Vergia Dishmon Takes the Stage at the Mary C!

Vergia Dishmon Takes the Stage at the Mary C!

(Ocean Springs, 5/15/12) “God bless the child, who has his own”.  So it is said.  Vergia Towner Dishmon is truly a child with her own.  Singer, arranger and composer, Vergia, often referred to as “The Songbird” is blessed with the gift of song.  Her performances have taken her all over these United States and even in Europe where she toured for three (3) weeks to standing room only crowds. Vergia Dishmon will be taking the stage at The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts and Education on Saturday, June 9^th at 7:00pm.

A native Mississippian and the daughter of a Baptist Preacher, Vergia was raised in a strong spiritual environment which motivated her Christianity, consequently enhancing her ability to perform in the gospel arena.  She has performed in a most exemplary and memorable fashion in several entertainment mediums that includes church choirs, radio, musical theater and television.  Her first recording, “Jesus and I” brought her the honor of being named “Best Female Vocalist” at the Jackson Music Awards in 1985 and again in 2000. 

In 2005, she was a part of “The Gospel of Colonus” a nationally acclaimed production and in 2006 starred in “Crowns” a musical play produced by New Stage Theater, a professional acting company. She is a part of the drama group, “Daughters of Margaret”, named after the poet/professor, Dr. Margaret Walker Alexander who dedicates itself to the positive portrayal of African Americans and women.

Whether in a theater or on stage, large or small church, Vergia’s voice has blessed people where ever she has appeared. Her latest recording, entitled, “And When She Had Sung A Hymn”……is a blessing to all who treasure the prolific hymns of the African American religious experience.

Tickets for the performance are $15 Adults/$10 Children (12 & under) and may be purchased online at www.themaryc.org, or at the Mary C Box Office, or by calling (228) 818-2878 for more information. This event was made possible through the support of the Gulf Hills Hotel & Conference Center.

IF YOU GO:

• When: Saturday, June 9^th at 7:00pm
• Where:            The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts & Education
  1600 Government Street in Ocean Springs

• Tickets $15 Adults/$10 Children (12 & under) General Admission
• Tickets may be purchased online at www.themaryc.org, at the Mary C Box Office, or by calling (228) 818-2878.

The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts & Education is located at 1600 Government Street in Ocean Springs, open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm.  Call (228) 818-2878 for more information.

The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts and Education

Contact: Joel Libramento                228.818.2878 

1600 Government Street                    Joel@themaryc.org

Ocean Springs, MS 39564                 www.themaryc.org

CVB Welcomes Visitors During National Tourism Week

CVB STAFF WELCOMING TOURISTS

WHO “POP IN” DURING NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST - The Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) will be personally welcoming tourists to the Mississippi Gulf Coast during National Tourism Week.  

WHAT:           Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB staff welcoming tourists during National Tourism Week with free popcorn

WHEN:           Monday, May 7 – Friday, May 11, 2012  

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

WHERE:        Mississippi Welcome Centers in Hancock County and Jackson County & the Biloxi Visitors Center

The first full week of May is annually recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week, a tradition first celebrated in 1984. It was established as National Tourism Week when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1983 designating the week to be celebrated in May. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with “the appropriate ceremonies and activities.” Localized events are presented in cities, states and travel businesses nationwide to champion the power of travel.

Since its establishment, the U.S. travel community has collectively marked the event in a number of creative ways, from staging local rallies and conducting media outreach to securing proclamations and resolutions from local legislative bodies.

For more than ten years, the CVB has participated in National Tourism Weeks activities by visiting the Hancock County and Jackson County welcomes centers to talk to tourists about the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Recently, the staff began welcoming guests with free, fresh popcorn. This year, the CVB has added the Biloxi Visitors Center to its Tourism Week activities.

Press may contact Taryn Sammons with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau for additional information.

The Harrison County Tourism Commission, an organization charged with promoting South Mississippi as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, does business as the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Its mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure, convention, sports and business visitors to the area.  It is dedicated to maximizing the travel and tourism industry for South Mississippi.

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Michael Grimm LIVE May 18

Just Announced! 

An exclusive, private, credit-union-only concert with Michael Grimm, Mississippi native and 2010 winner of NBC's nationally televised show "America's Got Talent"!

