Category: LIFE + STYLE

The Columbia County Food and Wine Festival is back in a new rooftop location.

If there is truth in wine, then it’s certain that local residents can enjoy a taste of food and drink, fun and fellowship – not to mention a fabulous view – at the 14th annual Columbia County Food and Wine Festival on the rooftop of The Meybohm Building at the Plaza.

Organized this year by Roger Strohl, owner of Cork & Flame, the festival will feature more than 200 wines from around the world for sampling as well as culinary tastings from area establishments.

Participants include Cork & Flame, French Market Grille West, Finch & Fifth, Bogey’s Grille, Papa Mountain, Events 2020 and the Augusta Technical College Culinary Program.

“Our main goal is to make food and wine approachable for everyone no matter what their budget is,” says Chelsea Mathews, manager of the Cork & Flame Wine Market.

Festival-goers also can enjoy live entertainment by jazz musician Karen Gordon and bid on items ranging from a golf car to a wine cooler in a silent auction.

Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the American Heart Association, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Augusta Technical College Culinary Arts Program Educational Scholarship Endowment Fund.

All attendees must be at least 21 years old and show a photo ID.

 

If You Go:
What: Columbia County Food and Wine Festival

When: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, March 2

Where: The Meybohm Building at the Plaza

How Much: $50 in advance, $55 at door; $25 designated drivers. Tickets available at Cork & Flame and eventbrite.com

More Info: csrawinefestival.com, eventbrite.com

Innovative concerts blend music and entertainment.

When Augusta Symphony performs, the show is bound to be magical. However, a performance on Thursday, March 7 will conjure up a bag of tricks in the literal sense in Symphonies of Illusion with Michael Grandinetti. Tickets range from $36 – $100.

Grandinetti combines cutting-edge magic and illusions with music and suspense. One of the stars of the hit CW television series “Masters of Illusion,” he has entertained with symphonies nationwide as well as at NFL halftime shows and the White House. During the National Independence Day Parade in Washington D.C., Grandinetti levitated a girl high above one of the floats as it moved down Constitution Avenue.

In a benefit concert on Saturday, March 16, the symphony will perform with Little River Band, which set a record for having Top 10 hits for six consecutive years. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the symphony’s education projects and Community Chords, a music therapy program in partnership with the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

Orchestra members have played regularly at the uptown and downtown VA throughout the season, participating in music therapy sessions with veterans who are working to reduce symptoms of stress, PTSD, pain and depression. Concert tickets range from $45 – $95, and patrons will have an opportunity to sponsor a ticket for a veteran when they purchase their tickets.

A Saturday, March 23 performance, Tragedy & Triumph, will feature Augusta Symphony concertmaster Anastasia Petrunina. The concert will include Strauss’ Death & Transfiguration, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

Petrunina has played around the globe in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. She has toured extensively in Russia, the United States, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden and China. She also took part in recording music for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Walk-up tickets will be available for purchase for $10 for students and military at the box office beginning an hour before the concert. A student is anyone under age 16 or older than 16 with a valid student ID. Tickets range from $22 – $67.

These three performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Theater.

As part of its Family Concerts at Columbia County Series, Augusta Symphony returns to Evans Sunday, March 24. The audience will hear Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale, “Peter and the Wolf,” in which each character is depicted by different instruments and musical themes, and Ravel’s musical illustration of the Mother Goose Suite. The performance begins at 4 p.m. at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students.

A special election this month will bring Columbia County residents to the polls to vote on an ESPLOST referendum.

Voting is the lifeblood of democracy, and Columbia County residents will have a chance to exercise their right to vote in a special election on March 19. A referendum calling for authorization to issue $160 million in general obligation bonds and a 1-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for educational purposes, or ESPLOST, will be on the ballot.

The 2022-2027 ESPLOST would be a continuation of the current 1-cent sales tax that voters previously approved, not an additional 1-cent tax. However, David Dekle, chairman of the Columbia County Board of Education, says, “This is different than past ESPLOSTs. We’re coming to voters a year earlier than normal to ask permission to issue general obligation bonds. Our growth has outpaced our ESPLOST revenue. If the voters approve the referendum, we will be able to issue bonds and start building new schools to meet that growth.”

The tax is shared by all residents as well as anyone who shops in Columbia County, and Columbia County voters continuously have approved the 1-cent sales tax since 1997. The Georgia Legislature established ESPLOST in 1996 to allow voters in a school district to approve a 1-cent sales tax on consumer goods to generate funds for capital projects such as construction of new schools, renovation of existing facilities, technology, purchasing buses or retiring existing debt.

