhouse or nursery operations, floriculture, plant sciences, hydroponics, or a related discipline •Demonstrate financial need and/or meet federal financial aid requirements Awards will be paid directly to the recipient’s college and must be used no later than
Feb. 1 of the year following the award. Application Deadline: April 1, 2026 Award recipients will be notified by May 1, 2026. This educational award reflects the Association’s deep commitment to cultivating both plants and people, according to a release from Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer Association of Brunswick County. The Master Gardners are proud to invest in students who are passionate about horticulture and the stewardship of our natural resources. Students are encouraged to apply either online or pick up an application from their high school guidance counselor. For more information, please visit bcmastergardenerva.org/educational-award-2026 or contact Wanda Maggart at 919-6128830 or wandamaggart@gmail.com. About North Carolina Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers Master Gardener volunteers support the mission of North Carolina Cooperative Extension by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable gardening practices that grow healthy people, gardens, landscapes, and communities. Their vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship.
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shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 13
Art Beat
Driftwood Artwork
Steve Merriam Is Inspired By Found Items STORY BY CARL A EDSTROM
I
grew up in Maine, surrounded by the beauty of the coast, mountains, streams, and lakes,” said Steve Merriam, artist, wood carver, and sculptor. “I started collecting driftwood as a child, when I would find gnarly roots on the shore where I fished. I imagined faces and creatures in them, as we do with the clouds sometimes. Throughout my life, I always had a small collection.”
Driftwood that Steve has found is the main source of his art. He considers the hunt for the right driftwood part of the artistic process. “I collect driftwood primarily by kayak and on foot. Usually, I am looking for certain sizes and shapes to complete my vision. Yet other times, I find a piece that compels me to make something I never thought of. Sometimes I see it right away. Other times, I have to ponder it for a while. Selection is also an exercise in discipline, because if I take too much, I will sink my kayak,” said Steve. “Once my driftwood is home, it will be with me for months as it passes through stages of sterilization and treatment for bugs, using products safe for the home. It is a bit like farming, and I established my own methods through research and testing.” Steve and his wife spent years painting together before he switched to working
with driftwood. “I consider myself an artist as I do not copy patterns or the style of anything I have seen. I come from a family of artists, with six siblings, inspiring each other throughout the years. My carving method is all my own. Each piece is unique, and the visions for them usually come into my mind complete.” Like Steve, many artists credit their inspiration to spiritual influences. Steve credits his success to the Holy Spirit, with prayer being an important part of his life. “I pray for every carving and the people it might touch,” he said. “For centuries, artists have illuminated stories of hope, love, and peace, connecting humans with the spirit world. Art is more powerful than words, and it is personal. It can mean something different to the viewer than the artist even imagined,” he said. “I think art is a gift passed down through generations to serve mankind. It retells stories and reflects creation in new ways. Art can open the door to discovering purpose and meaning, to finding love, or to holding onto hope. My wish is that my sculptures help people in this way, too. “Inspiration for my work usually comes to mind during quiet reflection. I then make what I see. However, I do a limited number of commissions when I have time. I find the dreams of others serve as fuel for my own creative process. It is a blessing to know who I am creating for, and why the piece is important to them. I feel a deeper connection to the collector, and my thoughts and prayers for that person and that art are truly custom.” Although Steve has done all aspects of home construction, such as mantles, architectural accents, and built-ins, his work for sale is mainly lighting and sculpture. “I like visualizing, sketching, then pulling togeth-
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er something that really makes a room or a facade. Sometimes I incorporate architectural salvage because I love that old-world look. Sometimes, I re-create that old-world look myself. If presented with the challenge, I would enjoy the chance to build a custom installation in a home or business,” said Steve. “Most of my sculptures are monochromatic, echoing the form and flow of nature. Yet I love making a portion of my work very colorful and detailed. Since late 2024, I also began making highly detailed marine life on a larger scale, and I plan to go even bigger soon.” In December 2025, the Wilmington Arts
Council awarded grants to local artists from several North Carolina counties. These grants help artists purchase tools, attend workshops, and receive training to further their art. Steve received $1,000, which he used to buy tools for carving larger pieces of his work. “Later in 2026, I plan to announce a series of public coastal chainsaw carvings. Please follow Facebook.com/ MerriamArt for announcements on these and other events,” he said. “Our move to Southport was a life reset in pursuit of a dream, as is my side work of carving sculptures and working with driftwood. I am thankful for the gift to create, and I find I am most happy when I can use those gifts to bless others,” he said. You may reach Steve through Facebook Messenger at Facebook.com/MerriamArt. Alternatively, you can view his current work at Barn and Beach Too on Long Beach Road. You can also contact Barn and Beach Too at 910-477-6448 to reserve any available works on display. Custom work can be ordered there or directly through his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MerriamArt.
Available at: THE PAINTED MERMAID Handcrafted Pottery
817 N Howe Street, Southport
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Community
2026 Rice Festival T
his not to be missed festival held on the beautiful grounds of the Brunswick Town-Fort Anderson State Historic Site celebrates the culture of the Gullah-Geechee, brought as slaves from west Africa to grow rice in the coastal southeastern United States. Food, music, and storytelling traditons will be showcased along with lectures on the history and current state of the Gullah Geechee community. This is one of our very favorite events each year. It’s a great kick-off to all the festivals throughout our region each year and a wonderful opportunity to get out outside and immersed in a positve, educational and truly fun local event. We hope to see you there!
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FISHING REPORT
March Fishing Report Fishing Heats Up With Warmer Spring Waters BY CAPTAIN STEELE PARK
W
inter is finally starting to back off and we’re back on the water. The fish are too — and they’re feeding. March still brings a few chilly days, but overall the water is warming and everything is sliding into spring patterns. After a long, cold winter, this season feels a little more exciting than usual. We’ve also shifted from La Niña into El Niño conditions, which should mean less wind and fewer rough days than what we dealt with last year — something every captain is happy to hear. Backwater
Red drum fishing stayed strong through most of the winter, especially in the backs of creeks where shallow water warmed up during the day and kept fish feeding. Now those fish are pushing into the main tributaries following bait moving in. Look for reds cruising marsh grass edges, feeding on shrimp and mud minnows. If you find oyster rocks along those grass banks, there’s a good chance fish are holding there. Speckled trout took a hit during the freeze, and the bite is still slow. Marine Fisheries has placed a closure on trout for a few months to help the population recover. When you’re able to target them again, focus on areas where multiple creeks meet and current creates a rip or deeper pool. A popping cork with a Vudu-style shrimp suspended underneath is still a go-to. Red
drum tend to sit on the non-current side while trout position themselves in the moving water. Flounder will start showing up this month as water temperatures approach 60 degrees. We did get a short two-week Gulf flounder season in March, but anglers shouldn’t expect easy limits — these fish must be caught in the ocean and are generally holding 10–20 miles out. If you’re looking for steady action — especially with kids on board — March is prime time for sea mullet (whiting). Every year we see a strong run in the river. The Coast Guard channel, the mouth of the river, and the north side of the river channel near Battery Island are all productive. A simple two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and cut shrimp is all you need.
