Free Christmas Concerts and Activities in and Around Southport, NC

The Sea Notes Choral Society will present three free holiday concerts in December. According to their website, http://www.sea-notes.com, the Sea Notes are a group of more than 100 volunteer music lovers that "enjoy singing for the pleasure of singing and sharing that joy with the local community". This year, the concerts will be held on Thursday, December 11, and Friday December 12 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday December 14 at 3:00 p.m. The concerts will be held indoors at the Hatch Auditorium, which is located on the grounds of the Baptist Assembly at the eastern tip of Oak Island, NC. The Baptist Assembly is normally closed to the public except for these concerts. If you are able to go to the afternoon concert, the view out over the ocean from the Baptist Assembly grounds is wonderful. The Baptist Assembly is located at Fort Caswell, a former civil war fortress, which the Baptist State Convention bought from the federal government in 1949. Although there is no charge for tickets, free will donations are accepted. Parking is ample and free. One word of advice-get there early! Last year we were turned away because the auditorium was full by the time we arrived, about 15 minutes before the performance. These concerts are appropriate for all ages, and children will enjoy them as much as adults will. Another free activity for all ages is the Southport Holiday Boat Flotilla. This is held every year on the second Saturday in December, this year on December 13. The best place to view the flotilla is the Waterfront Park on Bay Street in Southport. The flotilla gets underway at about 7 p.m. Owners decorate their boats with colored lights, and some have holiday music broadcast on loudspeakers and people dressed in Santa or elf costumes waving to the crowd. They sail up the Cape Fear River past Waterfront Park, then turn and go back to the marina. Prizes are awarded to the best decorated boats. Dress warmly, as it can get a little chilly on the waterfront this time of year. The merchants downtown stay open late in case you want to stop afterward for a bite to eat or some hot cocoa. I have already mentioned the most popular events, but there are several other activities and events scheduled between December 2nd and December 21st, some free and some not. You can see the entire schedule at the Christmas By The Sea Festival website, which is http://www.christmasbysea.com/calendar.htm. The Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce sponsors this festival each year.