The tax also can be used for facility improvements such as replacing HVAC systems, renovating science labs, repairing parking lots, adding lights, replacing roofs, upgrading auditoriums, resurfacing gym floors and adding new bleachers. The funds cannot be used for instructional supplies or salaries.

Anticipated capital outlay projects include a new high school campus in a centralized location, up to three new elementary schools, two new middle schools, athletic field renovations, bus purchases and technology upgrades.

Construction of the high school campus and an elementary school are the school district’s top priorities. If the referendum passes, then construction of the high school could begin in a year. The school likely would open in three years. Students from all five of the county’s high schools would be eligible to attend the central campus, which would offer classes in areas such as cyber, engineering and energy.

“Students would be at their home school for a portion of the day, then go to this campus,” says Sandra Carraway, superintendent of schools. “By building this campus, we would not be rezoning. We could take advantage of great career preparation opportunities, and it would be cost efficient. We wouldn’t be duplicating courses at our traditional high schools.”

Through block scheduling with 800 students in each of two blocks, the school could serve 1,600 students. They would attend by choice, and upperclassmen potentially could pursue an internship in their career pathway.

“The goal is to respond to the needs of the work force and create a campus in which we can meet our growth needs without building a new high school,” Dekle says. “Education is the number one driver of our economy in Columbia County. It’s the reason people move to Columbia County.”

From 2010-11 to 2017-18, student enrollment in Columbia County grew by about 14 percent, resulting in overcrowded schools. The student population for 2019-2020 is projected to climb by 579 students for a total enrollment of 28,099.

“Our projections are based on historical growth,” Carraway says. “This year we projected our growth at 470 students, but we grew by 580 students.”

The school board expects student enrollment to keep increasing as the county population continues to rise, largely due to anticipated growth at the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, which is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Command, the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and the National Security Agency.

Since 2000, 16 schools have been constructed and paid in full with ESPLOST monies – Lewiston, River Ridge, Baker Place, Cedar Ridge, Evans, Martinez, Parkway, Grovetown and North Harlem elementary schools; Greenbrier, Columbia, Evans, Grovetown, Stallings Island, and Harlem middle schools and Grovetown High School.

Additions also have been built and paid in full with ESPLOST funds at Blue Ridge, Cedar Ridge, Lewiston, River Ridge and Baker Place elementary schools; Grovetown and Evans middle schools and Evans, Greenbrier and Lakeside high schools.

“I think it’s a great investment in the future of Columbia County,” Dekle says of ESPLOST. “If we maintain a great school system, we’ll maintain a great county.”

Should the referendum fall short, Carraway says the school district would have to resort to “more portables, serious rezoning and double sessions” to accommodate growth. “If we have to wait another year, then it would halt planning for a year,” she says.

Early voting is underway. To see a sample ballot with the ESPLOST referendum question before voting, registered voters in Columbia County can visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

By Betsy Gilliland

Music lovers can court their sweethearts with musical trips over the rainbow and across the ivories.

Fans of the cinema and of concertos can click their heels together and head to the Miller Theater this month for a pair of performances by Augusta Symphony.

To celebrate with valentines of all ages, music and movie aficionados can watch a screening of The Wizard of Oz on February 14, as the symphony plays the live musical score from the film.

Music Director Dirk Meyer will lead the orchestra in Harold Arlen’s score from the movie, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion make their way to the Emerald City. Ticket prices range from $36 – $100.

On Saturday, February 23, the symphony will perform “Mentors” with Meyer and Alon Goldstein on piano. Goldstein’s artistic vision and innovative programming have made him a favorite with audiences and critics alike throughout the United States, Europe and Israel.

The program will include Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 1, Op. 46; Schumann’s Piano Concerto and Brahms’s Symphony No. 1.

Tickets range from $22 – $67. Beginning an hour before the concert, walk-up tickets for students and military personnel will be available for purchase at the box office for $10. A student is anyone under age 16 or anyone 16 or older with a valid ID.

Both performances will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Who doesn’t love to laugh? Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias does, and he is bringing his standup routine to Bell Auditorium on February 28.

