Author: Site Staff

An excited crowd arrived to Casimir's Lounge on January 20th to attend the monthly Martinis at the Mansion event, presented by South magazine and the Mansion on Forsyth Park. The non-profit host for the January event was the American Traditions Competition, an organization established to provide a forum for showcasing tomorrow's vocal talent an superstars. Attendees to the event could purchase raffle tickets as a part of the evening's fundraiser for the opportunity to win prizes donated by I Do Weddng Expo and Armstrong University's Piano in the Arts Series, along with gift certificate's to 700 Drayton Restaurant and tickets to a few of the upcoming ATC competition concerts in February. A special performance by ATC Gold Medal Winner, Kim Palote, topped off the night as guests engaged with friends and sipped on delicious five dollar martini specials from the bar. Photos by Tracy Scarpati

Sports Fans from around the Southeast arrived to the Savannah Civic Center on January 16th and 17th to cheer on their favorite team at the 18th Annual Savannah Tire Hockey Classic. This collegiate hockey tournament features six of the South's most exciting hockey programs including, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, University of Florida and Florida State. In addition to the matches in the ring, ticket holders could participate in the Chuck-A-Puck competition for a chance to win prizes with proceeds from the sales going to benefit the American Diabetes Association's annual Kiss-A-Pig Campaign. After all of the teams had competed in the championship round on Saturday night, it was ultimately FSU who took home the coveted Thrasher Cup for the second consecutive year. Photos by Tracy Scarpati

Members of the Savannah Downtown Business Association gathered at the Charles H. Morris Center on January 13th to attend the first SDBA luncheon of 2016. Guest speaker for the January event was newly elected Mayor, Eddie DeLoach, who gave his first State of the Union address to the organization and outlined the administration's goals for the first one hundred days in office Photos by Tracy Scarpati

Savannah brides-to-be and local residents gathered together to celebrate the two year anniversary of Savannah's trendiest wedding boutique, Ivory + Beau, on Sunday, January 10th. Attendees enjoyed a lovely afternoon of refreshments while browsing the amazing selection of wedding gowns and bridal party merchandise in addition to the remodeling updates of the Southside location. Photos by Lindsey Clark

An exclusive list of Savannah guests were invited to Vic's on the River on January 9th to attend a private party to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the restaurant. Considered to be one of Savannah's finest downtown establishments, Vic's was the brainchild of Savannah native, Dr. Vic and long-time local restaurateur, Bill Hall, who opened the popular restaurant on River Street in 2006. Attendees could be found exchanging memories of their favorite moments from the past decade, while enjoying a live musical performance by guitarist, Sasha Ochoa and dining on samples of the food that they have come to know and love. Photos by Lindsey Clark

An excited crowd of enthusiastic guests packed the house at Rocks on the Roof Bar inside of the Bohemian Hotel Riverfront on December 9th to enjoy the opening reception of the the Savannah Art Walk. After enjoying the complimentary wine and red carpet photos participants could venture off to walk to the various locations on the tour or hop on board the free Old Savannah Tours trolley to be dropped off and picked up at the various stops. At 8pm, guests were welcomed to the evening's final reception at the Andaz Hotel, where those who were able to visit ten galleries or more could be selected to win a variety of prizes including, one-year subscriptions to South magazine, exclusive SAW artist prints and custom gift boxes by area merchants. The Savannah Art Walk is presented by the Tiffani Taylor Gallery and Heej Chung Art & Designs and takes place on the second Saturday of each month with the next event taking place on February 13th. Photos by Krystal Oblinger

Local residents, business leaders and community members arrived to the Savannah Civic Center to witness the inauguration of the new Savannah Mayor and his fellow City Council members on Tuesday, January 5th. Hundreds of guests were in attendance at the special ceremony inside of the Johnny Mercer Theater, where the newly elected, Eddie DeLoach was sworn in as the sixty-sixth Mayor of Savannah in addition to nine members of the City Council. Religious leaders of all faiths were represented and offered a prayer for the city and Master of Ceremonies, Sonny Dixon, entertained the audience with his Southern humor as he announced the activities throughout the evening. Photos by Tracy Scarpati

