Category: Information
A Second Helping
“A Second Helping”
Their food collections have now totaled more than two hundred and ninety-eight thousand (307,000) pounds of food since the program began in June of 2005. Hunger exists everywhere in this country; join them in the fight to help end hunger in Brunswick County.
Who
A Second Helping is a volunteer organization that does a transfer of food program and is beginning its twentieth year this June.
What
It is a program to collect any leftover items from people as they leave the island. Food items are distributed to the needy of Brunswick County.
When
They take donations Saturday mornings (8:00am to 10:30am) during the summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Program to collect food Saturday mornings (8:00am to 10:30am) during the summer at the Beach Mart on the Causeway.
Where
The drop-off site is at the Beach Mart, south end of the parking lot, on the Causeway just off Holden Beach Road.
Why
Your donations are put to good use in helping to feed the hungry in this area.
Ways to Give
You can either donate food or you can send cash donations. Cash donations are gratefully accepted. One hundred percent (100%) of these cash donations are used to buy more food. You can be assured that the money will be very well spent.
Mail Donations to:
A Second Helping
% Sharon United Methodist Church
2030 Holden Beach Road
Supply, NC 28462
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events – 2024
Winter
NA
Spring
Southport Spring Festival
March 29th & 30th
Southport
Welcome Spring Easter weekend in style at the Southport Spring Festival, a tradition that started in 1996. This festival features a wide variety of activities.
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N.C. Azalea Festival
April 3rd thru 7th
Wilmington
Wilmington has been celebrating Spring Southern Style since 1948. There’s something for everyone among their community’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history, and culture. This festival is considered one of the top events in the Southeast.
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Strawberry & Wine Fest
April 28th
Sunset Beach
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The Strawberry and Wine Festival, hosted by the Old Bridge Preservation Society since 2014. There will be wines available from Silver Coast Winery with strawberries as the main fare of the day. It’s a day of wine, food, entertainment, and craft vendors.
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Days at the Docks Festival
April 27th & 28th
Holden Beach
The annual festival which started in the 1980’s occurs in April or May and is sponsored by the Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association. It’s the Holden Beach way to kick-off the Spring and start the vacation season. In addition to the food and arts & crafts, enjoy live music & entertainment, a horseshoe tournament and the world famous “Bopple Race”. Lots of activities for the entire family!
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Blue Crab Festival
May 18th & 19th
Little River SC
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Little River has been celebrating the World Famous Blue Crab Festival since 1981. It is held on the waterfront in Little River and is one of the largest festivals in the Southeast. The purpose of this festival is one that supports and showcases the fabulous atmosphere of the local communities.
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Summer
Riverfest Celebration
June 29th
Conway SC
Held along the Waccamaw River in downtown Conway the festival celebrates Independence Day since 1980 with music and events for the entire family.
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N.C. 4th of July Festival
July 4th
Southport
The patriotic spirit of America is alive and well in the City of Southport. For over 200 years this small maritime community has celebrated our nation’s independence in a big way. 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.
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Battleship Blast 4th of July Celebration
July 4th
Wilmington
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Annual 4th of July Celebration at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington since 1981. Featured entertainment will perform from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, followed by fireworks at 9:05 PM launched from a barge in the Cape Fear River adjacent to the USS North Carolina Battleship. The only place you need to be this holiday is downtown Wilmington for the best view of fireworks.
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Fall
U.S. Open King Mackerel Fishing Tournament
October 3rd thru 5th
Southport
The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament has taken place since 1979 and is held annually the first week in October. The U.S. Open is one of the largest king mackerel tournaments on the East Coast and part of the SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) Tournament Trail. The tournament now attracts almost 400 boats annually.
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Riverfest
October 5th & 6th
Wilmington
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Wilmington’s Riverfest is celebrated in October since 1979 and runs from the foot of Market Street to Cape Fear Community College over a half mile of free family entertainment.
