(Mobile)

Kiku Matsuri Chrysanthemum Festival

WHERE: Bellingrath Gardens and Home

WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

ADMISSION: Adults $12, children 5 -12 $6.50 and children 4 and under are free.

FEATURES:

· Bellingrath has one of the nation’s largest outdoor Chrysanthemum Displays – daily through Thanksgiving

· Mobile Ichihara Sister City Association (MISCA) Origami demonstration – all day

Bellingrath has one of the nation’s largest outdoor Chrysanthemum Displays – daily through Thanksgiving

· Mobile Ichihara Sister City Association (MISCA) Origami demonstration – all day

· Gulf Coast Bonsai demonstration and exhibit – all day

· Ikebana Society exhibit – all day

· Sumi-e demonstrations – all day

· Japan-American Society of Alabama exhibit – all day

· Japanese Tea Ceremony in the Delchamps Gallery – 2:00 PM

· Sho No Tyu school and Okinawan dances on Live Oak Plaza – 1:00 PM

Come help us celebrate Mums with an Asian Flair at Bellingrath's Kiku Matsuri - Chrysanthemum Festival! Kiku Matsuri is the fifth of the five annual festivals in the traditional Japanese calendar. The chrysanthemum is the official flower of Japan and is a symbol of longevity, power, dignity and nobility. This year our celebration with be the second week-end in November ... just as our Cascade Mums begin to peak. Unlike Spring where Mother Nature is responsible for the floral beauty that visitors admire, our horticultural staff works over ten months to create these fall displays.

During the summer months the greenhouse production staff produced 490 cascades, 168 columns and 52 hanging baskets in addition to over 6,800 garden mums.  This operation is without question the most labor intensive crop at Bellingrath.

(Mobile)

October 29 from 5:00 to 7:30 PM

Dress up your little goblins and come out to enjoy beautiful hot air balloons glowing on the Great Lawn. Multiple hot air balloons are scheduled to "glow" for us this year....weather permitting.  This year's event will also include a selection of scary and fun inflatables glowing throughout the Gardens. There will be plenty of treats and trinkets from area organizations and businesses for our trick-or-treaters to enjoy.

The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint will be in the Gardens selling their one-of-a-kind and national award winning barbeque and live music provided by MudBucket will be on the Great Lawn. The Balloon Glow is free for members and special reduced rates will begin at 5:00 p.m.  SPECIAL RATES: Adults $5; children 5 -12 $3 and as always children 4 and under are free.

Balloon Glow Trick-or-Treat Station Volunteers

Bellingrath is still looking for volunteer organizations, businesses or clubs that would like to participate in the "Glow" by distributing treats and trinkets to the hundreds of trick-or-treaters that attend this family event each year. Each participating organization will receive 4 free passes for the event and up to twenty 50% off discount coupons that can be used from October 29 - November 24, 2011. All of those distributing treats and trinkets are encouraged to dress up in costume for the evening to add to the festivities. Interested groups should complete return the registration form by Friday, October 7, 2011.

MOBILE, Ala. – Recovery: The World Trade Center Recovery Operation, a traveling exhibition by the New York State Museum documenting the historic recovery effort to locate human remains, personal objects and material evidence from the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC), opens at 10am on September 11 at The Museum of Mobile as the first venue of this international traveling exhibit.

The exhibition, which runs to December 2nd, includes 50 photographs, 56 recovered artifacts and interpretive text panels. The artifacts come from the New York State Museum’s extensive collection of objects, art, oral histories and memorial material obtained from Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills Landfill.

Firefighters, iron workers, engineers, contractors, police officers, and volunteers eventually removed 1.8 million tons of debris from Ground Zero to the landfill. The recovery operation had three objectives: to find human remains, personal effects, and any evidence of the terrorist attack, and the operation quickly evolved from simple hand sorting into an elaborate technical sifting and sorting process.

The New York State Museum staff became well acquainted with the army of workers from the New York Police Department (NYPD), FBI, 25 state and federal

agencies and 14 private contractors, whose daunting, exacting task was the sorting and examination of the World Trade Center material. In addition to

collecting artifacts, Museum staff documented operations, taking photos of the stark landscape of Fresh Kills, the sorting and sifting operations, hundreds of

debris piles and vehicles, and the people involved in the recovery process.

The resulting exhibition begins with a timeline of the events on September 11, 2001. The recovered World Trade Center artifacts include an American flag, souvenirs, building keys, signs, firearms, sections of the building facade, marble floor, and airplane fragments. Among the rescue-related objects are a NYPD radio holster, a firefighter’s boot and air tank harness and the door from a destroyed Fire Department of New York truck.

The Museum of Mobile opened in its present location 10 days after 9-11. The staff wanted an exhibit to honor our 10th anniversary with the same reverence that we experienced during that time. MOM Director, David Alsobrook says, “I think this exhibit exemplifies the unique role that museums can play nationally and locally in educating the public and commemorating important events and times in our history.  The key elements of historical memory sometimes are unpleasant and traumatic. Thus, a museum seeks remembrance and commemoration of what’s often uncomfortable and disturbing, and this exhibit contributes to the ongoing grieving and healing processes and brings our communities closer together, both nationally and locally.”