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Date:  Friday, May 18, 2012, 8:00 pm.

Ticket Price:  $20.00

Venue:  Beau Rivage Theatre

Restrictions:  No Smoking

TO ORDER TICKETS - http://www.mscua.com/education/mscua-annual-meeting-convention/

Should you have any questions please contact Tom McWilliams, tmcwilliams@mscua.com  or  601-981-4552, ext. 311.

Please observe the following guidelines so that everyone may enjoy the performance: Smoking is prohibited in the Beau Rivage Theatre. Cameras and recording devices are not permitted inside the theatre. Seating begins 45 minutes prior to the show. Late arrivals will be seated at an appropriate time during the performance. All guests entering the Beau Rivage Theatre must present a ticket to gain admittance.

Special thanks to sponsors:  CUNA Mutual Group Corporate One FCU Mississippi Shared Branching Network

Guest Blogger Marcy Nathan: MY Gulf Coast

I’m a Louississippi. I’m from New Orleans, and I grew up vacationing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My aunt and uncle had a place in the Bay, and my friends and I spent countless weekends in Kiln, Waveland, Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian.

We always stayed in the same beautiful house on East Scenic in the Pass. Our friend Wendy’s grandparents, who were affectionately known as Dear and Papa, owned the house, and we would camp out there whenever we could. In high school and college and long after that we would make the drive from New Orleans to see concerts at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Springsteen, the Police, all the greats played the Coliseum. Wendy’s grandparents were aging, and while we eventually stopped staying at their house, we never stopped travelling to Mississippi.

Another friend’s parents, the Jacobs, built a house in the Bay, and we would drive in from New Orleans on Fridays, eat at Annie’s, and stay up all night gossiping. On Saturdays we would go to Hudson’s or shop Old Town and eat at Trapani’s. Like Trapani’s, the Jacobs house was destroyed in Katrina, and it was a very long time before I could even think about visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast without becoming teary.

Finally, thankfully, things began to change. I started coming back to the Coast for work, and I realized how much I’d missed Mississippi. Trust me; I’m doing my best to make up for lost time! The Mississippi Gulf Coast has so much to offer – festivals, concerts, restaurants and museums. In the past two years alone, I’ve been to Ocean Springs for the Peter Anderson Festival (and the amazing donuts at Tato-Nut); to Biloxi to play blackjack and see a concert at the casino (with those same school friends); to Diamondhead and Gulfport for business; to Pass Christian for Art in the Pass; and to Bay St. Louis for a long, lazy weekend.

I can’t wait for Chefs of the Coast in September, but I promise I’ll be back long, long, long before then.


– Marcy Nathan, New Orleans

Guest Blogger Joe Laing: RVing on the Gulf Coast

Southern Comfort: Mississippi Gulf Coast Family Camping Itinerary

By Joe Laing, El Monte RV Rentals

 

Horn Island

There’s something about the Southern coast that brings families together. Maybe it’s the feeling of being so small in the face of swirling surf, or perhaps it’s the draw of a supper table laden with fresh offerings. But more than anything, I think it’s the slower pace that encourages folks to take time to get to know one another.

 

And one of the best places to experience such southern comfort is along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where the sun shines year-round and the ocean breezes blow soft. Bound by the east-west corridor of Interstate-10, this sublime subtropical destination is easy to reach by road and, with excellent RV campgrounds and resorts here and there along the way, makes a primo getaway for your road-trip gang. So if you’re looking for a family vacation that brings you all closer and gets you out into nature, hurry up and head south; the sooner you get there, the faster you can take it easy together.

There are several family-friendly stops in Mississippi from Moss Point to Bay St. Louis that will keep parents and kids in sunny spirits. Here, we’ve compiled a seven-day itinerary that features the area’s top camping spots and outdoor sites, from the Alabama border to the Louisiana line.

Moss Point, Mississippi

DURATION: 2 days, 2 nights

HOME BASE: Situated 10 miles up the road, Shepard State Park is rich with white oaks, large magnolias, and romantic legends of settlers and Indians. You’ll also find 28 camping sites with full hook-ups, picnic tables, and grills.

PLAN: When you first arrive, before heading to the park to set up camp, stop at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, which is situated along one of the last free-flowing river systems in the country. Visitors learn conservation techniques, participate in nature-based programs, and discover environmentally friendly concepts—a perfect way to begin a week of outdoor activity.