Nearshore
March is when nearshore fishing really starts to wake up. As water temperatures reach the low to mid-60s, Atlantic bonito move into the area. Lighthouse Rocks and McGlamery Reef are solid places to start looking. Troll #1 planers with spoons until you locate fish. Once you find them, casting jigs or Yo-Zuri crankbaits will get plenty of bites. Just like Spanish mackerel fishing, keep an eye out for birds working or fish breaking the surface. Toward the end of the month, we usually see the first Spanish mackerel show up. They’re often mixed in with bonito or schooling nearby, feeding on glass minnows that have started to appear. If we get a consistent warm stretch, there’s also a chance the first king mackerel of the year show up along the beach late in the month.
Offshore
Mid to late March is when the first schools of king mackerel begin showing up in the 20–30 mile range. Spots like the Horseshoe,
Captain Steele Park, a US Navy Veteran, has been fishing the oceans, rivers, and lakes of southeastern NC since he was 7 years old and knows these waters like the back of his hand. He calls Southport home and captains the Catherine Anne Sportfishing & Excursions fleet. For more information please call at 910-6209919 Shark Hole, Christmas Rock, Cucumber, and the Cabbage Patch are good places to check. Slow trolling dead cigar minnows or live menhaden — if they’ve arrived — will get bites. There are still plenty of big black sea bass holding in the 15–25-mile range. Grouper remains closed until May 1. Over the past several years, we’ve consistently found large “chopper” bluefish around Frying Pan Tower. On light tackle, they’re a blast. When you find those schools, you can cast just about anything into them and they’ll eat.
Gulf Stream
March is a transition month offshore. There are usually a few wahoo around along with decent numbers of blackfin tuna. The biggest key to success is water temperature — you want to find 70-degree water or better. Checking satellite temperature charts and targeting clean eddies is worth the effort. If you’re fishing for water temps in the high 60s, you’ll likely deal with green or blended water and tougher trolling conditions. If you run offshore and
the trolling isn’t great, vertical jigging for amberjack can save the trip. Mark fish on your bottom machine, drop a jig straight down, and work it through the water column. When one eats, you’ll know it. This time of year, the jacks are big — 60- to 100-pound fish are common.
Looking Ahead
Spring is here and fishing will only improve from this point forward. Those of us who spend a lot of time on the water are watching closely to see if El Niño delivers the calmer, more fishable days we’re hoping for. After the past few seasons, that would be a welcome change. One last reminder — this winter was exceptionally cold. Before you launch for spring, take time to check your boat’s thru-hull fittings, steering systems, bilge pumps, float switches, and electronics. Hard freezes can stress equipment, and staying safe on the water always comes first.
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SUNDAY, April 12th American Fish Company
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Golf Tips Understanding Wedges Practice For Getting The Ball In The Air
BY NICOLE WEL LER, LPGA / PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL
F
or a new golfer, having 14 different clubs can be confusing with all the options. Most sports have one piece of equipment at a time like tennis, soccer, cricket and lacrosse, to name a few. Imagine a tennis player needing to get a different racquet for each different type of shot like a serve, lob shot, soft cut shot over the next, hard forehand from the baseline and so on. Keeping it simple for new golfers is good! Way back there wasn’t a limit on the number of clubs a golfer could have… in fact some caddies were lugging 26 clubs (or more!) in their players’ bags like Lawson Little, who won back-toback U.S. and British Amateur Championships in 1934-1935. In modern days, sets usually have a putter, several wedges, 9-iron, 8-iron, 7-iron (clubs were actually made of forged iron!), several hybrids, several fairway woods or fairway metals and a driver. Wedges tend to be the higher lofted clubs in the set. Here are some ideas to help new golfers understand the Wedge World, as it can be confusing with how they’re labeled…we chip with a pitching wedge and pitch with a sand wedge. How does THAT make sense?!? The lofts on a club dictate how high the club can launch the ball into the air. Traditionally the ‘Lob’ Wedge has 60-64 degrees of loft, a ‘Sand’ Wedge 55-59 degrees of loft, a ‘Gap’ Wedge 50-54 degrees of loft and a ‘Pitching’ Wedge 45-49 degrees of loft, roughly. Companies have labeled the wedges but it’s nice to see that manufacturers are putting the degrees on the clubs now instead of the labels like P, W, S, L, A, D , U… degrees are changing to lower lofts so instead of a pitching wedge being 46 degrees, some are now 39 degrees. Maybe they want us to think we’re hitting them farther, but essentially we’re really hitting a former 8-iron…tricky marketing! Whatever
the label is, find the right lofts that help your yardage. Most new golfers do better with just five clubs and then add from there as they learn how to use the clubs better and see more need for extra clubs and distances. I actually call my S wedge not my Sand Wedge but my Stop Wedge, since I use it mostly out of the grass and other lies and not strictly out of the sand. I want that high lofted club to launch high and then stop on the green from all kinds of surfaces. The ‘sand’ wedge is not just for the sand. Fun Tips to Learn Your Wedges: • Pitching Wedge would be roughly your 10 Iron • Gap Wedge (or Approach, Dual, Utility with other companies) would be roughly your 11 Iron • Sand (or Stop) Wedge would be roughly your 12-iron • Lob Wedge would be roughly your 13-iron. The higher the number, the higher the shot in golf. I also have students think of it this way, if the image helps…S Wedge lands and flies Super Short while a P Wedge lands and flies Pretty Short, it runs more than an S Wedge. I hope that helps some with fun imagery and words. If starting out with just one wedge, I’d recommend a Pitching Wedge (some have a P or W or PW on it…and that doesn’t stand for Putter, which often newbies mistake that letter for). If you want two wedges, I’d recommend a Pitching Wedge and a
Stop/Sand Wedge. Those will give you different lofts. Check with your local LPGA/PGA Professional or nearby club fitter/seller to help guide you through your clubs! Nicole Weller is an award-winning
OR F L L
CA
LPGA & PGA Instructor who instructs local area golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club in Leland. For more information on Nicole and her tips / videos, visit www.nicoleweller.com.
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History
Recovering The Monitor March Cape Fear Civil War Round Table STORY AND PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
O
n March 12, the Cape Fear Civil War Round Table will host Doug Kesling, a member of the team that raised the turret and other artifacts of the iconic USS Monitor from the waters off Cape Hatteras, the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” He will tell the story of the amazing and historically important achievement.
