My Fabulous Florida

St. Augustine--Fun Choices for New Year's

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

New Year's Eve revelers looking for an innovative way to greet 2010 will find fun, laughs and memorable excursions in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches. From fireworks at the beach to balloon drops for kids, this is the place for celebrating the New Year's arrival. For example:

Beach Blast Off at St. Augustine Beach!
Kick off 2010 in seaside style at this special family friendly, St. Augustine Beach event! Enjoy a blast of flavor, icy sculptures, Kids Zone and fireworks when several of St. Augustine's favorite restaurants serve up chili for tasting and judging at the Fire and Ice Chili Cook-off from 4 to 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve. After things cool off from the chili - the Fireworks begin at 8:30 p.m. This display will delight visitors and help usher in the New Year! On the Main Stage, enjoy live entertainment/bands, karaoke and the Family Friendly Dance Party. Admission is free. It all takes place at the St. Augustine Beach Pier Pavilion. For more information, visit the event's website at www.BeachBlastOff.com .

New Year's Eve Blue Moon and Sunrise at the Lighthouse
Get the best view possible of a rare blue moon on New Year's Eve by climbing to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The blue moon, the second full moon of the month, will be enjoyed from this unique perspective - along with a champagne toast and hors d'oeuvres - at two times. On New Year's Eve, experience sunset and blue moonrise from 5-6:30 p.m. On New Year's Day, from 7-8:30 a.m., watch the blue moon setting and the sun rising from the Atlantic on the first day of 2010. Tickets are $80 per person for the New Year's Eve event and $50 per person for New Year's morning. For more information, tickets and required reservations, call Sara at 904.829.0745 ext. 207.

Piratical Plundering on New Year's Eve
Sail aboard the pirate ship Black Raven for a New Year's Eve filled with fun, music, food, drink and unexpected happenings! Join the boisterous crew, including pirate DJ Jonas Crew and magician William Mayhem, as they depart from the St. Augustine City Marina at 10:45 p.m. At midnight, 2010 will be greeted with a blast from the Black Raven's cannon and a champagne toast. The ship will return to the dock at 1 a.m. on New Year's Day. Tickets are $45 each - adults only. For reservations, call 1.877.578.5050.

New Year's Eve Laughter
Laugh your way into 2010 - and help fund local scholarship programs! Haven Horse Ranch is proud to bring nationally-acclaimed comedian Jeff Allen to Ponte Vedra for a special New Year's Eve appearance. Jeff is a family-friendly comedian whose goal "is to make people laugh as hard as humanly possible." The laughs will occur at two shows - one at 6 p.m. and the second at 9 p.m. at the Crosswater Community Church's new campus at Nocatee (Ponte Vedra) at the entrance to Davis Park. Tickets for this annual Haven Horse fundraiser are $22 in advance and $28 at the door. For more information, call 904.535.8400 or go to www.havenhorseranch.org . To find out more about Jeff Allen, click here .

Kids' New Year's Eve Celebration at the Cultural Center in Ponte Vedra Beach
Kids can celebrate New Year's Eve with a bang at the balloon drop set for noon at the Cultural Center in Ponte Vedra Beach. Kids can snap, crackle and pop in the bubble-wrap room while jumping to the jingles of the house band and create hilarious hats and party masks that will make everyone giggle. Plus, they can get a bite of Brucci's Pizza Pie or build a mile-high ice cream sundae. Get there before noon to save your spot - hundreds of balloons will drop at noon on the dot. Admission is $2 per person. The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach is located at 50 Executive Way. For more information, call 904.280.0614.

New Year's Eve Family Celebration at Adventure Landing
Bring the kids for a day filled with fun and a chance to win great prizes in the New Year's Eve balloon drop at noon at Adventure Landing. There will be "all you can play" min-golf and Go Cart rides for kids for just $10. And at noon there will be a spectacular balloon drop. The fun takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adventure Landing is located on SR 16 off I-95 Exit 318. For more information, call 827.9400 or visit Adventure Landing.