The Hostess City of the South pulled out all the stops for New Year's Eve 2015 and South magazine was on the Scene in the Historic District to capture a few of Savannah's top events. Jazz'd Tapas Bar went back in time to the speakeasy days of prohibition at their NYE Roaring Twenties party featuring, tapas, party favors and live music performed by Danielle Hicks and the Ohm Eight Resistance. The best views of the evening could be found at Top Deck Bar with the Talmadge Bridge serving as the evening's backdrop and the guests on board the Savannah Riverboat Cruises were able to admire River Street from the best vantage point in the city as they sailed up and down the Savannah River. City Market was also popular destination for the evening, offering a festive outdoor celebration with live music and opportunities to bar hop throughout the many locations that line the streets. Although the Up th Cup Celebration and Fireworks planned on the Savannah Waterfront were postponed, tourists and local residents alike had a blast as they ushered in the year 2016. Photos by Tracy Scarpati

More than two hundred runners and volunteers gathered together to take a stand against bullies at the 6th Annual Savannah Reindeer 8k Run hosted at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on December 19. Presented by the Rape Crisis Center of Coastal Georgia and Fleet Feet Sports, this popular race attracts participants of all ages and skill levels who arrive to the start line dressed in their festive costumes to benefit anti-bully awareness activity provided by the Prevention Education program at RCC. After completing the run, guests were treated to a taste of the crowd favorites offered at the chili cook off competition followed by an award ceremony that included a prize for the youth with the most funds raised. Photos by Krystal Oblinger

Savannah's newest upscale sports bar welcomed over two hundred invited guests to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Savannah Taphouse on December 18. Located in the revitalized historic building formerly home to the Avon Theater on Broughton Street, the Savannah Taphouse features an award-winning menu of made-from-scratch selections in addition to forty beers on tap. Sports fans will love watching their favorite games on twenty eight flat screen televisions complete with a state-of-the-art TV package and access to their exclusive, members only beer club. Guests in attendance enjoyed food samples, door prizes and live music from the Christy Alan Band. Photos by Lindsey Clark

Ansley Williams and the Live Oak Restaurant Family invited the public to Spanky's River Street on December 16 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Savannah restaurant, home of the original chicken finger. Past and present employees and patrons could be found in attendance during the evening, offering their favorite memories and Spanky's stories while enjoying the delicious food that has been bringing them back for decades. The December event marks the kick-off to a yearlong River Street celebration of "Fingers, Fun and Frolickin' Friends designed to recognize the people that have supported Spanky's after all these beers! Photos by Jason Smith

The Andaz Savannah Artist Salon on December 17 featured the members of the Gray's Reef National Marine Science Sanctuary as they presented information on the films for the upcoming Gray's Reef Film Festival at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts January 29-30, 2016. The Andaz also partnered with Ronald McDonald House of the Coastal Empire for the December event to collect new, unused toys or presents for families who are struggling with the financial and emotional difficulties of comforting an ill or injured child. Guests at the salon were treated to complimentary cider and wine served from Jane and Holden at the bar along with delicious oysters, steak and other farm-to-fork offerings from Chef Lauren Teague and the team at the 22 Square Restaurant. Photos by Lindsey Clark

The December Martinis at the Mansion event was hosted at 700 Drayton Restaurant on December 18 featuring Lesli Messenger with the Savannah Harm Reduction Coalition. Lesli tragically lost her son, Austin, in 2005 to an accidental Opiod drug overdose and she has since made it her life's mission to educate people on the harmful effects of Opiates and how a drug known as Naloxone, can be used to reverse the effects of narcotic drugs. The more than seventy-five guests who were in attendance enjoyed sipping on the evening's five dollar martini specials while purchasing raffle tickets to win more than fifteen prizes collected by Savannah VIP Events from members around the community. Martinis at the Mansion occurs on the third Wednesday of each month with the next event taking place on January 21 with the American Traditions Competition. Photos by Lindsey Clark

The historic fraternal organization known as the Guale Myers Society, welcomed an exclusive guest list of family and friends to celebrate their acheivements at their annual gala hosted at the Gingerbread House on December 12. Recognized by their trademark red tartan jackets, the society derives its name from the Guale Indians of Coastal Georgia, who befriended early settlers, with whom they traded tobacco. Although it is believed that the group was started as a cigar appreciation society, the modern GMS is primarily focused on embedding itself within Savannah-area political, business and civic institutions to help quietly shape the face of the city. Photos by Lindsey Clark