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Sunset at Sunset
October 5th
Sunset Beach
Held the first Saturday in October each year, Sunset at Sunset is the Town of Sunset Beach’s Community Block Party. The annual autumn event has been celebrated since 2007, and is scheduled to happen again this year, in front of Ingram Planetarium on Sunset Boulevard in Sunset Beach.
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N.C. Oyster Festival
October 19th & 20th
Ocean Isle Beach
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The annual North Carolina Oyster Festival has been taking place since 1978. Come celebrate everything Oyster with a variety of foods, crafts, contests, children’s activities, and musical performances at Mulberry Park in Shallotte. Signature Festival events include the Oyster Shucking Contest, Oyster Eating Contest, and Oyster Stew Cook-off.
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N.C. Festival by the Sea
October 26th & 27th
Holden Beach
Hosted by the Holden Beach Merchants Association this annual two-day festival which started in the 1980’s occurs on the last full weekend in October. The festival is kicked off with a parade down the Holden Beach causeway. There is a fishing tournament, horseshoe tournament, and a sandcastle building contest. Vendors provide food, arts and crafts, amusement rides and other activities. There is live musical entertainment both days at the Holden Beach’s Pavilion.
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Discover a wide range of things to do in the Brunswick Islands for an experience that goes beyond the beach.
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Approved Vendor List
Venomous Snakes
There are 6 venomous snakes in North Carolina. Know what they look like.
If it’s spring, it’s time for us to remind you about some of the slithering neighbors you might encounter when you’re outdoors over the next several months. As the weather warms up in North Carolina, snakes start moving around, doing snakey things, and we are more likely to cross paths with them. They generally aren’t cause for much concern, but encounters can be a little scary for some (for the snakes as well as the people). It’s important to know that of the 38 species of snakes in North Carolina, the majority are nonvenomous and not aggressive toward people unless threatened. Arm yourself with knowledge. Learn about the venomous (sometimes incorrectly referred to as poisonous) snakes in our area, and how to distinguish them from the harmless ones.
How to tell if a snake is venomous
What’s the head shape? A commonly shared rule of thumb is that most venomous snakes have a triangular or diamond-shaped head, while nonvenomous snakes have a tapered head.
You can’t rely on that, though. Some nonvenomous snakes (such as a rat snake) can mimic the triangular shape of venomous snakes by flattening their heads when threatened (to avoid becoming the prey of another animal), so never go by head shape alone.
Can you see its eyes? Another tricky but often shared tip is to check out the pupil shape. Venomous snakes have been said to have oblong pupils that look like a slit in the center of the eye, whereas nonvenomous snakes will have a round pupil. In fact, according to a document on the NC Wildlife website, a snake’s pupils can dilate just like a human’s, and can look round.
The best way to know if a snake is venomous is to know which venomous snakes are common in your area and know what they look like.
North Carolina’s venomous snakes
There are six venomous snakes found in North Carolina:
- The copperhead
- The cottonmouth (also called water moccasin)
- The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
- The timber rattlesnake
- The pigmy rattlesnake
- The Eastern coral snake
Copperhead
Copperhead snakes are the most common venomous snakes in North Carolina.
What they look like: They are brownish in color with an hourglass shaped pattern, which resembles a Hershey Kiss. Copperhead babies are born with a yellow or green tail tip, which turns brown or black after they are about a year old. Adult copperheads grow to about 3 feet long.
The bite: The Carolinas Poison Center in Charlotte says it receives about 10 times the number of calls about copperhead bites than all other snakes combined. Copperhead bites can be severe, but about half of copperhead bites result in only mild swelling and pain.
Where are they? Copperheads are found all over North Carolina.
(Source: Carolinas Poison Center)
Cottonmouth (water moccasin)
What they look like: Cottonmouth snakes have dark bands on dark or olive skin, but are most well-known for the white, cotton-like interior of their mouths.
Young cottonmouths can be lighter in color and can resemble copperheads. Juvenile cottonmouths have bright yellow or greenish tail tips, and the details of the cross-band pattern are most evident in this age group. Older cottonmouth snakes are often completely dark and with no pattern.
