Cape Fear Flounder Classic

The 1st Annual Cape Fear Flounder Classic will be held at the Southport Marina on Saturday, July 31st.

This event is being organized as a fundraiser for the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce.  Following the prize structure of the Chamber’s very popular U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament, the all cash guaranteed prizes totals $5,300.

The entry fee for the Cape Fear Flounder Classic is $100 per boat with an optional $50 TWT.   Tournament participation will be limited to boats and all fish must be taken on a rod and reel.  No Check-Out.  No boundaries with the exception of restricted areas such as Sunny Point and Progress Energy intake wall.

Registration for the Cape Fear Flounder Classic will be held at the Chamber Office at 4841 Long Beach Road on  Monday thru Friday from 10am-4pm beginning Friday, July 9th thru Friday, July 30th  from 10am-4pm.  There will be additional registration on Friday, July 30th from 5pm-7pm at the Southport Marina.

A Hot Dog Dinner for the participants will be held at 6pm on Friday, July 30th and Saturday, July 31st.   Fishing hours will be on Saturday, July 31st from 7am until 4pm with the scales open from 3pm-5pm.   The awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 31st at 6pm.
For more information contact Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce at 910.457-6964 or email them at events@southport-oakisland.com

Descendent Buys Orton!

A direct descendent of Roger Moore, who built the original Orton Plantation home in 1725 is the new owner of the antebellum plantation house and the gardens!

Louis Moore Bacon, who now resides in London but was born in Raleigh, has purchased almost the entire 5,000-acre property – including the historic plantation house and its famous gardens – from the Laurence Sprunt family who have owned the Brunswick County landmark since 1884.

The Plantation and Gardens will close indefinitely on May 31st while plans for the future and other renovations are made. Hurry to see this incredible place while this years gardens are still available to you!

Current Orton manager David Sprunt, will retain that position, said the family has kept the land around the plantation’s pond.

He said he’s excited about the plans for the plantation, but it is hard for the property leave his family’s ownership after all of these years.

A press release states that Bacon is directly descended from Roger Moore, who built the original Orton residence in 1725. Bacon’s mother’s family has strong ties to nearby Wilmington.

Many are relieved to hear that Mr. Bacon has a reputation for buying historic properties such as Orton Plantation and keeping them in their natural state. Also the N.C. Coastal Land Trust holds conservation easements covering much of the Orton property. The executive director of the Land Trust states that Bacon is noted as a conservationist and a supporter of numerous environmental organizations.

Forbes magazine notes Bacon, age 53, is a native of North Carolina who manages several hedge funds and now resides in London, and the London Sunday Times notes that that he is the richest hedge fund manager in Britain having a nearly $1.7 billion fortune.

Orton Plantation, which recently opened for the 2010 season, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the gardens. Extensive renovations were made in the gardens to open up panoramic views to the Cape Fear River, remove competing vegetation, redesign and enhance the flower beds and restore and preserve the colonial rice fields.

Among the predominant species in the garden are live oaks, camellias, azaleas, flowering fruit trees, daphne, hydrangeas, crape myrtles, dogwoods, and colorful spring and summer annuals. Lawns and water gardens lend variety to the lush vegetation.

Plan to come spend a day at Orton Plantation! The gardens are in their glory right now! The historic landscape designed around the 1735 mansion and colonial rice fields overlooking the Cape Fear River and 20 acres of secluded walking trails surrounded by hundreds of acres of rice fields make Orton Plantation Gardens a wonderful place to visit.

One of the oldest plantations on the Lower Cape Fear and the only one with a manor house still standing, Orton has become a privately owned tourist attraction, celebrated for its elaborate gardens. In recent years, the plantation and its grounds have served as locations on a number of motion pictures.

The house and grounds are located at 9149 Orton Road S.E., Brunswick County just off N.C. 133, close to the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site.

Get directions click here!

Hours are 8am to 5pm March – August and 10am – 5pm September – November (except they close for Thanksgiving Day).

Local Pirate Captured!

