SummerFest 19: Aug. 24th
SummerFest 19 at the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington features multicultural celebration with a variety of vendors in fitness, health, and wellness. SummerFest 19 will be held on August 24, 2019 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
There will be a Kids’ Zone with slides, bounce houses, face painting, magic, and twinkle hair, live reggae and Latin music, and a street food cook-off showcasing the Caribbean and Latin foods prepared by local chefs.
Admission is free!
Record Breaking Year For Sea Turtle Nests on NC Coast!
The southeastern coast has seen an astonishing number of sea turtle nest this year. North Carolina, among other states, have all broken records.
This year’s numbers are some of the highest the state’s beaches have seen in the past 10 years. Even with the numbers growing, this is no surprise to sea turtle organizations.
The nest count tallied by North Carolina researchers showed on July 13th that more than 1,640 loggerhead sea turtle nests have been found on the state’s beaches. That breaks the state’s 2016 record of 1,622 nests.
Likewise, nesting records have been shattered in Georgia and South Carolina, where the giant turtles crawl ashore every year to lay their eggs in the sand.
Loggerheads lay roughly 100 ping-pong-ball sized eggs per nest. During the nesting season, volunteers from North Carolina to Florida comb the shoreline each day around sunrise to catalog new nests and cover them with protective screens to keep out beachgoers and other predators until the eggs hatch.
The nest counts serve as a key indicator of the overall population’s health. Female loggerheads tend to lay eggs only every three to four years, so the numbers often fluctuate. Still, scientists have seen an encouraging leap in the past 15 years.
The rebound can likely be traced to two key conservation measures taken up decades ago. States have stepped up monitoring and protection of sea turtle nests since loggerheads were listed as a threatened species in 1978. And shrimp boats trawling in U.S. waters since 1987 have been required to equip their nets with escape hatches for sea turtles.
Scientists suspect those decades-old efforts are showing big results now because female loggerheads don’t reach full maturity and start nesting until they’re about 30 years old.
Experts say that number could change as there are still four more weeks left in the season.
Annual North Carolina Shell Show: Aug 23-25
The North Carolina Shell Club presents the 43rd Annual North Carolina Shell Show from August 23rd, 2019 to August 25th, 2019 at the Coastline Conference & Event Center in Wilmington, an event for all — children and adults, casual collectors on the beach, and the most experienced malacologists and naturalists.
Admission is $4.00 per person.
HOURS: Friday and Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday, 9 am to 3 pm.
O’Neill Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest
The O’Neill/Sweetwater Pro-Am at Wrightsville Beach, NC, on August 16th – August 18th, 2019 is one of the biggest surfing competitions on the East Coast and attracts surfers from around the globe.
Professionals that have won in the past include Rob Machado, Fisher Heverly, and Avon Cormican. Free for spectators. The competition is typically held between 8 am and 4 pm but varies according to surf conditions.
Wrightsville Beach: Public Beach Access 29,
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
Summer Sizzler 10K & 5K
The 5th annual Summer Sizzler 10K & 5K on Sunday, August 4th gives you a chance to race in warm weather around beautiful Greenfield Lake on paved running trails and over a few wooden bridges! The courses for the 10K and 5K will be precisely measured and adhere to USATF standards. The courses are mostly shaded and travel over one of the prettiest areas of Wilmington.
The awards presentation and post-race party take place near the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater under a canopy of crepe myrtles and oak trees There will be running related exhibitors, cold beverages and good snacks while you kick back with your runnin’ buddies. You can park as close as 25 meters from the start line so bring dry clothes and stay for the awards and prize drawings.
REGISTER HERE
TEAM CATEGORY: The Sizzler 10K has a team category so you can compete with your Runnin’ Buddies. All teams with at least (4) runners will be recognized at the awards presentation.
Team members are eligible for individual awards.
SHIRTS are gender specific short-sleeved running shirts, guaranteed if you register by July 28th. We’ll order extra shirts but they are not guaranteed if you register after this date.
Note: Ladies shirts run small so select accordingly when you sign up.
Awards:
10K & 5K the 1st, 2nd & 3rd M/F overall receive Bobble Head running figure trophies!! In the 10K go 3-deep and in the 5K age group awards go 2-deep.
Packet Pickup:
Saturday, August 3rd from 11:00 – 1:30 pm at Omega Sports in Hanover Center.
Race Day packets and registration: 6:15 am – 7:15 am at the race site.
Race Start Time: 7:30 am.
The race starts and finishes on Amphitheater Drive with the first 0.4 miles of the course on the street. Then runners move up onto the paved trail and the rest of the race course is on the trail.
Parking:
Visit this link to see a map of the parking area as well as the street leading up to the parking area and race start/finish.
Pink Ribbon Project is our designated race charity. They are part of the NHRMC Foundation and provide mammography screening, comfort services for women undergoing breast cancer treatment and community awareness about breast cancer screening and early diagnosis. Please donate if you can. Our goal is to raise $1,500 through the race.
REGISTER HERE