Adult cottonmouths grow to about 3-4 feet in length but have been known to grow to 6 feet.
The bite: The bite severity of a cottonmouth is similar to that of a copperhead.
Where are they? Cottonmouths are found mostly in the eastern part of North Carolina and prefer freshwater environments (but can also be found on land).
(Source: Carolinas Poison Center)
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
What they look like: The eastern diamondback rattlesnake has gray or yellowish skin with a dark diamond pattern outlined in black. They have large, broad heads with two light lines on the face.
The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the heaviest, though not the longest, venomous snake in the Americas, and it is the largest rattlesnake in the world. These snakes can weigh up to four or five pounds and typically grow to about 4-5 feet in length (the largest ever recorded was 8 feet long).
These snakes are known for the bone-chilling rattle sound they make.
The bite: Bites from rattlesnakes are more severe than bites from copperheads or cottonmouths, and are considered a medical emergency.
Where are they? They are found in the southeastern parts of North Carolina, preferring sandy, coastal regions.
(Source: Carolinas Poison Center, Savannah River Ecology Lab)
Pigmy rattlesnake
What they look like: Pigmy rattlesnakes have gray, pinkish or red skin with a dark, spotted pattern. They grow only to about 1-2 feet in length.
Pigmy rattlesnakes do rattle, but the rattle sounds more like a buzz.
The bite: Bites from rattlesnakes are more severe than copperheads or cottonmouths and are considered a medical emergency.
Where are they? These snakes are found in the southeastern part of North Carolina, particularly in forests.
(Source: Carolinas Poison Center)
Timber rattlesnake
What they look like: The timber rattlesnake can vary in color but has dark bands on lighter skin with a rattle at the end of its tail. Coastal varieties have what looks like a brown or orange “racing stripe” down the middle of the back.
Timber rattlesnakes grow to about 4 feet in length.
The bite: Bites from rattlesnakes are more severe than copperheads or cottonmouths and are considered a medical emergency.
Where are they? Timber rattlesnakes can be found throughout North Carolina, preferring forests.
(Source: Carolinas Poison Center)
Eastern coral snake
Coral snakes are actually extremely rare in North Carolina and are considered endangered, but they are quite venomous.
What they look like: These snakes are slender with red, yellow, and black rings. The coral snake closely resembles the scarlet kingsnake (which is harmless), but there’s an easy way to tell them apart. Just remember this rhyme: “Red touches black, friend of Jack; red touches yellow, kills a fellow.”
Another way to tell a scarlet kingsnake from a coral snake is by the color of its snout. A scarlet kingsnake has a red snout, and a coral snake has a black snout.
A coral snake’s snout is also blunt shaped, especially compared to most snakes.
The bite: Coral snake venom attacks the central nervous system, and death, if it occurs, is usually the result of respiratory failure.
Where are they? Coral snakes live in sandy areas nearer the South Carolina border and stay underground most of the time.
(Source: Herps of NC)
If you have been bitten by a snake, you SHOULD:
▪ Sit down and stay calm.
▪ Gently wash the bite area with warm, soapy water.
▪ Remove any jewelry or tight clothing near the bite site.
▪ Keep the bitten area still, if possible, and raise it to heart level.
▪ Call the Carolinas Poison Center: 1-800-222-1222.
Note: If a snakebite victim is having chest pain, difficulty breathing, face swelling or has lost consciousness, call 911 immediately.
If bitten by a snake, you SHOULD NOT:
▪ Cut the bitten area to try to drain the venom. This can worsen the injury.
▪ Ice the area. Icing causes additional tissue damage.
▪ Apply a tourniquet or any tight bandage. It’s actually better for the venom to flow through the body than for it to stay in one area.
▪ Suck on the bite or use a suction device to try to remove the venom.
▪ Attempt to catch or kill the snake.
Call Carolinas Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for questions about a snake bite or for more information.
(Source: Carolinas Poison Center)
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