On your second day along the Gulf, begin by heading east on Highway 90 to the family-owned Gulf Coast Gator Ranch, home to some of the largest captive alligators. Following a stroll over winding wetlands boardwalks, brave visitors can hand-feed the beasts and adventurous spirits can board a high-speed airboat for a ride through the swamplands.

In the afternoon, cruise over to the interpretive center at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve & Coastal Resource Center, where you can go wild for the remainder of the day. Keep an eye out for river otters and bottlenose dolphins, go birding, spot bugs and butterflies, or simply take a hike. This is a great spot to burn off any residual energy before bunking down.

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

DURATION: 2 days, 1 night

HOME BASE: In addition to 51 sites with electric and water hook-ups, Davis Bayou Camping, tucked inside the Gulf Island National Seashore, offers fishing, hiking, biking, birding, and more.

PLAN: In the morning, make the half-hour drive west on Highway 90 to the campsite and get situated. From the Davis Bayou area, you can pedal the 15.5-mile Live Oaks Bicycle Route, marked by green and white signs, into the town of Ocean Springs (a brochure with the trail map can be obtained though the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce). If you’ve got the wherewithal, make the journey past the marina and across the Biloxi Bay Bridge, which boasts a wide, ocean-side bike lane that gives breathtaking views of the coast and barrier islands.

The following morning, catch the Ship Island Excursions passenger ferry over to Ship Island and Fort Massachusetts. Once you’ve hit the beautiful beach, spend the day touring the 19th-century fort, which was constructed to defend the natural harbor on the north side of the island; you can explore on your own or with a guided tour. On most days, the ferry returns to the mainland at 2:30, giving you plenty of time to head out of Ocean Springs for the next leg.

Biloxi & Gulfport, Mississippi

DURATION: 2 days, 2 nights

HOME BASE: Located across the street from the beaches at Biloxi, Cajun RV Park makes a great hub. Stay in one of the park’s 130 RV sites and cool off in the swimming pool.

PLAN: If you wake before sunrise, cross the street for a beautiful view of the day breaking over the Gulf, and take a deep breath of fresh air, because for the next two days, you have no schedule. With its sugar-sand beaches, the Gulf Coast invites you to simply relax together. The Highway 90 strip from Biloxi to Gulfport boasts a handful of rental companies that offer chairs and umbrellas for the sun-worshipers and jet skis for the thrill-seekers. If you want a planned activity, board a boats charter that carries passengers to the region’s five barrier islands. At the close of the second day, drive across the award-winning Bay St. Louis Bridge (newly built after being destroyed in Hurricane Katrina) for your final night on the Gulf.

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

DURATION: 1 day, 2 nights

HOME BASE: With its gorgeous waterfront vistas, Buccaneer State Park in nearby Waveland, Mississippi, is an ideal place to finish your stay. Since Katrina, the park has been reconstructed with 206 premium campsites and full amenities.

PLAN: Make a splash with a pristine paddle on Gulf Coast waters. At Bay Breeze Bike and Kayak Rentals, you’ll be equipped with everything you need for a DIY exploration of the shoreline. (If you’d rather take a guided trip, try Wolf River Canoe & Kayak over the bridge in Long Beach. After a long day on the water, you’ll want to rest up for the trip home. And on your way out of town, drive through downtown to admire the wooden angels that sculptor Dayle K. Lewis carved from live oaks damaged during Hurricane Katrina.

About the Author

Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. You can see more great RV vacation ideas in their Monty's Musings RV Travel Blog and be sure to check out their RV Camping Pictures.

Guest blogger Gorden Gent, Nurham, NC

You know those moments in life when you’re looking at something that is so normal and yet spectacular? That is how I remember sunsets on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If the timing was right and I was driving or riding west along Highway 90, I would watch as the neon colored sun slowly lowered across land and water. It’s those types of memories that paint my picture of where I’m from, but it is a slightly different reality I return to when I visit.

Some people ask why our beaches don’t have the clear blue water you’ll find further east in Alabama and Florida – and the simple answer is our barrier islands don’t allow the tides to clear out all of the silt. Maybe that’s why the Mississippi Gulf Coast has always had to have that extra something to attract people to it.

