Scenes of the South

A sold out list of over four hundred guests arrived to the Telfair Academy wearing their best disguises on Halloween Eve to attend the inaugural Masquerade at the Mansion Fundraiser. Masked attendees hit the South magazine red carpet before heading inside to enjoy a special hour-long VIP reception for patrons who were treated to passed hors d'oeuvres prepared by Virginia College in addition to complimentary drinks by Johnnie Ganem Inc. The remaining crowd arrived at 9pm for the main event, featuring fire dancers, magicians, psychics and live DJ who kept the dance floor full all night long. This special black tie affair is the largest fundraiser of the year for the William Jay Society, the young professional arm of the Telfair Museums family. Photos by Lindsey Clark

An invitation only Soiree was hosted on October 30 to celebrate the long-awaited soft opening of the new 39 Rue de Jean French Brasserie and Bar, located inside of the Embassy Suites in the Savannah Historic District. Over two hundred guests attended the affair, taking full advantage of the exclusive opportunity to be among the first to preview the beautiful new space and sample tastings from the delicious menu before the official Grand Opening later in November 2015. Guests were treated to Champagne before making their way through a delightful maze of culinary offerings that included everything from a beautifully crafted Artisan Cheese display to a Raw Sushi Bar and more. 39 Rue de Jean is a part of the Holy City Hospitality family, who have expanded its list of fine restaurants in the Lowcountry and the new Savannah location is number five. Photos by Tracy Scarpoti

A brave gathering of "Edgers" joined together in Johnson Square on October 29th to gain some "Liquid Courage" and prepare for the annual Over the Edge competition on October 30th, that raises money and awareness for the Boy Scouts of America Coastal Georgia Council. This unique challenge offers more than sixty courageous contestants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rappel down the side of the Manger Building in Savannah's Historic District and each of the participants were tasked with raising or donating a minimum amount of money to go towards the charity. Guests at the Liquid Courage party were encouraged to dress in costume for a chance to win prizes and were treated to live music, refreshments as they geared up for the big day on Friday. Photos by Lindsay Payne

Race enthusiasts and novice car lovers gathered to celebrate the Savannah Speed Classic at the Grand Prize of America Road Course on Hutchinson Island from October 23rd-25th. The original home of the Grand Prix boasted three days of racing excitement including, daily speed races, Car Club Corral, Car Collector Showcase and the highly anticipated Hot Lap rides which offered attendees the opportunity to take the full throttle lap-of-a-lifetime on one of the most historic race tracks in the country. The Savannah Speed classic is the official kickoff weekend to the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d' elegance which will continue in South Carolina from October 30th - November 1st. Photos by Lindsay Payne

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the new Tanger Outlet Mall in Pooler Georgia to celebrate the grand opening of the first official franchise collaboration between River Street Sweets and Savannah's Candy Kitchen on October 23rd and South magazine was there to capture the sweet fun. Friends and members of both Candy families joined new owners, Glen and Liane Willard, along with members of the Pooler Chamber of Commerce to host the event with a special fundraiser to benefit the Carietta Research Project, a conservation initiative project of loggerhead sea turtles. Photos by Traci Scarpotti

A beautiful October evening in Savannah provided the perfect backdrop for a special VIP dinner to host Savannah Speed Classic Grand Marshall, Skip Barber, at the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront. An exclusive list of invited guests arrived to the South magazine red carpet before sitting down to enjoy an elegant four course wine dinner prepared by the culinary team at Rocks on the River Restaurant. The Savannah Speed Classic is the opening weekend for the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d' elegance with the South Carolina events taking place from October 30th through November 1st. Photos by Lindsey Clark

Guests arrived to the South magazine Red Carpet at 700 Drayton Restaurant on October 21st at the monthly Martinis at the Manson event to benefit Coastal Pet Rescue. This monthly networking event featured five dollar martini specials and fabulous raffle prizes donated from sponsors around the community to raise money and awareness for this special organization whose mission is to save the lives of homeless, abused and neglected dogs and cats in the Coastal Empire. Participants enjoyed free chair massages performed by the staff at Poseidon Spa inside of the Mansion on Forsyth Park and also had the opportunity to view exclusive, animal-inspired jewelry on display from the hotel's Grand Bohemian Gallery. Martinis at the Manson occurs on the third Wednesday of each month and the next non-profit organization to be featured will be Savannah AMBUCS bikes for special needs children on November 16th. Photos by Diane Dodd Photography