The USS Monitor was an “indestructible” marvel of engineering of its time. When the majority of ships were still built of wood, it boasted six layers of inch-thick steel plates, with overlapping joints for extra hull strength. Built with an extremely powerful steam propulsion engine that also moved a revolutionary turret mounted on a deck close to the waterline, the Monitor dueled the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia (built on the hull of the partially destroyed USS Merrimack) in the battle of Hampton Roads in a location that’s still of vital military importance today. Where the James River and Chesapeake Bay enter the Atlantic Ocean, the Norfolk Naval Base serves the United States today. If the Union had been
unable to hold this nautical crossroads, it would not be able to support a creditable blockade on the Atlantic coast and Confederate ironclads would have been able to range up the Potomac toward Washington and up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore. The stakes could not have been higher. In a battle of monumental strategic importance on March 8-9, 1862, the two ironclads met. The Monitor had been rushed to completion in record time and was towed to Hampton Roads just in time to check the Confederate ironclad that had sunk two large wooden warships the day before. Shrugging off cannon fire that sent wooden ships to the bottom, the Monitor fought the Virginia to a draw that nonetheless succeeded in bottling up the Virginia and preventing her from doing more damage. The battle inaugurated a new era of steel battleships. But the Monitor was not indestructible — what the Virginia could not do, the rough open seas did, and the Monitor went down, with 16 hands, off the shore of Cape Hatteras. On December 31, 1862, the USS Monitor was caught in a storm and sank 16 nautical miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in more than 230 feet of water. It is believed the vessel went down stern first, turning over so that its revolutionary 120-ton revolving gun turret separated and became pinned under the ship on the seafloor. Monitor’s remains were discovered in 1973, confirmed in 1974, and in 1975 the wreck was placed under the jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with
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Above and Below Left Photos by Doug Kesling
the establishment of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Archaeological investigations and recovery of small objects began in the 1970s and into the early 1980s. The first artifact found was the turret’s red signal lantern – the last thing the crew saw before the ship sank beneath the waves! Other artifacts recovered included wood fragments, a glass jar full of relish, and Monitor’s anchor. In 1987, recognizing these artifacts needed a home, The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia, was designated as the repository for their management and curation. Our speaker, almost to the day of the 164th anniversary of the battle between the Monitor and the Virginia, is Doug Kesling, from UNCW’s Center for Marine Science (1990-2011). Doug served as the mission coordinator and Diving Safety Officer for the self-contained, NOAA civilian diving team operation during a 12-year period. Doug is a native of the “Birthplace of Aviation”—Dayton Ohio. Dayton, of course, was the home of the Wright Brothers who first achieved manned flight in Kitty Hawk on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Doug attended Wright State University in Ohio and received a bachelor’s in nursing, and got a masters in liberal studies from UNCW. He learned to dive in Ohio and worked extensively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Commerce.
He is a certified Diver Medic Technician who is celebrating a 40-year career in scientific diving. At the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, he served as the Manager of the Advanced Diving Technology Program for the Center of Marine Science (CMS). CMS-UNCW has utilized submersibles, a seafloor habitat, ROVs, AUVs, enriched air nitrox and trimix open-circuit diving technology and eCCR rebreathers in support of NOAA’s marine research directives. He first came to UNCW in 1990 to help continue the Aquarius Undersea Research Laboratory (ARB) diving program, using a fixed seafloor saturation diving habitat system. His duties included the oversight of diving safety, hyperbaric medicine, saturation and technical diving training programs for visiting scientists. In 2009, Doug was presented the Conrad Limbaugh Award for Scientific Diving Leadership from the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS). When he is not at work or traveling, you might find him training the next generation of marine explorers. Raising the iconic “cheese box on a raft” from the Graveyard of the Atlantic was one of the most complex underwater archaeology missions in history. Funding for the project came from the Department of Defense - Legacy Fund for the US Navy, the National Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (NURC-UNCW) and the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA.
History
The USS Monitor rested 240 feet below the surface for 140 years until a multi-phase diving effort led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Navy successfully retrieved its most revolutionary components. The recovery was not a single event but a strategic multi-year operation: In 1998, the first major components were recovered, including a 9-foot cast-iron propeller. In 2001, divers raised the 30-ton vibrating le-
ver steam engine. The engine is a unique design of the Monitor’s architect, John Ericsson. The powerful engine allowed the ship to operate its powerful machinery within a low-profile hull. The revolving gun turret was raised in 2002. The 120-ton turret, the ship’s most famous feature, was raised on August 5, 2002, using a specialized eight-legged steel lifting frame nicknamed the “Spider.” When the turret was finally brought to
the surface, it revealed more than just iron. Excavation by The Mariners’ Museum team uncovered two 11-inch Dahlgren Guns. Once able to fire 11-inch diameter projectiles, these massive smoothbore cannons were still inside their carriages. The remains of two Union sailors were also found trapped within the sediment-filled turret. The identities of the two USS Monitor crew members, buried at Arlington National Cemetery in 2013, remain unknown despite extensive efforts to identify them through DNA testing and genealogical research. They were among the 16 sailors who perished when the Monitor sank in 1862, and their remains were found in the ship’s turret during a recovery operation in 2002. Personal items such as a gold wedding band, a leather shoe, and a bottle of “Gray’s Hair Restorative” provided a poignant connection to the crew. Today, these artifacts reside at the USS Monitor Center at The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. Because of the extreme saltwater corrosion, they undergo electrolytic reduction in massive treatment tanks—a process that could take another 10 to 15 years to complete before they can be displayed in a dry environment.
The March 12 meeting begins at 7 pm and doors open at 6:30 pm. Come and hear the story of the recovery of the Monitor. The meeting will be held in Elebash Hall at the rear of St. John’s Episcopal Church at 1219 Forest Hills Drive in Wilmington. The centrally located meeting place is near Independence Mall. The church parking lot and entrance to the meeting room is easily accessed via Park Avenue off of Independence Boulevard. All are welcome. For more information about membership, check out the Round Table’s website at https://www.cfcwrt.org/ See you there!
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History
Nicolas Said’s Journey March Brunswick Civil War Round Table STORY AND PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
T
he incredible story of Nicholas Said’s journey from his birth place in Central Africa, through Czarist Russia, to the frontlines of the Civil War is the topic of a special Tuesday, March 17 meeting of the Brunswick Civil war Round Table at Hatch Auditorium in Caswell Beach. It will be presented by award-winning journalist Dean Calbreath who has spent more than a decade’s worth of research, travel, and archive searches culminating in his book “The Sergeant.” Henry Louis Gates, Jr., American literary critic, professor, and historian, describes the book as “essential reading.” For our Round Table audience, maybe its “essential listening!” So, who is Sergeant Nicholas Said? He was born as Mohammed Ali ben Said, the son of a cavalry general in the thousand-year-old kingdom of Borno in the center of Africa. After being captured by Tuareg raiders in his early teens, he was sold into slavery and
later purchased by the Russian ambassador to Istanbul. Said journeyed through much of the Middle East and Europe, picked up at least nine languages, and crossed paths with kings, emperors, and tsars, before ending up in the United States on the eve of the Civil War. After joining and serving his tour as a sergeant in the Union Army, he went on to become one of the nation’s first Black voting registrars, launched schools for newly freed slaves, and toured with his lecture series about the “possibilities that may be accomplished by the African.” Our guest speaker will delve into this most incredible story of Said’s life which will captivate his audience. This will certainly be another “must attend” meeting! Dean Calbreath is a lifelong journalist, winner of dozens of awards, traveled through 42 countries and all 50 states, filed stories from five continents, and lived in Oregon, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and the Czech Republic. The work on his book, “The
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Sergeant,” represents over a decade’s worth of research, including travels to Detroit, Boston, Alabama, and Washington, D.C., as well as correspondence with archives in Russia, Latvia. The Netherlands, and England to retrieve documents on Nicholas Said’s life. Meeting registration begins at 6:15 pm and the meeting starts at 7 pm. The visitor fee is still $10, and may be applied toward the $25 annual membership dues, which can include a spouse. Incidentally, about one-third of our audiences are female. Importantly, meeting attendees will be able to take an unlimited number of free Civil War history books from our vast collection of 600-plus books which are being offered due to storage limitations.