The pirate Stede Bonnet was captured at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, right by the nearby town of Southport, NC. He was taken to Charleston, SC and hung along with his crew! Read more

Video Of Live Sea Turtle

This past Wednesday area Turtle Watch and Turtle Patrol groups held “Big Turtle Day” at the Community Center on nearby Ocean Isle Beach. The day’s event was an opportunity to raise awareness and to raise money for these non-profit orginizations dedicated to preserving these endangered sea creatures. Read more

4th of July Festival

America’s patriotic spirit is alive and well in the town of Southport, NC.

This small maritime community has celebrated our nation’s independence for over 200 years making this one of the oldest 4th of July celebrations in the country.

From colonial times when ships lay anchor in her harbor shot their cannons the celebration has grown to today’s festival where 40,000 to 50,000 people come each year to soak in the richness of spirit commemorating Old Glory.

Incorporated as the N.C. 4th of July Festival in 1972 the festival committee strives to keep the focus of the festival on honoring our nation’s birthday with a little fun thrown in.

Festival highlights:
• Over 100 handmade arts and crafts on display
• The delightful aroma of fair food permeates the air
• The Cape Fear river serves as a backdrop for Main Stage Entertainment – best beach, top 40’s and country bands each evening.
• The most patriotic parade representing main street USA and televised on WECT TV6 “Where News Comes First”
• A Naturalization Ceremony that will move you to tears
• Veterans Recognition – ceremony honoring the sacrifices of our armed service personnel who have served and paid for our freedom
• Flag Retirement Ceremony – a ceremony that allows residents and visitors an opportunity to properly dispose of their USA flags

• Beach Day – highlighting the activities popular at Southport’s neighboring beach community Oak Island – volleyball and shag contests to mention a few
• Freedom Run & Walk – runners and walkers enjoy an organized event encouraging a healthy America

• Children’s Entertainment & Games – Remember the good old games including sack races and watermelon eating contests? We do.
• Fireworks – What 4th of July festival would be complete without fireworks?

White Ibis Island Sanctuary

Battery Island, located just off of nearby Southport, NC in the Cape Fear River, is home to the largest White Ibis nesting population in southeastern North Carolina. For many years, this 100-acre Audubon Sanctuary has been the site of North Carolina’s largest gathering of breeding wading birds. Herons, egrets, and ibises flock to the island by the thousands each spring. Since 1982, the island has been guarded and protected by the National Audubon Society.

Each year, between 9,000 and 15,000 breeding pairs of white ibises, nearly all that nest in the state, as well as hundreds of breeding pairs of herons and egrets, descend on the Sanctuary to nest and raise their young. The island has always been vital to North Carolina’s wading bird population and, recently, was designated as “globally important” for the great numbers of white ibises that nest on the island every year. (Approximately 12% of the global white ibis population nests at Battery Island.)

In 1996 the Cape Fear Garden Club of Wilmington, NC stepped forward to officially adopt the sanctuary and assist with the protection and management of the island. Since that time, the Cape Fear Garden Club has donated more than $20,000 in support of this Audubon Sanctuary.

Battery Island is posted and patrolled throughout the year, and is off-limits to visitors. Protecting the island, the nesting birds and their habitats is essential to conserving wading birds in North Carolina. The Cape Fear Garden Club offers a guided boat tour of the sanctuary every spring, check their website for more details.

Orton Gardens In Bloom!

Take a day trip to Orton Plantation! The gardens are in all their glory right now. Read more

Online Beach Lovers Club

TheWindsBeachClub.com is an online Beach Lovers Club. It is a great way to keep up with what’s going on at Ocean Isle Beach!

Sign up to participate in online fun – as a Beach Club member you’ll receive special offers, discounts and be able to participate in special events, special savings and fun online contests to win valuable prizes – from Winds Beach Club T-Shirts to Dinners at local restaurants to Free Vacations at everyone’s favorite beach resort – The Winds. We will never share your information with anyone else! There’s absolutely no cost – to sign up just go online to: http://thewindsbeachclub.com.

When you sign up you will automatically be registered to win a free 3 day/2 night vacation at The Winds for Two!

The Venus Fly Trap – Green Swamp native

Known as a death trap for insects, the Venus Flytrap Read more