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Flagler Dog Track

Best Friend is a Dog, Best Times are with a Dog!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

They're sleek, elegant and fast. They are the graceful but industrious greyhound dogs.

Just when you thought--what else is there to do inbetween the Everglades to the west, and the celebrity-spotted nightclubs along the beach to the east? Plenty, including the Flagler Dog Track in Miami.

If you're a modest gambler that's more intimidated by the 24 hour energy of smoke-filled Vegas, then this is the place for you. Imagine a day in the fresh outdoors, easy-going small crowd, wagering a modest bet and the adrenaline rushing from watching the most beautiful creatures contract and expand, their sleek lines the envy of a professional dancer or competitive athlete. Bring the kids and let them pick their candidate of choice! This may be a good way to introduce and educate your children about gambling.

Tuesdays are lucky days with $4,000 bingo prize. The action is every Tuesday at 12:45pm followed by live racing at 1pm.

On Thursday nights is Doggie Dinner Theater which offers giveaways, food specials and dancing waitresses. From 8pm-11pm every Thursday.

Recently, they've added 700 of the most popular Las Vegas style slot machines and baptized the new facility name: Magic City Casino. From penny machines to high-stakes action, there's something for everyone. But you must be at least 18 years of age to enter and play. So leave the younger kids with the babysitter! But bring the parents and grandparents!

To kick off the New Year, join the party with live music, dance contest, drink specials, champagne toasts and more. The event is free!

Add this to your list of Miami Staycation events!

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Art Basel Miami 2009

Christine at Art Basel 2009

Saturday, December 05, 2009

For the art novice or the uninducted-to-Miami -Society, Art Basel can be overwhelming especially as you read the scores of newspaper and online stories leading up to the event and the daily coverage. Celebrity-studded events at South Beach hotels, high-tootin' gallery names and corresponding high-flutin' names of their owners. Do not fret with worry. Even the average person can elate in this event, even if you struggle with remembering the difference between Monet and Manet.

Famous quote from movie Ocean's Eleven:

Danny: And I always confuse Monet and Manet. Now which one married his mistress?

Tess: Monet.

Danny: Right, and then Manet had syphilis.

Tess: They also painted occasionally.

In layman's terms, Art Basel showcases a range of art from the best galleries in the world. It's more than paintings. Works of art encompass all forms from sculptures to ecletic creations. The main event at occurs at the Miami Beach Convention Center. But the real fun takes place in the Design District and Wynwood district.

If you can afford a piece of art, by all means indulge. It is an investment. If not, choose one or two events or venues and take your time strolling, absorbing, and engaging in a discussion with a friend.

I was fortunate to share this day with a friend, Daniel who also received two passes to Pulse. Before we knew it, three hours flew by. You know the saying about time flying. We were enlighted but also entertained.

After strolling through a maze of white walls, (imagine the labrynth garden in the movie Shining with white walls), two pieces captured my attention. The first was a collage of cut out US $1 bills. (Forgive my amateur photographs). Below is the image of the statue of liberty with every detail exacted from a dollar bill. Is that legal? Actually no, but apparently no one is arresting the artist for this masterpiece. Upon a nose-to-acrylic closeup examination, you wonder how many pieces were cut out to create this mammoth collage? The answer...

81,895 pieces were cut from 1121 dollar bills!!!

Liberty by Mark Wagner

Below, both Daniel and I were enthralled with this replica of a corner store. The entire store, and all the contents including canned food, long distance calling cards were handmade. EVERY DETAIL!

The Austin, Texas -based artist collective, OKAY MOUNTAIN, presents Corner Store, a fully immersive micro-convenience store that serves as a tongue-in-cheek critique of the art fair environment. It also drew the largest crowds and sold "store items".

Based on the quirky independently-owned convenience marts found throughout Texas and the greater southwest region, the store offers fairgoers a variety of homemade products at "convenient" prices, thereby providing a memorable rest stop on the hours-long journey of the art fair trail. It was memorable and also our favorite!