For more information about the meeting or the Round Table, please contact president John Butler at Brunswickcwrt@gmail.com, or call him directly at 404-229-9425. Or, visit Brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com for background and current information, news, and updates, or find the group on Facebook.
Showcase
High School Art Show
Surrounded by live oaks and situated in an historic building that once served as a schoolhouse and town hall, the Gallery offers the community and visitors alike the opportunity to experience the rich artistic culture that thrives in Southport. The Gallery is open from February 16 through December 19, 2026, Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Admission is always free and all work exhibited is always for sale.
Gallery Showcases Students’ Artwork STORY CONTRIBUTED
T
he Associated Artists of Southport will host the annual High School Art Show at Franklin Square Gallery from March 16 April 11. The show will feature the artwork of talented art students from South, West, and North Brunswick High Schools. This show affords local high school students the opportunity to exhibit their paintings, drawings, graphic designs, sculpture and other 3D artwork in a working art gallery. The show is always one of the Gallery’s most popular events, providing the community with a chance to see the wonderful and varied visual art talent that our public school system encourages. Lisa Banester will serve as judge for the show and will award ribbons for excellence and creativity in 2D, Graphic, and 3D art categories. A Brunswick County Schools Teacher of the Year in 2020, Ms. Banester holds a Masters degree in Fine Art and Education and currently teaches art at South-
port Elementary School. The show is free and open to the public. For additional information, please visit Franklin Square Gallery’s website at www. franklinsquaregallery.com or contact the Show’s chairperson, Patricia Lyles at lylesgjr@gmail.com. Franklin Square Gallery, the home of the Associated Artists of Southport (AAS), is a cooperative of more than 120 fine artists whose mission is to serve our community by educating and promoting the fine arts throughout the area. This year, AAS is welcoming new members and invites interested artists to stop in at the Gallery, visit the Gallery’s website at franklinsquaregallery.
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com/become-a-member or contact Kim Kirk at creativespirit@ec.rr.com regarding membership opportunities. An active member of the Southport Art Galleries Guild, Franklin Square Gallery is located at 130 E. West St., Southport, in the heart of the historic downtown area.
Swing For Success:
Master Your Game with Nicole Weller Instructing Local Area Golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club
Golf Digest Best Teacher in State 2023-2024 Top 50 LPGA Teacher
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Wake Forest University D-1 Scholarship Player
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Nicole Weller
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shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 23
SPOTTINGS
Abbey Caison and Piper Heustess, students at The Academy of Coastal Carolina, were recently awarded for their entries in National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR’s) American History Essay Contest. “Lunch with a Signer” asked 5th through 8th grade students to respond to the question: “America will celebrate her 250th birthday on July 4, 2026! If you could go back in time and meet one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence for lunch who would you choose? How did their actions and service contribute to our country becoming independent?” Abbey Caison, 5th grade, chose to lunch with Thomas Jefferson. She wrote: “I would ask Thomas Jefferson what it was like in the colonies before they were independent? Was there any fighting between the colonists during that time? What was it like to live on a plantation in the colonies?” She also noted that she and Jefferson share a birthday. Piper Heustess, 8th grade, told of being mysteriously transported to 18th century Massachusetts to meet John Adams. She ended her essay with: “Since then, I have had a newfound respect for freedom and the government that so many people worked so hard to make our country the free, beautiful land it is.” Contest judges were Honorary Chapter Regent Gwen Causey, Gwen’s sister and former Brunswick County teacher Elaine Wright, and Ken McIntyre who is husband of Chapter Regent Barbara McIntyre. Judges scored each essay on historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of material, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, and bibliography to ensure that the submission was the student’s own work. Brunswick Town Chapter’s winning essays and judges scoring sheets were submitted to NSDAR District VII for judging. Each District’s winning essays are sent to the state committee for judging. The state winners are then sent to NSDAR for national level judging. Daughters of the American Revolution is a service organization founded in 1890 for women who can prove direct, blood lineage from a Revolutionary War Patriot. The organization promotes patriotism, education, and historic preservation. DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer organization with more than 185,000 members in 3000 chapters across the world. There are more than 100 chapters in North Carolina. The Brunswick Town Chapter has more than 170 members, several of whom descend from Patriots who lived in Brunswick County while fighting for our country’s independence. The chapter’s membership descends more than 700 proven Patriots from the original 13 colonies. Chapter information is available on the Internet at the following URL: https://brunswicktown.ncdar.org/ and by emailing btdarregistrar@gmail.com
The BCC Dolphins Men’s Basketball program continues to thrive thanks to the exceptional dedication of Joe and Moe Stanley. At the February 5, 2026, game against Cape Fear Community College, the Dolphins secured a win and the brothers announced their newest fundraising achievement of $80,000 for the team, elevating their overall impact to an impressive $343,000 in total support. The Stanley brothers, Brunswick County natives and owners of Joe and Moe’s Automotive in Shallotte, presented their most recent contribution to The Foundation of Brunswick Community College, reinforcing years of consistent investment in Dolphins basketball. “What Joe and Moe have built here extends far beyond financial contributions,” said BCC President Dr. Gene Smith. “Their dedication to these student-athletes transforms lives and elevates our entire program.” The cumulative $343,000 has provided critical resources for the Men’s Basketball program, creating pathways for student-athletes to excel academically and athletically while representing BCC. The brothers’ investment in BCC basketball stems from their deep connection to the sport. As former players who came of age on local basketball courts, Joe and Moe have transformed their athletic background into a mission of empowering young athletes. Each year, they orchestrate a dedicated fundraising campaign that brings together community members, business associates, and basketball supporters. Beginning their outreach in mid-December, the brothers mobilized an impressive network of nearly 400 donors in just a month and a half, demonstrating the strong community support for BCC basketball. shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 24
Keeping Fit
Healthy Eating Out Have A Healthy Meal And Eat It Too BY VICTOR FERNANDES
Victor Fernandes is owner of Fernandez Fit, helpjng clients achieve personal and professional success through health and fitness
B
etween being a foodie by nature and networking as a business owner in various industry circles, I find myself eating out more often than I should. And I know I’m not alone.
