News and Happenings Around the Region

News

• A handful of southern hotels are seeing stars, as in rating stars. Forbes Travel Guide (formerly Mobil Travel Guide) recently designated (or re-designated in some cases) four- and five-stars to various properties. Those hotels receiving the five-star designation include Hermitage Hotel (Nashville, Tenn.), The Umstead Hotel (Cary, N.C.), Fearrington House Country Inn (Pittsboro, N.C.). Four-star properties in the South are Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge (Charlotte, N.C.), Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis (Mo.) and Ritz-Carlton (Clayton, Mo.). Also, awarded the four-star designation is the Peabody Hotel Group (Little Rock, Memphis and Orlando).
• Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights (Chattanooga, Tenn.) has been selected by American Bus Association as one of “North America’s 100 Best Events for 2010.” Running through January 2, 2010, the event is in its 15th season. Featuring 30 holiday scenes, this year’s theme is “The North Pole Adventure.”
• The Starlite Theatre in Branson, Mo., has announced its 2010 show line-up. Acts include the Platters and Cirque Imagination’s Montage.
• Congratulations to Dollywood’s Splash Country (Sevierville, Tenn.). The waterpark received the “Must-See Waterpark Award” from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. In its 10th year, Splash Country has received a number of accolades and recognitions. For 2010, the waterpark is introducing a new slide, Slick Rock Racer. It will join the park’s over 30 water adventure slides.

Contests

• Southern Comfort is looking for a Mardi Gras correspondent for the annual event in February 2010. The winner, along with a friend, will be sent to New Orleans to cover the festivities. Included in the prize pack is airfare, lodging, a daily stipend and a performance-based bonus. To enter, become a Facebook fan of Southern Comfort and then submit a video (30-seconds to 2-minutes) on why you would make the perfect Mardi Gras correspondent. Finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges, with the winner selected through votes by other Southern Comfort Facebook fans. You must be 21 (or older) to enter and the deadline is December 28.

Events

• 2009 Star Gaze at Bok Tower in Lake Wales, Fla., November 19.
• Carolina Shine Fest in Madison, N.C., November 21-22.
• Planes and Trains Exhibit at Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Ga., November 21-29.
• Hard Candy Christmas Fine Art and Craft Show in Franklin, N.C., November 27-28.

photo credit: 2007 – Day 159 – Mouse, flickr, creative commons by Jonathan_W