Iglesias is one of a handful of comedians who has headlined and sold out Staples Center, Madison Square Garden and Sydney Opera House. In addition to being one of America’s most successful standup comedians, he is one of the most-watched comedians on YouTube with more than 380,000,000 views. Iglesias also has more than 14 million fans on social media.

He recently was featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 40 Comedy Players of 2018 issue alongside comedy giants Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Lorne Michaels.

Currently, he is in production as the star and executive producer of the upcoming multi-cam Netflix comedy series, “Mr. Iglesias” in which he plays a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. Premiering this year, the series will include 10 half-hour episodes. He also will star in two standup comedy specials for the network.

Iglesias entertains his audiences with (mostly) clean comedy and noncontroversial material that appeals to people of all ages and all walks of life. So, throw on a Hawaiian shirt – you know he’ll be wearing one – and head out for a healthy dose of humor.

If You Go:

What: Beyond the Fluffy Tour featuring Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias

When: 8 p.m. Thursday, February 28

Where: Bell Auditorium

How Much: $37 – $67

More Info: augustaentertainmentcomplex.com

An Augusta native returns to Georgia to perform in the venue where he first entertained the idea of becoming a professional dancer.

As part of its 60th anniversary, 21-city North American tour, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform at the Fox Theater in Atlanta this month. And Augusta native Christopher R. Wilson, a 2013 graduate of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, will be part of the 34-dancer company.

“The Fox is the first place I saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. I was 10 years old,” says Wilson, who had started dancing a year earlier. “I started to feel their essence. I knew I would do this one day.”

He was encouraged to pursue dance after another Augusta native, Russell Joel Brown, who appeared in national tours of The Lion King, saw him in a dance class at a local summer camp.

Wilson danced with Ailey II, which features young dancers and emerging choreographers, for a year, and after auditioning for AAADT in April, he joined the company in May.

This will not be the first time he has returned to his home state since he became a member of AAADT, however. He came home from New York City during time off in October and taught dance and choreography at Colton Ballet School, Davidson and Jessye Norman School of the Arts.

“It’s important to give back and reach the next generation,” says Wilson. “I can’t do this forever. Someone has to do this after me.”

AAADT is a modern dance company that includes ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop and contemporary dance artists, and the dancers will celebrate Ailey’s life and legacy with six performances in three different programs at the Fox.

“We are a very versatile company,” says Wilson. “I think that’s what makes us so special.”

He is looking forward to dancing at the Fox. “I can’t even imagine what that emotion will feel like when it happens, but I am very much ready to embrace it,” he says. “I am thrilled to take the stage where I first saw my dream company.”

He believes the dance company gives people a platform for expression.

“With dance, I’m able to say things I wouldn’t necessarily be able to put into words. It adds another layer to my voice,” says Wilson. “When I’m on stage, nothing else in the world matters other than that moment. I’m on stage telling people a story.”

He wants audience members to experience happiness, anger, joy or sadness through his performances.

“I want them to feel through me,” says Wilson. “Once that happens, I know I’ve done my job.”

If You Go:

What: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 60th anniversary celebration

When: February 21-24; performances and show times vary

Where: Fox Theater, Atlanta

How Much: Tickets start at $29

More Info: alvinailey.org, foxatltix.com or (855) 285-8499

By Sarah James

 

Professional Lego artists will showcase almost 100 creations.

Calling all blockheads. For the first time, the BrickUniverse Lego Fan Convention is coming to the area. The event will play upon Lego’s long-standing popularity and ingenuity with attractions and activities built around the world’s favorite plastic building blocks.

The first convention was held in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2015, and since that time thousands of Lego fans have attended shows to see live Lego builds and life-sized Lego models. 

Visitors can build their own masterpieces in the Building Zone, the Lego Friends Building Area, Big Brick Building for younger fans and the Star Wars Zone. Lego merchandise also will be available for purchase in the Lego Retail area. 

For inspiration, attendees can visit with renowned Lego artists Jonathan Lopes of San Diego, Chicago-based Rocco Buttliere and Paul Hetherington of Vancouver, Canada.

Lopes will showcase more than 30 of his select Lego displays including an 8-foot model of New York City’s Woolworth Building.

Buttliere will bring 50-plus massive Lego models of famous landmarks from around the globe such as the world’s tallest skyscraper in Dubai and the Westminster Palace in London.

Hetherington will display the five Best in Show Award creations he won at Brickcon in Seattle and his “Batman vs. Joker Gotham Theater Showdown,” which was named the 2016 Lego Creation of the Year by the Brothers-Bricks. 