Valentine’s Day was the latest trip out – or should I say trips – after a busy schedule that day born from my inability to schedule properly (but I digress). We ate breakfast out after my son, Zach, and I competed in a one-mile run and five-kilometer race in Oak Island that morning. Then we enjoyed a snack while attending the University of North Carolina Wilmington basketball game that afternoon, followed by dinner with my wife, Shelly, that night. Of course, our family always tries to make the best meal choices possible. For example, I had an omelet packed
with protein for breakfast, popcorn for a snack at the game and a shrimp quesadilla (again packed with protein) for dinner. But even when we make the best choices, it’s rarely ever better than the choices we make at home. For starters, portion sizes are regularly much larger at restaurants, often two to three times the normal size. I get around that by asking for a to-go box to put half of my meal in for lunch the next day. Otherwise, I would have a meal where the caloric intake makes up most of my allotment for the day – and I eat close to 3,000 calories per day. Also, when we eat out, we don’t truly know how meals are prepared and the quality of ingredients being used. While at home, we have total control of the ingredients going into our meals and how we prepare them. The only way to get past that is to not eat out as much, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It saves money in our wallets and inches on our waist if we do that. But our family loves eating out. Shelly and I love date nights. We love trying out new places and new menus. But eating out is not the same as eating at home. Because of that, we can easily veer off course with our nutritional plan even with
the best intentions, which I know is hard, especially if you’re a career-minded person like me. Being out and about in the community, being seen and interacting with others in and out of our industries is essential to building successful business relationships, and in turn, our careers and businesses. But if we’re serious about taking care of ourselves, because we’re serious about the impact health has on us personally and professionally, then we do what we have to do to make it happen. Besides, there is a strategy to it. Allow me to take you back to April 2024, when our family went to Disney World for a long-awaited vacation. We knew eating inside the respective parks we visit is a necessary evil, so we began planning where we would eat. Then we perused menus – and pared down our potential meal choices to four or five healthy options. So, when we arrived at a restaurant to eat, we didn’t salivate over the entire menu. We focused on those few options. Often, we arrived already knowing what we would get. We skipped looking at the menu entirely. We follow the same approach when eating out here. We look over menus in advance to see what meals we can enjoy that fit into our nutritional plan. Now my clients follow that lead. They
send menus to me from restaurants they visit and then select from the handful of choices I send them. Some of them have become very adept at pinpointing the best options before I provide my choices. Like everything else in health and fitness, awareness and intentionality are king. We have to be aware of the choices we make by consistently becoming informed of the choices we have, and we stick to those choices – time after time. Then we enjoy the best of both worlds – eating healthy while still enjoying delicious meals. If you need help pinpointing your path to better nutritional health, I’m always here – because at Fernandes Fit…Fitness Is Our Business. And if you need help laying out the best plan of action to take control of your overall health and well-being, I’m here to help. Contact me at 814-504-7774 or by email at info@fernandesfit.com to get started. You can also get more information on my website at fernandesfit.com.
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e’ve included events here that are listed as scheduled, but please remember that all events, dates and times are subject to change. (For programs offered through the Town of Leland, visit https://apm.activecommunities.com/townofleland/ to register online or register in person at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way). Register online for Town of Oak Island programs at www.OakIslandNC.goc/PROGRAMS. — Lisa
March MARCH 3
Brunswick Civil War Round Table
“The Incredible Odyssey of Nicholas Said: From Central Africa through Czarist Russia to the Frontlines of the Civil War.” Journalist and author Dean Calbreath will attend this meeting to share the forgotten history of Nickolas Said, whose adventures began in a thousand year-old African kingdom. He was a master of languages, a collector of knowledge, and a friend to kings and tsars, and he later became a Union Army sergeant in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. The Round Table meets at Hatch Auditorium on Caswell Beach. Registrations begin at 6:15 pm and the programs start at 7 pm. The visitor fee is $10 and may be applied toward the $25 annual membership dues.
MARCH 4
Wine, Women & Chocolate — Save the Date! The Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce hosts this evening event at SeaTrail Convention Center, 75A Clubhouse Road in Sunset Beach. Plan for an evening of shopping, sweet treats, and time well spent with friends. Tickets are $50 and will include event admission, one drink ticket, one raffle ticket, shopping, food, and plenty of chocolate.
MARCH 4
Dosher Hospital Tour
hospital. The tour group will meet in the front lobby of the main hospital building at 924 N. Howe St., Southport. Space is limited. Call 910-457-3900, or email marketing@dosher.org to reserve your spot.
MARCH 6
Spring Art Show - Franklin Square Gallery First Friday events at the Gallery resume with a Reception and Awards Ceremony from 5 to 7 pm. All are invited to attend, view the show, meet the artists, and enjoy complimentary wine and delicious hors d’oeuvres. The Gallery is at 130 E. West St., Southport. The Spring Art Show runs through March 14.
MARCH 7
North Carolina Rice Festival
Fully telling the story of the region’s rice-growing legacy and its Gullah Geechee heritage are the two main goals of the North Carolina Rice Festival. Through fun, insightful, and family-friendly activities, we strive to fulfill our motto of “Education through Celebration” by hosting a series of live, destination events at the historic Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson site (8884 St Philips Road, Winnabow - off N.C. 133). The event is 10 am to 5 pm.
MARCH 7
Founders Day Fest and Market - Shallotte Celebrate the Town with a visit to the historic Sunnyside School, live country music, face painting and crafts, and a vendors market featuring artisans and crafters. The festivities are 9 am to 2 pm at the Riverwalk, 158 Wall St.
Dosher Memorial Hospital invites community members to take an in-person tour of the hospital at 1 pm. This tour gives residents an opportunity to get an up-close look at the services offered and to ask questions about the shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 26
MARCH 10
Health, Fitness and Beauty Showcase The Annual Coastal Health, Fitness & Beauty Showcase is 4-7 pm at the Homer E. Wright Event Center, 4136 Southport-Supply Road, St. James. The Showcase will feature businesses and non profits in the healthcare, fitness and beauty industries. Admission is free. There will be many free giveaways provided by the participating businesses, along with seminars, free samples, health screenings, etc.
MARCH 12
Cape Fear Civil War Round Table Wilmington The Cape Fear Civil War Round Table will host Doug Kesling, a member of the team that raised the turret and other artifacts of the iconic USS Monitor from the waters off Cape Hatteras, the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” He will tell the story of the amazing and historically important achievement. The meeting begins at 7 pm and doors open at 6:30 pm in Elebash Hall at the rear of St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1219 Forest Hills Drive in Wilmington. The church parking lot and entrance to the meeting room is easily accessed via Park Avenue off of Independence Boulevard. All are welcome. For more information about membership, check out the Round Table’s website at https://www.cfcwrt.org/
MARCH 14
Spring Into Health
The annual Spring Into Health 5K/1M is a Brunswick Wellness Coalition Signature Event. Spring Into Health is a ‘health raiser’ opportunity to get people running, walking, strolling and rolling. Whether you participate as an individual or part of a team, this is your chance to get active and have fun. This year’s theme is Go Green, Get Healthy! Everyone is encouraged to dress in their best green attire and embrace health as generations come together to move. The runs/walks start at 9 am behind Dosher Memorial Hospital, 924 N. Howe St., Southport.
MARCH 14
St. Patrick’s Day Market - Sunset Beach Shop among local vendors during this open air market at Sunset Beach. The market is 11 am to 3 pm at Sunset Beach Town Park, 206 Sunset Boulevard North.
MARCH 15
Love in Bloom Bridal Expo - Southport Engaged couples and anyone thinking of making wedding plans can see what local vendors have to offer to make their dream wedding a realty. The expo is 2-5 pm at the Southport Community Building, 223 E Bay St.
MARCH 16
Fixing Habitats - LCAC
North Carolina’s freshwater wetland habitats provide food, shelter, nurseries, and play space for native wildlife. Attendees will learn how to become a habitat fixer-upper by discovering ways to diagnose and restore wetland habitats and have the chance to meet some of the live animals that call these wetlands home. The lecture is free to attend, 6-7:30 pm at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way.