There are still white sand beaches to stroll on and majestic-looking live oak trees (some of which are centuries old) with Spanish moss hanging and swinging in the gulf breeze. Gamblers of all ages still make their way to casinos stretching along the coast to try and hit the jackpot, without as much glitz and glamour as Vegas or Atlantic City. You can always find your favorite Cajun, Creole, Southern, and Seafood cooking calling your name at places like Mary Mahoneys, the White Cap, Vrazels, Lil Rays, and Catfish Charlies. You can have it all from fine dining to po boys.

If you want history and art, there is also something for you. Beauvoir was the last home of Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederacy). He lived out his final years there, although he was never granted his US citizenry back. Pirate Jean Lafitte frequented the area and laid low on the barrier islands when the law was searching for him and before he helped win the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. Artist Walter Anderson painted canvases, rooms, and boats in wonderful designs. George Ohr was nicknamed the Mad Potter of Biloxi and his works gained popularity after his death.

I also think people are attracted by the resiliency of the people there. Female hurricanes haven’t always been kind to the coast. Hurricane Camille tore Ship Island into two halves before smashing the shore, Hurricane Elena left a hole in the roof of my parent’s house, and Hurricane Katrina did her worst in her path of destruction. Driving along Highway 90 today will still give you a great sunset, but not all of the houses, hotels, and businesses have returned to their former locations.

It’s a slow process, but the coast won’t stop calling visitors to its shores. So whether it’s Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Long Beach or Pass Christian, you’ll have a great day on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO BRINGS CRAFT BEER TASTING TO BILOXI OCTOBER 21

BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO BRINGS

CRAFT BEER TASTING TO BILOXI OCTOBER 21

RESORT RAISES A GLASS TO OCTOBERFEST WITH ARTISAN BEER,

BAVARIAN BUFFET AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

BILOXI, Miss. – Oct. 5, 2011 – Beau Rivage presents an evening of authentic German food and live music and more than 120 of the best artisan beers available during its inaugural Craft Beer Festival. This is an opportunity to sample beer from breweries including Samuel Adams, Abita, Sierra Nevada, Diamond Bear, Lazy Magnolia, Bayou Teche Brewing, Covington Brewhouse, Widmer Brothers and Stevens Point among dozens of others. Select brewmasters will be in attendance to suggest food pairings, answer questions and describe how each product is made. Each guest receives a limited-edition Pilsner glass to commemorate the occasion.

Enjoy authentic German music by the Polka Dots and save room for the Oktoberfest-themed buffet including giant Wiesnbrezn Oktoberfest pretzels with an assortment of mustards, Butterkäse, Bierkäse Korbkäse and Cambozola cheeses, Wurst-Bratwurst, Knockwurst and Wiesswurst sausages, Sauerbraten German Pot Roast, Knödel potato dumplings, Spätzle German pasta, Himmel und Erde (pan fried potatoes with apples and bacon), sauerkraut, rotkraut red cabbage along with an assortment of German pastries.

The 2011 Craft Beer Festival will be held Friday, October 21 from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on the second floor pool deck. Tickets are $65. Members of the military receive a $10 off discount with military ID. Tickets are available online at www.beaurivage.com, ticketmaster.com, in person at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office or by phone at 888.566.7469. A limited number of Craft Beer Festival cabanas will be available for $800 each which includes 10 tickets. For cabana reservations, call 228-257-2017.

Take advantage of the Beer Fest hotel package which includes one night’s deluxe accommodations and one Beer Fest ticket starting at $170 per person, double occupancy. Book online or by calling 228.386.7111/ 1.888.567.6667 and mention promotion code BEERFEST.

After the festival, the party continues at Coast Nightclub for Ladies Night. Women do not pay a cover and drink complimentary well cocktails, domestic beer and house wines from 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Men wearing a Beer Fest attendance bracelet will be waived the $10 cover charge. New Orleans’ party band Karma takes the stage from 11:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m. with DJ Avelon spinning the latest hits during band breaks. For more information on the 2011 Craft Beer Fest, call (228) 386-7111 or visit beaurivage.com.

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CONTACT: Mary Cracchiolo Spain, 228-386-7134; mcracchiolo@beaurivage.com