Tickets for the convention typically sell out, so early booking is recommended at brickuniverse.com/augusta.

If You Go:

What: BrickUniverse Lego Fan Convention

When: Saturday, January 26 – Sunday, January 27; 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. each day

Where: Augusta Convention Center

How Much: $13 online; $18 at the door, if tickets still are available; free for children ages 2 and younger 

More Info: brickuniverse.com

Celebrate the holiday season with songs that have a classical, country, contemporary or Celtic twist

Worship services, baking, shopping, gift wrapping and family fellowship are some of the traditional hallmarks of the holiday season. However, it would be impossible to celebrate Christmas without music. Two upcoming holiday concerts will showcase the place that holiday tunes hold in our hearts – especially when the music comes with a folk music or a Celtic twist.

The Annie Moses Band will perform a Christmas-themed show with a blend of folk and classical music on Wednesday, November 28. The band, made up of musicians from the same family, has a sound all its own. The siblings call their style “chamber pop,” a blend of classical, jazz and pop, mixed with some good, old-fashioned country. Tickets are $49.

On Monday, December 10 the Irish Cultural Academy, in association with CMI Entertainment (USA), will present the first Christmas tour of the Celtic Angels Christmas production, a holiday celebration of Christmas in Ireland, highlighting yuletide music from across the centuries. The show features vocal and instrumental seasonal favorites alongside Irish, contemporary and original Christmas themes – with Celtic flair, of course. Routines by world champion dancers will accompany the music. Tickets are $44.50.

The shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Hardin Performing Arts Center. Dinner reservations for a pre-concert meal are available as well. For more information or to order tickets, visit augustaamusements.com or call (706) 726-0366.

Augusta Symphony brings the community two new yuletide concerts
The only thing better than one holiday concert is two holiday concerts, and Augusta Symphony is offering music fans a double dose of yuletide tunes this month.

The first show, Augusta Symphony Holiday Spectacular, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 6 at the Miller Theater.

In this inaugural holiday concert, the symphony will perform with the Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School Chorale and Joan Ellison, who specializes in reviving Judy Garland’s repertoire from the golden Hollywood years to her Carnegie Hall concert and television show.

“It’ll be really fun to perform with these great artists,” says Dirk Meyer, the symphony’s music director. “Joan is a truly outstanding performer, and I am also looking forward to working with the exceptional chorus from Davidson.”

The concert will include holiday favorites ranging from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” to tunes from Home Alone and It’s a Wonderful Life. Tickets range from $36 – $100.

The second concert, Family Holiday Spectacular, will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday, December 9 at Hardin Performing Arts Center. This one-hour concert, the first of two family concerts in Columbia County, is part of a new series designed to introduce children to the symphony. 

“Introducing children to symphonic music at a young age is a wonderful opportunity to instill a love of music, art and culture in them,” Meyer says. “It sets them off for a lifetime of enjoyment of this amazing art form.” 

The family program will feature highlights such as Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful Life and “Chestnuts.” Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets for the Columbia County series, which also includes Peter & the Wolf on March 24, are $52 for adults and $20 for students. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit augustasymphony.com.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas at Evans Towne Center Park

Local residents can celebrate Christmas in Columbia County with lots of lights, cameras and action. From Friday, November 30 through Tuesday, January 1 Evans Towne Center Park will be filled with lighted Christmas trees, animated light displays and a Holiday Market where children can be photographed with Santa.

The festivities will begin with a sneak peek at the lights on November 30 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., where visitors will see the new, LED-programmable, 46-foot tree this year as well as a 1,000-foot white light tunnel.

Other attractions include an animated 12 Days of Christmas display, gingerbread houses, Santa’s sleigh with reindeer, lighted toy soldiers, musical nutcrackers, a caroling family, Santa on a golf car, a waving snowman, elves, Peanuts characters and a multi-colored light tunnel.

Sparkle Express train rides will be available near the playground, and special activities include a scavenger hunt and movie nights. Free photos with Santa will be available at the Holiday Market on Saturdays, December 1, 8 and 15. 

If You Go:
Friday, November 30
Sneak Peek 6 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 1 – Tuesday, January 1
Light Display 5 – 10 p.m.

Saturday, December 1
Tree Lighting with Holiday Market and Santa 2 – 6 p.m. 

Thursday, December 6
Holiday Market 4 – 8 p.m.