Savannah friends and neighbors took a break from the hectic malls this Saturday, December 12 and headed over to the new Southside Savannah Harley-Davidson location for a special Christmas Party that offered a little something for the kid in all of us. Guests who arrived at the afternoon event were greeted by Santa Clause and the Grinch, who posed for free photos with the children while the adults could browse through the amazing selection of Harley-Davidson merchandise and shop for something that they REALLY wanted this year. The day's fun and festivities included; refreshments, holiday crafts, live music by the Joyful Noise Trio and a jaw-dropping aerial acrobatics performance. Photos by Lindsey Clark

Presented by the Tiffani Taylor Gallery and Heej Chung Art & Designs, the second Saturday Savannah Art Walk welcomed over seventy visitors to take a self-guided tour of the thirty-two participating galleries, boutiques and shops located on the map. The evening began with a meet-and-greet reception at the Bohemian Hotel Riverfront where a special raffle drawing was held to benefit the Rape Crisis Center of the Coastal Empire for an original Tiffani Taylor oil painting valued at more than four thousand dollars. Following the reception, attendees hopped on board the free Old Savannah Tours Trolley to make their way throughout the various locations on the map before concluding at the Andaz Hotel for more prizes and gratis wine at 8pm. Photos by Krystal Oblinger

Runners from all over the United States turned out in record numbers on December 5 to tackle the historic Talmadge Bridge at the annual Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run . Known as the "South's Toughest Bridge Run," participants can choose to run in any combination of races including, 5K, 10K and Double Pump, allowing runners several opportunities to cross the 1.4 mile, 5.5% grade bridge that reaches heights of up to 196 feet above the Savannah River. Attendees sported a variety of themed individual and group costumes to compete for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes announced at the post-race party in Franklin Squaere. Proceeds from the race benefit the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer Pavilion at St. Joseph's / Candler Hospital, one of the most innovative oncology programs in the Southeast. Photos by Krystal Oblinger

The highly anticipated Wright's Square Merchant's Association Holiday Open House took place on December 4 in the Historic District, helping residents and visitors to find the perfect local Savannah gift for those on their shopping list. Guests to this annual event enjoyed extended store hours in addition to discounts and various samples, refreshments and treats served by the various businesses,vendors and specialty shops that surround Savannah's most recognized square. Father Christmas could be found wandering around to spread his Christmas Cheer to the holiday crowd and the Savannah Children's Choir made several appearances to perform favorite carols during the evening.

More than two hundred shoppers arrived to the Downtown Design District on December 3 to celebrate the one year anniversary of Bottega Bellini during the annual Holiday Open House. Returning customers and new guests enjoyed browsing the store's unique selection of Italian products including, specialty food, handmade ceramics and elegant dinnerware while sipping on the evening's featured cocktail, an Italian Peach Bellini, prepared by celebrity bartenders, Jere and Elizabeth Myers. Mother-daughter team, Janet and Ashley Kubista, relocated to Savannah in 2014 from Charleston, South Carolina in order to open the specialty shop featuring more than twenty original designs imported from Italy in addition to an endless selection of table top and serving pieces. Photos by Lindsey Clark

Members and friends of Buy Local Savannah joined together for an evening of networking and fun at their Annual Holiday Party hosted at Savannah Coffee Roasters on December 1. Buy Local President, Lori Collins, prepared an amazing array of food and desserts for guests to enjoy and spread her holiday cheer with her grandmother's recipe for Pavlova, Australia's National Dessert. Attendees enjoyed live music with local band, XuluProphit, in addition to door and raffle prizes and a well stocked cash bar. Buy Local Savannah supports locally owned and operated, independent businesses in the greater Savannah area and typically meets for their monthly luncheon on the fourth Thursday of the month, except for when it is Holiday Party time! Photos by Krystal Oblinger

Hundreds of visitors and local residents gathered on the waterfront to celebrate the beginning of the Holiday Season at the Savannah Harbor Foundation Boat Parade of Lights on November 28. Many onlookers lined the cobblestones of River Street to view the event, while others watched from The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort at the kickoff celebration for the SHF 2015 Holiday Series. A cannon firing launched the festive procession led by the Georgia Queen of Savannah Riverboat Cruises and included more than thirty lighted vessels sailing along the river vying for the judges attention. The evening concluded with an awards ceremony at the Westin followed by a colorful fireworks display. Photos by Tracy Scarpati