On Saturday and Sunday, Holden Beach hosts a very popular local event, Festival by the Sea. This 2-day celebration is kicked off with a parade down the Holden Beach causeway on Saturday at 9am. This is the only day of the year that you can walk across the Holden Beach bridge, and each year several hundred people do so after the parade to get to the festivities.

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

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

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

The new Brunswick Novant Medical Center opened July 31 at 6:00 a.m., the same time the old Brunswick Community Hospital closed its doors. By 9:30 am, 24 patients were transported to the new facility, with the new emergency room seeing 3 people within its first hour of opening.  The new replacement hospital received an exceptional response during opening events. Approximately 700 people purchased tickets to support the medical center’s new foundation and to preview the facility. Nearly 5,000 people toured the facility during the community open house, which also included a dedication ceremony highlighted by remarks given by U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre. Guests at opening events learned about the new hospital’s expanded emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms, maternity center and the facility’s all-private patient rooms. They also learned more about the new patient-focused amenities, including dining-on-call room service, wireless Internet through the facility and extended visiting hours. “The turnout for this event was tremendous,” said Denise Mihal, hospital president. “After more than four years of planning and community support, it was an honor to share this celebration with the community we serve.”

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