Make it a weekend of family fun on Saturday and Sunday, August 2nd and 3rd, when Hunting Island State Park invites you to “Come Out and Play” to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of SC State Parks.
Two full days of nature activities and special events are planned for visitors of all ages, from kayaking and fishing to a sand sculpture contest and visual scavenger hunt. The celebration will kick off at 9:00 am, Sat., Aug. 2, with an Opening Ceremony at the Hunting Island Lighthouse.
Come Build a Sand Castle!
Beginning at 10:00 am, attendees can choose from a variety of events including a Sand Sculpture Contest on North Beach near the Lighthouse. Registration for the contest will be on the day of the event and is free to all participants. Each contestant will be given a free bucket and shovel, but they are encouraged to bring other “tools” with them to help design their entry. No special tools are necessary – a variety of kitchen utensils, old paintbrushes, garden trowels and plastic tableware will do the trick. A “must have” is some type of small-scoop shovel with a long handle.
There will be four categories of contestants: Junior, ages 6 to 11; Middle, ages 12 to 15; Adult, age 16 and up; and Family and Group, all ages. Volunteer judges from the Arts Council of Beaufort County will award 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention Prize Ribbons in each category, based on originality, composition, technique and teamwork.
Serving as judges will be Deanna Bowdish, artist and owner of The Gallery and president of ACBC’s board; J. W. Rone, executive director of ACBC; and abstract sculpture artist, Stephen Kishel.
Contestants will have until 2:00 pm to build their entry, with judging from 2:00 to 3:00 and prizes awarded at 3:00 pm. Even if you’ve never build a sand sculpture before, there are plenty of internet sites that cover all the bases of design and construction – just Google “Sand Sculpture Contest” and see what you get!
Kids can enter the Coloring Contest and go on a Visual Scavenger Hunt
An entry sheet for the Lighthouse Coloring Contest was in the Sunday, July 20, 2008 issue of the Beaufort Gazette with instructions and deadline information. Entries will be on display on Saturday at the Picnic Shelter at the Lighthouse, where the winners will be announced at 1:00 pm.
Visual Scavenger Hunt sheets can be picked up at the Information Center located at the Picnic Shelter by the Lighthouse beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday and will run until 1:00 pm. Prizes will be awarded for completed sheets.
Lighthouse Keeper Portrayal a Dramatic Highlight
In addition to the guided tours of the park’s famous lighthouse at 10:00 and 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm on both days, there will be a special presentation of “a day in the life of the lighthouse keeper” beginning at 2:00 pm both days. Written by performing artist Suzanne
Larson and directed by Linda Trask, the portrayal will feature costumed actors and actresses as the keeper, his family and assistant in a 30-minute dramatic presentation on the grounds of the Lighthouse.
Fish from the Nature Center’s 1,120-foot Pier
Fishing enthusiasts can meet at 10:00 AM on Saturday on the Fishing Pier at the park’s Nature Center. Located on the Fripp Inlet at the very end of Hwy. 21, the Nature Center’s pier offers sweeping views of the inlet and ocean beyond, and some of the best fishing in the area. Fishing poles, instructors and bait will be provided.
On Sunday you can go crabbing at the dock with an instructor and nets at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Get to know some of our more famous residents
A series of special nature talks on our most famous residents, the reptiles and sea turtles, are also scheduled to take place at the Nature Center. An overview of the variety of reptiles found in Carolina Costal environments will be presented at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturday, and 10:00 am on Sunday. Discover more about our endangered Loggerhead sea turtles at 11:00 am both days.
Visitors Center offers history, alligator talks
Enter the park at the Main Gate and go to the Visitors Center for a presentation on the history of Hunting Island State Park at 11:00 am on both days, and a lively talk and Q & A session on our native alligators at 10:00 am on Saturday and 1:00 pm on Sunday.
Beach Walk and Kayaking offer lots of exercise
Meet in front of the Lighthouse Gift Shop for an informative Beach Walk at 1:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am on Sunday.
Basic Kayaking Lessons and an Excursion will be offered to visitors by the Kayak Farm for $40 at 1:00 pm both days at the Lagoon next to Parking Lot “J” at the south end of the island. Participants need to call the Nature Center at 838-7437 to sign up.
