Your Holiday Road Map
An official guide to celebrating in Augusta Story by: Elise Claycomb Layout by: Ted Smith
‘Tis the season to be jolly, right? Well, maybe not quite “the season” yet, but we are getting there. Between April and September the festivities seem to simmer down and allow just enough time for recuperation before the end of October hits, and its Halloween! Shortly there after, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are just around the bend. For many, this is the most joyous time of year. Its all about giving, togetherness, family, friends, nice weather, crafts and fun. We don’t want to miss out on any of the excitement do we? Of course not, so let me be your tour guide as we take a stroll through Augusta this holiday season. Halloween First stop, in celebration of Halloween, Plantation Blood. Plantation Blood is a multifaceted, multi-themed haunted house located on the south side of Augusta. This year, you can expect more than 30,000 square feet of “terror,” new thrills and haunt expansion. Opening night is September 27 and runs through October 31. You can pay only $22 per person at the gate. Just remember to enter at your own risk... thats if you dare. “When you walk in, its dark, dimly and ominously lit which only adds to the fear factor, Zakary Sammons, junior at Georgia Regents University, said. Sammons said that they separate you into groups of 12 to 15 people, led by a tour guide and only the tour guides are given flashlights. “[It’s dark] enough to leave it to the imagination, and enough to where you cant see too far in-front of you and they can definitely get the upper hand on you,” Sammons said, referring to the costumed guides. Sammons had a good time and recommends that you attend.
“It was well worth the wait… Not only are the costumes well done, the decorations are very intricate and very real. [It’s] not just some cobs [webs] up there. Everything looks weathered and tattered so you can tell that they actually put some time and thought into it,” Sammons said. Josh Birong, junior and communications major at GRU, visited a number of haunted houses including The Netherworld in Atlanta and Ripley’s Haunted Adventure in Gatlinburg, Tenn. and said that neither of them “held a candle” to Plantation Blood. “Scary movies and haunted houses, usually don’t scare me because I never allow myself to get caught up in the whole fear part,” said Birong. “I always just know that its not real, but Plantation Blood was probably the most legitimate haunted house that I’ve been to.” This attraction is geared toward a mature audience, Birong warns, and it can be scary because you don’t know what to expect. Referring to The Netherworld in Atlanta, “[unlike plantation blood] it was just one long line of people rather than being separated into groups, so like 15 people ahead of me, someone will jump out at them, and I’ve already seen it,” Birong said. Sammons suggests that, once inside, you don’t turn back because its “a heck of a lot more scary by yourself!” No worries though, if you’re too chicken to participate in the main event, you may entertain yourselves by interacting with the fortune tellers, the carnies, watching the pyrotechnics or simply perusing the gift shop. Thanksgiving Our next stop is Thanksgiving. This is the season where everyone,
not just families, comes together to acknowledge all that they have to be thankful for. Many of the local churches host their own Thanksgiving day feasts to in efforts to bring the community together. If you are interested in participating there are also many opportunities to get involved in feeding the homeless. One of the more well-known feeding the homeless events is hosted by the Augusta Rescue Mission. Another opportunity to give back is to participate in the senior citizen meal delivery. This event caters to seniors 55 and older who may not have the ability or opportunities to celebrate otherwise. Up ahead in the distance, carolers sing a familiar melody. Christmas “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…” into the Christmas season. The only event that Amber Pike, GRU freshman and Kinesiology major, participates in aside from spending time with her family, is Lights of the South. Lights of the South opens November 20 and runs through December 30. They are open every day at 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. and is held in Appling, Georgia. just outside of Augusta. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by taking a hay ride through the 5 million lights on display? “The place is huge,” said Pike. “There is a ton of people there but it never really feels crowded. You don’t feel like your being rushed or you’re waiting.” You may ride on the hay ride or walk but be sure to wear your walking shoes because there is more than 100 acres to navigate. If you would rather relax and observe, roast marshmallows by the camp fire with your sweetheart. “There are families [that go] but it was
Photo courtesy of Lights of the South
more like a sweetheart, couples thing, rather than hanging out with a bunch of your buddies and going,” Pike said. It’s more of a one-on-one, go with your girlfriend, go with your guy-friend type of thing.” Pike said she had never seen anything that dramatic and that it looked like something you would see in a movie. She also liked that right next to the food area they had hot cocoa where you could make smores. “It was awesome. I hadn’t had cocoa in forever, and the hot cocoa with the marsh-mellows in it... I felt like a little kid again,” Pike said. New Year’s Eve For our last stop, only a week after Christmas Day, we are fortunate enough to bring in the new year. This year, and possibly every year, the place to be is the Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon for their Balloon Drop event. “We are the biggest; one day somebody will come along and be bigger than us but we have been the biggest for a while,” said Tom Byrd, Entertainment Manager at the Country Club. “It’s nice and its clean and we have deputy’s, we don’t have bouncers. People come here because its safe,” Byrd said in reference to the bar. Byrd said that The Country Club hosts a Balloon Drop, a concept developed by a previous promotions manager, every year
New Year’s Eve Balloon drop at The Country Club
and has done so for the last three years. During the summer season, they also host a Balloon Drop every Friday night but generally its for the ladies only. Balloons drop from the ceiling and inside them are “cash, prizes, concert tickets…whatever we can come up with.” Byrd said, “but the New Years Balloon Drop that night is for men and women. Anyone can participate.” Byrd said that they change the theme every year, and try to keep their prices low. Generally they only reserve VIP sections, but on New Years Eve they also reserve tables. The last couple of years, its been $100. That gets you four tickets to get in that night, a guaranteed table, a bottle of champagne and party favors. It’s basically only $25 per person. “Thats not bad on New Years Eve,” said Byrd. “The VIPs, they can be 5 or 6 hundred but you are talking about having 30 tickets so 30 of your friends can get in. Jared Ashley, Nashville singer and songwriter has been booked 6 months in advance to perform, unless anything changes, and patrons have already begun to reserve their VIP sections. “We have great bands. we don’t have bands that you go, yeah, they are alright,” Byrd said. “Our bands are great and every one of them has a chance to make it [big].” Byrd says that it will be busy because
people come out on New Years that never come out otherwise. Don’t be that person. Gather your family, your friends, and even their friends, make some memories and support your local economy this holiday season. Keep in mind that these are just a few holiday festivity stops to consider but that your options are seemingly endless. We have reached our final destination and I ask that you all remain seated until we have come to a complete stop. On behalf of Phoenix tours, thank you for choosing us and we hope that you enjoyed this tour through Augusta.
Elise Claycomb is a senior communications major.