MARCH 18
Kids at the Cove - Leland
Meet up at low tide at Cypress Cove Park to explore the importance of our wetlands. Situated on Mill Creek, a freshwater river, the park is a great place to dive into water ecology, learn about the wildlife present, and participate in a nature scavenger hunt to further engage young minds in outdoor adventures. Registration is required for this free event, which is 5-6 pm at the par, 844 Appleton Way NE.
MARCH 21
NC Reads — Meet the Author
Meet author Terri M. Brown to discuss “Daughters of Green Mountain Gap,” a compelling novel about three generations of Appalachian women in the NC mountains at the turn of the 20th century with conflicting beliefs concerning traditional folk healing and modern
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science. UNCW Associate Professor Lynn Mollenauer helps lead the discussion at Harper Library, 109 W. Moore St., Southport. Sign up for one of two sessions —10 am or 2 pm. Visit the library, find the signup online through the Brunswick County libraries, or call 910253-1813.
MARCH 21
Spring Fling - Oak Island
Let’s help bring spring along with this festival at Oak Island, featuring a full artisans market, food vendors, a kids zone, and live music from Deep Creek Soul Band. The festivities are noon to 4 pm on the Middleton Park fields, SE 46th and Dolphin Drive.
MARCH 21
Easter Egg Eggstravaganza - Boiling Spring Lakes There will be face painting, crafts, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and egg hunts for two ages groups (up to five years, and 6-10 years). The events starts at 10 am at Spring Lake Park, 210 Pine Road.
MARCH 24
Fall Prevention Seminar - Oak Island Senior Center The Dosher Memorial Hospital Physical Therapy Department will give a seminar on fall prevention at 2 pm at the Oak Island Senior Center, 5918 E Oak Island Drive. This informational session will provide guests with simple exercises and tips to improve balance, build strength, and stay safe on their feet. The speaker is Physical Therapist Scott Passingham, Manager of the Dosher Therapy Services Department. There will be time allotted for questions at the end of the presentation. This event is free of charge, and all are welcome. Please call Dosher Community Relations at 910-457-3900 with questions.
MARCH 27
Daughters of the American Revolution Historical Marker Dedication Dedication of a bronze marker honoring the men and women of the Amer-
ican Revolution will occur 10:30 am at the Brunswick County courthouse lawn (310 Government Center Drive, Bolivia). The marker, designed and made available through NSDAR, honors all individuals who supported our country’s fight for independence between the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775 and the departure of the British from New York on November 26, 1783. Brunswick County residents of the era were actively involved in the war in many capacities. Brunswick Town Chapter NSDAR applied for the marker two years ago, held fundraisers, and accepted donations from many individuals and groups to purchase the marker. It will be on the east side of the courthouse lawn near the parking entrance, and a garden will be planted at the base. A color guard from American Legion Post 453 will open the ceremony which will be attended by state and county officials, NSDAR and SAR officers and members, and the public.
MARCH 28
Spring Fling - Leland
The Town of Leland will host Spring Fling, formerly Eggspedition, at the newly renovated Founders Park. The community can enjoy age-inclusive egg hunts, a trail of local organizations (plus even more candy!), face painting, and a variety of food trucks. Egg hunts times are divided among age groups, from 10 am to 12:30 pm. Visit https:// www.townofleland.com/event/lelandspring-fling for a list of times.
MARCH 28
Spring Art Show - Oak Island
A reception from 5-7 pm kicks off a week of local artists’ works being displayed. There will be live music by Jesse Vipperman, finger foods and beverages. Attendees will also have the chance to vote for a People’s Choice Award, with ribbons presented to the winners. The reception and art display are at the Oak Island Recreation Center, 3003 E. Oak Island Drive.
MARCH 28 Bunny Hop - Ocean Isle Beach
Bring the family and your baskets to collect goodies from Ocean Isle Beach town staff, including police and fire, neighbors and local businesses. The Easter Bunny will be on site for pictures, and there will be games, face painting (for a small fee) and an ultimate Easter basket giveaway. The festivities are 1011:30 am at Town Center Park, 11 E. 2nd St.
MARCH 28
Family Game Night - VFW
The Boiling Spring Lakes VFW Post 10-400 hosts family game night, 6-8 pm. Board games are available, or you can bring your own. The VFW is at 3161 George II Highway (NC 87). Game night is open to the public and free to attend.
APRIL 11
Fundraiser by Chapter CB, P.E.O. Sisterhood, Southport A “Treasures in the Trunk” and
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Bake Sale will be held from 9 am to noon at the BCC Southport Campus parking lot (701 N. Lord St.) There will be 10 car trunks loaded with household items, glassware, pottery, jewelry, purses, games, lamps, artwork, linens, holiday decorations and much more and two tables will be loaded with homemade baked items. Cash and checks only will be accepted; no credit cards. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) has been motivating, educating and celebrating women for more than 155 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 129,000* women pursue educational goals by providing approximately $462 million* in grants, scholarships, awards and loans. To learn more about P.E.O., visit www.peointernational.org.
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College
701 N. Third St., Wilmington March 5-7 — Mama Mia!
March 14 — The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra performs Classical Connections March 15 — KC & The Sunshine Band March 18 — The Peking Acrobats March 19 — Shenandoah Visit https:// wilsoncentertickets.com for more information. March 20 — Aly & AJ March 21 — Be Like Blippi Tour March 22 — The North Carolina Symphony presents Beethoven “Emperor” Piano Concerto March 28 — Samara Joy March 31 — Lucius April 14 — Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band April 15-16 — Bert Kreischer April 17 — Magician and comedian Piff the Magic Dragon
April 18-19 — City Ballet performs The Winter Queen April 24 — Jim Jeffries April 25 The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra, the Cape Fear Chorale and the UNCW Chorus team up to perform Carmina Burana April 28-30 — Kinky Boots Visit https://wilsoncentertickets.com for more information.
Thalian Hall
310 Chestnut St., Wilmington
Feb 27-March 8 — Failed Deb Productions presents True Confessions of a Failed Debutante March 3 — Dance troupe Pilobolus performs Other Worlds March 5 — Three Italian Tenors March 6 — BASILE’S - BasileLicious World Tour March 7 — Mutts Gone Nuts March 13-15 — 1776 The Musical from the Thalian Association Community Theatre March 27 — Bluegrass Bash March 31 — Lincoln Center Jazz presents Great American Crooners April 2-12 — Big Dawg Productions presents The Hermit of Fort Fisher April 10-19 — The Wizard of Ox by the Thalian Association Community Theatre April 14 — Capitol Fools April 16 — Joshua Kane-Borders of the Mind April 16-19 — A Ride Through the Country, from Big Dawg Productions April 20 — Women of Americana April 23 — The Chase Brock Experience Check https://www.thalianhall.org/ calendar for more information.
Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
1941 Amphitheatre Dr., Wilmington
March 25 — The Infamous Stringdust-
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ers
Club meets on Tuesdays at 3 pm.
March 31 — Old Crow Medicine Show: O.C.M.S. Big Iron World Tour: Back to the Roots
NC Maritime Museums - Southport
April 11 — Dog’s Out the Cage Tour
The Skipper’s Crew program for young visitors is on March 7 and 14. Skipper’s Crew programs are 10 am to 3 pm. The March 28 Deep Dive Into History program is “Dyeing for History.” The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am to 4 pm at 204 E. Moore St., Southport. Admission is free, but donations are accepted and there is a gift shop too offering maritime and seasonal items for visitors of all ages. Visit www.ncmaritimemuseum.com to register for special programs.