Friends of Hunting Island State Park lend a hand
Giving the park rangers and staff a hand with the festivities will be members of
Friends of Hunting Island State Park (FOHI). Our volunteers will be throughout the park on both days, helping with the Sand Sculpture Contest, Information Center at the Picnic
Shelter, Pier Fishing and the Lighthouse Keeper Portrayal, as well as serving as docents and speakers for the nature and historic tours and talks. We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization founded 15 years ago to help preserve the park’s unique biodiversity and enhance the park experience for its 1.5 million annual visitors.
For more information on Friends please visit our website at www.friendsofhuntingisland.com 
Calling all Photographers
Photographers of all ages are invited to help tell the story and share the beauty of South Carolina’s state parks in a year-long photo contest. The Grand Prize in the 75th Anniversary Celebration is an Edisto folding kayak outfitted with a special fish and photo package valued at $2,500. The Grand Prize winner will be selected from the Best of Show winners from each division – Professional, Amateur and Student. Best of Show winners will receive prizes such as a state park cabin overnight get-away, a multimedia storage viewer or a digital point-and-shoot camera. Monthly prizes will also be awarded in each division.
For complete details of the contest, which runs from May 1, 2008, to April 30, 2009, go to the State Park Service website at www.SouthCarolinaParks.com<http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/> .
Park Admittance Fees on both days are $4 Adults 16+; $2.50 Senior SC residents 65+; $1.50 Youth 6 to 15 years; Under 6, free. An annual Park Pass is $50 per car. For more information call the park at 843-838-2011.
SCHEDULE
Events : Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
9:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony: Meet at the Hunting Island Lighthouse
10 a.m. Visual Scavenger Hunt: Sheets available at the Picnic Shelter
– 1 p.m. adjacent to the Lighthouse.
10 a.m. Alligator Talk: Meet at the Park Office/Visitors Center
10 a.m. Lighthouse Tour: Meet at the Lighthouse
10 a.m. Reptiles: Meet at the Nature Center
10 a.m. Pier Fishing: Meet at the Fishing Pier adjacent to the Nature Center
10 a.m. Sand Castle Building/Sculpting Contest: Meet on North Beach by the volleyball net near the Lighthouse. (10 to 2 p.m. Building/2-2:30 Judging/3:00 Prizes awarded)
11 a.m. The History of HISP: Meet at the Park Office/Visitors Center
11 a.m. Lighthouse Tour: Meet at the Lighthouse
11 a.m. Loggerhead Sea Turtles: Meet at the Nature Center
1 p.m. Basic Kayaking Lessons/Excursion: Meet at the Lagoon, Parking Lot “J”
1 p.m. Beachwalk: Meet in front of the Lighthouse Gift Shop
1 p.m. Hunting Island Lighthouse Coloring Contest Display and Winner and Announcement: Meet at the Picnic Shelter adjacent to the Lighthouse
1 p.m. Lighthouse Tour: Meet at the Lighthouse
1 p.m. Reptiles: Meet at the Nature Center
2 p.m. Lighthouse Portrayal: Meet at the Lighthouse
Events: Sunday, August 3, 2008
All Day Visual Scavenger Hunt: Sheets available at the Picnic Shelter
adjacent to the Lighthouse.
10 a.m. Crabbing: Meet at the Fishing Pier adjacent to the Nature Center
10 a.m. Lighthouse Tours: Meet at the Lighthouse
10 a.m. Beachwalk: Meet in front of the Lighthouse Gift Shop
10 a.m. Reptiles: Meet at the Nature Center
11 a.m. Loggerhead Sea Turtle: Meet at the Nature Center
11 a.m. Lighthouse Tours: Meet at the Lighthouse
11 a.m. The History of HISP: Meet at the Park Office/Visitors Center
1 p.m. Alligator Talk: Meet at the Park Office/Visitors Center
1 p.m. Basic Kayaking Lessons/Excursion: Meet at the Lagoon, Parking lot “J”
1 p.m. Lighthouse Tours: Meet at the Lighthouse
1 p.m. Crabbing: Meet at the Fishing Pier adjacent to the Nature Center
2 p.m. Lighthouse Portrayal: Meet at the Lighthouse
And the Winners Are…
LowcountryWeekly and the Friends of Hunting Island are pleased to announce the winners of the Hunting Island Memories Essay Contest. As a prize, each winner will receive her choice of a Hunting Island park pass, good for a year, or a basket full of Hunting Island memorabilia.
Adult Category: Jeanette Godfrey Chapman
Youth Category: Kelly Brown Daily
Child Category: Katie Crane
Congratulations to our winners and other finalists, and many thanks to all who entered the contest! Each winner has already had her essay published, as a finalist, in Lowcountry Weekly.