Over one thousand hungry guests arrived to the 8th Annual Dine South culinary event hosted by South Magazine at Savannah Station on October 15th to enjoy food samplings from the best local restaurants, chefs and caterers in the Coastal Empire. Sponsored by Savannah Technical College, Stage Front Productions, Coca Cola and Tito's Vodka, this highly anticipated evening featured samplings from over thirty Savannah restaurants in addition to an open bar, VIP Lounge and live music provided by Lyn Avenue. Attendees could participate in the event's activities including, The Tap Snap Photo Booth, Over the Edge rock climbing wall and mechanical bull along with the Charity Apron Auction to benefit Senior Citizen's Inc. and the Fifty/Fifty Raffle to benefit America's Second Harvest. Dine South is the premier annual event hosted by South Magazine to celebrate the launch of the popular Food, Film & Famous Folks issue on stands now.

Savannah citizens and potential voters joined Lowell and Hillary Kronowitz at the Soho South Cafe on October 14th as they hosted Mayoral Candidate, Eddie DeLoach, for a special meet and greet reception. Eddie DeLoach is the President and Owner of Tidewater Landscape Management and is an active member of the Independent Presbyterin Church, serving as a Deacon for the congregation. Mr. DeLoach discussed his passion for serving he community and how he plans to tackle his top three priorities of reducing crime, cutting waste and establishing a sustainable plan for the development and growth of all citizens. Photos by Lindsey Clark Photos by Lindsey Clark

The Savannah sun came out to shine just in time for the opening reception of the Savannah Art Walk on October 10th, providing a beautiful evening for Art Enthusiasts, first time visitors and local friends to enjoy the self-guided gallery hop through over 32 participating locations throughout the Landmark Historic District. The event kicked off in front of the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront as General Manager, Kevin Shields introduced the featured artists for the evening while complimentary wine was passed out to the crowd. Following the reception, guests could download the Art Walk's Mobile Application or utilize the printed map to make their way to the galleries, shops and featured points of or could choose to hop on board the free Trolley donated by Old Savannah Tours to travel to each of the stops faster. Following the Walk, guests reconvened at the Andaz Hotel for the finale where participants could turn in their completed maps to enter and win fabulous raffle prizes. The Savannah Art Walk is presented on the second Saturday of the month by the Tiffani Taylor Gallery with the November event taking place on the 14th of November. Photos by Krystal Oblinger

Shiver me timbers! Excited guests arrived to the Original Crab Shack on October 8th dressed up in their best Pirate or Wench costumes to kick off the 11th Annual Tybee Island Pirate Festival at the infamous Buccaneer Ball. This lively evening boasts one of the favorite events of the festival, featuring the official coronation ceremony for the Pirate Fest King and Queen, Lannie and Stacye Jarrell. Participants were judged on their Pirate Wear for the annual costume contest while enjoying a night of live entertainment paired with the best Grog and Gruel around.

Thousands of local residents and out-of-town visitors braved Sunday's gloomy weather forecast to attend the largest outdoor cultural event in Savannah at Picnic in the Park on October 4th. Presented by the Savannah Philharmonic and the City of Savannah Cultural Affairs Department.

The 20th Annual Bear Gala was hosted on October 2nd at the Landings Plantation Club to benefit The Children's Hospital at Memorial University Medical Center. This elegant black-tie affair is one of the largest fundraisers of the year for the non-profit organization, The One Hundred Savannah, whose members are committed to donate one hundred dollars per year to the only dedicated children hospital in Southeast Georgia. Guests at this special evening enjoyed a cocktail hour with musical accompaniment, four course plated diner, live and blind auctions and raffle. Tens of thousands of dollars have been raised by The Bear Gala over the past two decades and the focus of this year's proceeds will be put toward funding the center's new Pediatric Emergency Wing. Photos by Lindsay Payne

Over one hundred and fifty guests joined South magazine at Top Deck Bar on the roof of the Cotton Sail Hotel on September 30th to raise their glass and "Cheers for Charity" to kick off the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's 2015 Light the Night Walk Campaign. Guests to this inaugural event enjoyed an evening of networking and fundraising that included a signature, New Amsterdam craft cocktail for five dollars to benefit the charity in addition to a special raffle featuring fabulous prizes donated by Top Deck, South magazine and Cordasco & Company, P.C. The lucky winner of the 50/50 cash raffle from the event will be announced at the Cordasco & Company client appreciation tent at Picnic in the Park on October 4th and all are invited to stop by and make a donation to LLS. Photos by Lindsey Clark