April 16 — An Evening With - Greensky Bluegrass April 17 — Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country May 3 — Ani DiFranco w/ Special Guest Valerie June Visit https://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZ917A2qV/greenfield-lake-amphitheater-events for tickets.
ONGOING EVENTS
Friends of the Library
The Once More used bookstore, at Southport Realty (727 N. Howe St.), with new-to-you books, is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturdays 10 am to noon. Visit https:// folsoi.org/blog/ for information on upcoming programs. Barbee Library, 8200 E. Oak Island Drive: Call 910-278-4283 for details on children’s story time and other programs. The Lifelong Learners Group meets at 10 am on Thursdays. Other programs offered at the library include chair yoga, one-on-one tech support on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm, and more. Harper Library, 109 W. Moore St., Southport: Call 910-457-6237 to register for programs. One-on-one tech support is offered on Thursdays, 1-3 pm. Leland Library, 487 Village Road NE: Baby storytime is at 10 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Pre-K and older storytime is at 11 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Ruark Library, 5068 Main St., Shallotte Storytime for toddles and pre-K on Thursdays at 10:30 am, and the Teen Chess Club meets on Mondays at 4 pm. Southwest Brunswick Branch, 9400 Ocean Hwy West (U.S. 17), Carolina Shores: Move It Monday library workouts are at 9 am on Mondays. Chess
204 E. Moore St.
Franklin Square Art Gallery
The Gallery is open 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Saturday and can be found next to Franklin Square Park.
First Friday Gallery Walk — Southport
The First Friday Gallery Walk is 5-7 pm in Southport at participating galleries, such as Lantana’s, The Rickey Evans Gallery, the Franklin Square Art Gallery, Artisans on Howe and Southport Studio Artists. Stroll along, or jump on the trolley, browse in the shops, and see what local artists have to offer. The first Gallery Walk for the year will be March 7.
Oak Island Recreation Department
Join the Striders Club at various locations and dates/times to get out and about with a group or try your hand at art with a new class. There are book clubs, kayak tours in the Davis Canal, surf fishing lessons, and much more. Visit https://parksrec.egov.basgov. com/oakislandnc for details on programs.
Town of Leland/Parks & Recreation
Check out https://www.townofleland.com/parks-recreation-and-cultural-resources for more information on classes and programs, including
Meet The Author starting an art journal, pottery, gardening, writing creative nonfiction, acting, dance and more.
Bingo at the Elks Lodge — Oak Island
Bingo games are on the second and fourth Tuesdays at the Lodge, 106 E. Dolphin Drive, Oak Island. Games are open to the public; no one under 16 and no outside food or drinks allowed. Doors open to the public at 5:45 pm with games starting at 6:30 pm. Snacks and drinks available for purchase (cash or checks only). Winner takes all coverall.
Battleship North Carolina — near Leland Tour the USS NORTH CAROLINA and participate in group programs and special programming throughout the year. Visit https://battleshipnc.com/. The battleship site is at 1 Battleship Road NE, Wilmington (west side of the Cape Fear River).
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site 8884 St. Philips Rd. SE, Winnabow
There is plenty to do and see, with a museum, historic ruins, great information on the site’s history, and some of the most beautiful riverfront property in the County. Hours are 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. .Museum of Coastal Carolina
21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach
The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm (until 7 pm Tuesday and Thursday) and Sundays from noon until 4 pm. Touch tank feedings are Fridays at 11 am. Also open February 15-16 for President’s Day .Ingram Planetarium
7625 High Market St., Sunset Beach
The Planetarium is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm; dome shows start on the hour from 11 am to 3 pm. Laser shows are on Fridays and Saturdays at 6 pm and 7 pm. Visit https://museumplanetarium.org/ ingram-planetarium/ to see the show
Book Events Throughout the County
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schedule.
ur local libraries host book and author events, which we’re happy to promote since we love everything about reading and writing. The Pelican Bookstore in Sunset Beach also hosts a series of book signings, held at the Silver Coast Winery, 6680 Barbeque Road, Ocean Isle Beach (mainland). The festivities start at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $45 and include a glass of wine, light hors d’oeuvres, a copy of the book, and a meet and greet with the author. For more details and a longer synopsis of the book selections, visit www. pelicanbookstore.com.
Brunswick Newcomer’s Club — Southport
The Brunswick Newcomer’s Club is a non-profit social club of more than 300 adults who live in Southeastern Brunswick County, including the Boiling Springs, Bolivia, Leland, Oak Island, St. James, Shallotte, Southport and Supply areas. Meetings are held the third Tuesday morning of every month at 9:30 a.m. in Murrow Hall at Trinity United Methodist Church, 209 E. Nash St., Southport. For more information visit: Brunswick Newcomer’s Club or contact us at
March 20 Sandra Brown - “Bloodlust” Silver Coast Winery New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a new signature sexy suspense about a detective seeking justice for his murdered wife with the help of a psychotherapist…while fighting an undeniable attraction to her. Brown has published more than 80 novels.
brunswick.newcomers@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.
Wilmington River Tours
March 20 Maria Pease - The Malicious Mystery Series Barbee Library, Oak Island Maria Pease is an author and educator who knows exactly how to get away with murder—on paper, anyway. Maria is the author of the Malicious Mystery series (“Malicious Intent,” “Malicious Secrets,” and “Malicious Desires”). Maria also writes charming books for children, proving her range is as wide as her imagination. A dedicated creative writing instructor for all ages, Maria is on a mission to prove that everyone has a great book inside them. When she’s not teaching or typing, you can find her plotting her next twist at www.mariapease.com. Space is limited; Registration is required. Visit https://brunsco.libcal.com/event/16228243 to register.
212 S. Water St., Wilmington
Tour the beautiful Cape Fear River and learn more about the area’s history and ecology. Sunset cruises include acoustic music Thursdays through Sundays! Tours are offered daily, to the north along historic downtown Wilmington, the USS North Carolina Battleship and Eagles Island on the even hours, and to the south under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and past the shipyard on the odd hours; visit https://wilmingtonwatertours.net/ for schedules and to purchase tickets.
Don’t see your event or location listed? Try as we might, we don’t catch everything, so to be sure to be included send your events to lisa@southportmag. com before the 20th of each month! Thank you!
March 21 NC Reads — “Daughters of Green Mountain Gap” Harper Library, Southport Meet author Terri M. Brown to discuss “Daughters of Green Mountain Gap,” a compelling novel about three generations of Appalachian women in the NC mountains at the turn of the 20th century with conflicting beliefs concerning traditional folk healing and modern science. UNCW Associate Professor Lynn Mollenauer helps lead the discussion at Harper Library, 109 W. Moore St., Southport. Sign up for one of two sessions —10 am or 2 pm. Visit the library, find the signup online through Brunswick County libraries, or call 910-253-1813. March 21 Local Author Talk with Marlene Dewitt Southwest Brunswick Branch Library, Carolina Shores Join local author R. Darlene Dewitt as she discusses her book, “Making Your Work Place Your Mission Field.” Drawing from a wide range of career experiences, she explores how personal beliefs can shape purpose, ethics, and workplace relationships. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Thw event is 10 am to 12 noon.