Friday, December 7
Holiday Market and Movie Night 6 – 9 p.m.

Saturday, December 8
Holiday Market and Santa 2 – 6 p.m. 

Thursday, December 13
Holiday Market 4 – 8 p.m.

Friday, December 14
Holiday Market and Movie Night 6 – 9 p.m. 

Saturday, December 15
Holiday Market and Santa 2 – 6 p.m.

The Columbia County Fair kicks off November 1 with new attractions that include Jurassic Kingdom, Banana Derby and ZEGA the Robot. Proceeds benefit area charities and provide scholarships to seniors from each Columbia County public high school. For more information, visit columbiacountyfair.net.

Thursday, November 1
Hours: 4-11 p.m.

Admission: $7; free admission 4-4:45 p.m.

Unlimited Rides: $20

FFA Judging: 6 p.m.

Musical Entertainment: Elvis tribute artist Jason Sikes – 7 p.m.

Friday, November 2
Hours: 5 p.m. – midnight

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: $20 from 9 p.m.-midnight

Musical Entertainment: Love & the Outcome

Senior Night: $5 admission for adults 55 and older with ID card

Saturday, November 3
Hours: 11 a.m. – midnight

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: Buy unlimited ride stamp 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for $30 and use it all day

Free Ride Special: All rides free 11 a.m.-noon

Musical Entertainment: Tony Howard’s Motown Review – 7 p.m.

Sunday, November 4
Hours: 1 – 11 p.m.

Admission: $7; $2 off with church bulletin

Unlimited Rides: $20

Musical Entertainment: Little Roy and Lizzie, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Monday, November 5
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m.

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: $20

Demolition Derby: 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 6
Hours: 4 – 11 p.m.

Admission: $7 or free admission with 8 cans for the food bank

Unlimited Rides: $15 if purchased 4-4:30 p.m.; $20 after 4:30 p.m.

Musical Entertainment: Dayz to Come – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, November 7
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m.

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: $20

Musical Entertainment: Mr. Haney

UGA Georgettes Dance Team: 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 8
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m.

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: $20

Musical Entertainment: Bethany & the Southside Boys – 7 p.m.

Friday, November 9
Hours: 5 p.m. – midnight

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: $20 from 9 p.m.-midnight

Demolition Derby: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 10
Hours: 11 a.m. – midnight

Admission: $7

Free Ride Special: All rides free 11 a.m.-noon

Unlimited Rides: Buy unlimited ride pass between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for $30 and use it all day

Musical Entertainment: Mayhem on a Monday

Chainsaw Carving Auction: 9 p.m. 

Sunday, November 11
Hours: 1-11 p.m.

Admission: $7

Unlimited Rides: $20

Military Appreciation Night: $4 admission with military ID

The boys next door take on the bad boys of rock in a musical showdown for stage superiority.

The debate between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones has raged ever since the two groups first crossed paths on the charts 54 years ago. Back in the day, the Beatles were regarded as the mop-topped boys next door while the Stones were the bad boys of rock. Pop versus rock. 

To settle which band reigns supreme once and for all, maybe, two tribute bands – Abbey Road and Satisfaction – will put on a musical showdown.

“Music fans never had a chance to see the Beatles and the Rolling Stones perform on the same marquee,” says Chris Legrand, who plays Mick Jagger. “Now, music aficionados can watch this debate play out on stage.”

The show, which has been touring since 2011, is part of a 110-stop tour of the United States, Australia and Canada. The production includes some of the more popular songs from the two rock pioneers and covers the scope of their musical careers. However, the set list for Satisfaction usually includes Rolling Stones songs up to the 1980s. 

“They certainly have more pop songs, but we’re a really great live show. The fans are in for an incredible night of music,” says LeGrand.

During the two-hour show, the bands perform three sets each, ending the night with an all-out encore involving both bands. There’s a lot of good-natured jabbing between the bands as well.

“Without Beatlemania, the Stones might still be a cover band in London,” said Chris Overall, who plays Paul. “There’s no question that the Beatles set the standard. It’s just a fun time and a cool back-and-forth, nonstop show.” 

Legrand agrees. “We’re going to bring it all,” he says. “It’s going to be an evening of high-energy music.”

If You Go:
What: Beatles Vs. Stones, a Musical Showdown

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 10

Where: Imperial Theatre

How Much: $25 – $65

More Info: (706) 722-8341 or imperialtheatre.com