More than three hundred distinguished guests and honorees arrived to the Westin Savannah Harbor on September 26th to recognize the accomplishments of the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia at their Inaugural Awards Gala and Thin Mint Throwdown ,presented by Old Savannah Tours. The event began with an early VIP reception followed by a kickoff ceremony which included a throwback dance performance and special flag ceremony before the evening's highlight, an iron chef challenge of Thin Mint proportions, where Chef Orchid Paulmeir from One Hot Mama's, Food Network Star Season 7 and Feather and Freight went head-to-head with Chef Dave Weikert from the Pirate's House and claimed her victory for creating the tastiest Girl Scout Cookie-inspired dessert as voted by the audience. Photos by Lindsey Clark and Krystal Oblinger

Yesterday over fifteen hundred people gathered in Savannah to hear last year's record and the future of one of our city's biggest revenue sources. Director of the GPA, Curtis Foltz, gave a presentation, broadcast on a live feed, detailing the status of the nations fastest growing port and explained that the 2014/2015 fiscal year was the busiest year on record. "To have growth in every sector of our business is a once in a lifetime year." said Foltz.

Excited shoppers gathered in Wright's Square for a special reception on September 22nd to celebrate the Grand Opening of Savannah's newest retail store, Shoe Be Do. Guests were asked to bring two cans of food to donate to America's Second Harvest Food Bank and a percentage of the the evening's sales went to benefit the Rape Crisis Center of the Coastal Empire. Highlights of the evening included a special ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by Mayor Pro Tem, Van Johnson, along with a special musical performance by Diana Rogers. Attendees had a blast trying out their favorite looks while sipping on complimentary champagne and sampling the delicious appetizers prepared by local chefs and desserts provided by Marche de Macarons. Photos by Lindsey Clark

A true Oktoberfest celebration was hosted on September 19th, at Savannah's veteran-owned and operated, Service Brewing Company, to kick off the first barrel tap of their fall seasonal brew, Teufel Hunden. This afternoon event also served as a fundraiser for SBC's fall charity, the Raider Project, a nonprofit organization who connects combat veterans who are returning home from service with established veterans who will help ease their transition into the private sector. Service Brewing Company CEO, Kevin Ryan, was on hand to cook his infamous brats and sauerkraut for in-kind donations to go to the charity and other highlights included music by DJ Jose Ray and raffle prizes every thirty minutes. Photos by Krystal Oblinger

Dozens of guests made way for Monet as they joined Telfair Museums at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens on September 17th to witness the unveiling of the Spirit of Monet Plant Collection, designed exclusively for the museum's upcoming exhibition titled, "Monet and American Impressionism." Attendees at the evening's elegant affair celebrated with a cocktail reception featuring hors d'oeuvres and were invited to stroll through the Bamboo Gardens to admire the scenic views. The highly anticipated Monet exhibit debuts on October 16th at the Jepson Center for the Arts and will run through January 24th, 2016. Photos by Lindsey Clark

An eclectic crowd of over a hundred guests arrived to Casimir's Lounge at 700 Drayton Restaurant on September 17th, to attend Martinis at the Mansion presented by South magazine and the Mansion on Forsyth Park. Guests to this power networking event enjoyed exclusive five dollar martini specials while participating in the evening's fundraiser to benefit Lindsey's Place Camp, a non-profit organization that offers several weekend Camp sessions throughout the year for individuals with special needs, ranging from ages seven to thirty years of age. Attendees could purchase raffle tickets to win fabulous prizes that included; a Gift Certificate for four to the 700 Drayton Cooking School, Tickets to South's 8th Annual Dine South Event, YETI Cooler, Martini Basket and Bourbon Box. Martinis at the Mansion occurs on the third Wednesday of each month and features a local, non-profit charity with the next event taking place on October 21st to benefit Coastal Pet Rescue. Photos by Diane Dodd Photography

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The highly anticipated Fall season of the Savannah Art Walk premiered to an enthusiastic crowd at the Bohemian Hotel Riverfront on September 12th. The evening began at with a reception at Rocks on the Roof with gratis wine pour and live music by Brent Collins, followed by a Red Carpet meet-and-greet at the Tiffani Taylor Gallery and a Champagne pour at Savannah Cocktail Company. The September Art Walk debuted its new feature, the Old Savannah Tours Art Trolley, to offer free on/off transportation for participants allowing easy access to the thirty-two locations. The event concluded with a VIP reception at the Andaz Hotel where guests had the opportunity to win fabulous VIP prizes for participating in the walk. The Savannah Art Walk occurs on the second Saturday of each month with its next event taking place on October 10, 2015.