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Looking for something to do besides going to the beach? Here you’ll find lots of fun for the entire family. Be sure to check before you go as hours may change and some attractions may be seasonal
Attractions INGRAM PLANETARIUM
7625 High Market Street Sunset Beach (mainland) https://museumplanetarium.org/ingram-planetarium/ Enjoy musical laser shows and learn more about the night sky; check website for schedule and tickets. Hands-on activities and interactive displays are available in the Paul Dennis Science Center, and admission to the Center is free.
MUSEUM OF COASTAL CAROLINA 21 E. 2nd St. Ocean Isle Beach https://museumplanetarium.org/
Learn more about our coastal environment, with a live touch tank, saltwater aquariums, interactive exhibits, lectures and family programs. The Mu-
Attractions Guide
seum is open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday, and 5-7 pm on the second Tuesday for sandbar lectures.
SHALLOTTE RIVER SWAMP PARK
5550 Watts Road SW Ocean Isle Beach (mainland) https://www.shallotteriverswamppark. com/ This adventure park features zip line tours, an aerial park, guided ATV tours and eco-tours on a swamp boat.
PLANET FUN/STARZ GRILL 349 Whiteville Road Shallotte https://planetfuncenter.com/
This family entertainment center offers arcade games, laser tag, and bowling (including cosmic bowling on weekends), many TVs for watching all the games, and a restaurant.
SHALLOTTE RIVERWALK
Gazebos at 159 Cheers St. and 146 Wall St.
The Riverwalk is open from dawn to dusk, and features a quarter mile boardwalk, gazebos at each end and beautiful views of the Shallotte River.
OLD BRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 109 Shoreline Drive West Sunset Beach (mainland) http://www.theoldbridge.org/
The old swing bridge that used to connect Sunset Beach to the mainland has been preserved as a museum. The Museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm, with stories about the Sunset Beach Swing Bridge tender house, local history, and more.
STUMP HILL FARMS
2030 Ash-Little River Road NW Ash https://www.stumphillfarms.com/
The farm is open on Saturdays in April and October, and by appointment or for special events other times of year, with hay rides, games for children, and educational opportunities covering bee pollination and local crops.
GRAYCE WYNDS FARM AND THE WILD HORSE RESERVE AT GRAYCE WYNDS 2450 Grayce Wynds Drive Supply, NC 28462
Visit the farm, take a guided tour, or participate in special events. Check https://www.graycewyndsfarm.com/ for tours available and events.
TREASURE ISLAND MINIATURE GOLF 3445 Holden Beach Rd. Holden Beach (910) 842-4878
Parks
There are so many great spots to get out and enjoy this beautiful county. We’ve listed a few of the main parks here, but keep an eye out for smaller pocket parks and water access areas.
HOLDEN BEACH PAVILION AND BRIDGEVIEW PARK
The Pavilion is tucked in next to the west side of the bridge on the island, and Bridgeview Park is a couple blocks down the Intracoastal Waterway, at Davis Street.
TOWN CENTER PARK 11 E. Second St. Ocean Isle Beach
This town park has an amphitheater, interactive fountain, bocce ball court, playground, and plenty of bike parking.
SHALLOTTE PARK 5550 Main St.
Ball fields, tennis courts, basketball court, a playground, picnic shelters and a dog park.
MULBERRY STREET PARK SILVERY COAST WINERY
6680 Barbeque Road Ocean Isle Beach https://silvercoastwinery.com/
Winery tours, tastings, and shop for wine accessories and gifts; event rental space also available.
OCEAN ISLE MINI GOLF Go Under The Sea at the Museum of Coastal Carolina in Ocean Isle Beach
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6391 Beach Drive SW Ocean Isle Beach http://oceanisleminigolf.com
123 Mulberry Street Shallotte
Picnic shelters, an amphitheater, and home to Shallotte’s outdoor markets
SUNSET BEACH TOWN PARK
Sunset Boulevard North (mainland)
Stroll through five acres of live oaks along the Intracoastal Waterway, sit a spell on a bench, do some fishing or visit the Veterans Memorial.
OCEAN ISLE BEACH PARK 6483 Old Georgetown Road
The Park features 2 playgrounds, eight tennis courts, four pickleball courts, baseball and softball fields, a dog park, basketball courts, an amphitheater, picnic shelter and a multipurpose field for soccer/football with walking trail and fitness stations.
WACCAMAW PARK
5855 Waccamaw School Road NW, Ash This park features ball fields, basketball court, tennis courts, playground, bocce ball and a nine-hole disc golf course.
CAROLINAS COASTAL ADVENTURE TOURS 2000 Sommerset Road SW Ocean Isle Beach (mainland) https://www.ccattours.com/
SALT FEVER GUIDE SERVICE
21 Causeway Drive Ocean Isle Beach https://www.saltfeverguideservice. com/
HURRICANE FLEET - LEAVES FROM THE CALABASH WATERFRONT https://hurricanefleet.com/
CALABASH FISHING FLEET
Fishing Piers SUNSET BEACH FISHING PIER 101 W. Main St. Sunset Beach http://sunsetbeachpier.com/
OCEAN ISLE BEACH PIER 1 W. First St. Ocean Isle Beach https://oibpier.com/
Fishing Charters Boat Tours Boat Rentals OCEAN ISLE FISHING CENTER 65 Causeway Drive Ocean Isle Beach https://www.oifc.com/
TOUR H2O
Locations in Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and Southport https://tourh2o.com/
9945 Nance St. Calabash https://calabashfishingfleet.com/
HOLDEN BEACH FISHING
https://www.holdenbeachfishing.com/
HOLDEN BEACH WATERSPORTS
3325 Old Ferry Road SW Holden Beach https://www.holdenbeachwatersports. com/index.html
Spring into Savings Extra 25% OFF ANY SINGLE ITEM
Simply present this coupon at time of purchase. Does not apply to Men’s $41.99 Levi’s denim. Limit one per customer. Does not apply to prior purchases or gift cards. Can not be combined with any other promotional offers or coupons.
VALID NOW THROUGH 3/31/26
BLUE PLANET WATERSPORTS
7156 Beach Drive Ocean Isle Beach https://blueplanetwatersports.com/
HOLDEN BEACH JET SKI RENTALS 1305 Cedar Landing Road SW Supply https://www.holdenbeachjetski.com
MISSES, JUNIORS, PLUS & MEN’S
SORTA SALTY FISHING CHARTERS
SHOP IN STORE TODAY!
Holden Beach https://sortasalty.com
OLLIE RAJA CHARTERS
labelshopper.com
3238 Pompano St. SW Holden Beach/Oak Island https://holdenbeachfishingcharters. com/
4956 LONG BEACH ROAD SE, SOUTHPORT
(910)454-0816 • labelshopper.com MON.–FRI.: 9am - 8pm • SAT.: 10am - 6pm • SUN.: 12pm - 5pm
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 31
shallottemag.com /March /March 2026/ 2026/ Shallotte and South Brunswick Islands Magazine 32