The Museum will have a memory wall outside the exhibit so visitors may look back to September 11, 2001 and add their thoughts of what they were doing and where they were when they learned of the first tower being attacked.

For more information on this exhibit and upcoming exhibits, please call 251-208-7569 or visit www.museumofmobile.com. The Museum of Mobile is located at 111 South Royal Street in historic downtown.

GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – Guests visiting Alabama’s 32 miles of white-sand beaches have a new mobile vacation tool at their fingertips. Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism (CVB), which serves as the area’s official destination marketing organization, announced the launch of its new vacation guide app that is available through both the iTunes and Android stores.

In addition to providing detailed listings for all accommodations, restaurants and attractions in the area, this app showcases specials for local restaurants, lists nearby businesses, previews the weather forecast, provides links to all of the CVB’s social channels, and enables users to check into Facebook Places.

“The use of this app allows us to reach our guests directly and provide the necessary content in a fun, engaging and simple to use manner,” said Herb Malone, president/CEO for the CVB. “We are confident that this tool will enrich the beach vacation experience even more while allowing guests to get back to the real reason why they came on vacation – reconnecting with those you love.”

Guests who download this new app may receive a small token by visiting either the Gulf Shores or Orange Beach Welcome Center through Labor Day and showing the app on your phone to one of the welcome center staff members.

The CVB will be rolling out an app awareness program in the coming months.

THEODORE, AL - The book signing for Distinguished Young Women's new book of essays, Full Bloom: Cultivating Success will be held at Bellingrath Gardens and Home in the Gift Shop on Thursday, June 23, 2011 from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D., America's Junior Miss in 1994 will be at Bellingrath to meet guests and to sign books. She is one of the Hosts for this year's National Finals of Distinguished Young Women and one of 27 contributing authors in the book. All authors are past participants of Distinguished Young Women, formerly known as America's Junior Miss.

Information about Amy Osmond Cook

Dr. Cook received her doctorate in Communication from the University of Utah. She teaches communication, interdisciplinary and technical writing courses. Amy has been featured in print publications such as People Magazine and USA Today; she has appeared on Good Morning America and other television programs. She has written and contributed to several books, including "Full Bloom: Cultivating Success" , "Organizational Identification" and "Hope After Divorce". A studio and solo violinist, Amy released her debut album, Nativity in 2004. She performed for several years with the Osmond Brothers. She is married to Jeff Cook and is the proud mother of five beautiful children.

Information about Distinguished Young Women

All proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit Distinguished Young Women, a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments. The program has provided life-changing experiences for more than 700,000 young women and more than $93 million in cash scholarships has been awarded at the local, state and national levels combined. Distinguished Young Women strives to give every young woman the opportunity to further her education and prepare for a successful future. This year's National Finals are being held June22 - 25 in Mobile, Alabama's Civic Center Theatre.

(Mobile)

'NBC's Last Comic Standing Live Tour' will be at The Mobile Saenger Theatre February 20th.

Event: 'NBC's Last Comic Standing Live Tour'
The “Last Comic Standing Live Tour” will feature the finalists from the popular series. MIKE DESTEFANO Mike has been a stand-up comedian for ten years. A former heroin addict, Mike has been clean for 11 years and performs regularly at prisons and rehab centers pro bono. He lives in the Bronx, downstairs from his mother. Mike has appeared on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Comedy Central Presents: Live at Gotham," and had his own half-hour special "Comedy Central Presents: Mike DeStefano.” FELIPE ESPARZA Felipe has been a stand-up comedian for 14 years. He was raised in East Los Angeles (Boyle Heights), and has worked closely with fellow comedians Paul Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias and Russell Peters. He got his first taste of major exposure when he appeared on a Showtime "Diamonds in the Rough" segment early in his career. Since then, he's appeared on numerous television shows, including "Comics Unleashed," "Premium Blend," and "Comics Without Borders." He also completed production on his first major motion picture - based on his stand-up material - called "I'm Not Like That No More," in which he stars opposite Paul Rodriguez. TOMMY JOHNAGIN Tommy grew up in Benton, Illinois and currently resides in St. Louis. He has been a stand-up comedian for almost 10 years. Tommy started in standup at the age of 18, and dropped out of college three years later to become a full-time comedian. Recently, he appeared in his own half-hour special "Comedy Central Presents: Tommy Johnagin" in 2009. In addition, Tommy's credits include "Late Show with David Letterman" and Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham." MYQ KAPLAN Myq Kaplan is 31 years old and currently lives in New York City with his girlfriend. He recently appeared on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," and his half-hour Comedy Central special entitled "Comedy Central Presents: Myq Kaplan" debuted in April. In 2009, he won New York's Funniest Standup Competition. Myq tours North America regularly - having performed thousands of shows at comedy clubs all over the country. He's been a stand-up comedian for nearly eight years. ROY WOOD, JR. Roy was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama and is 31 years old. He's been a comic for 12 years. Roy has opened for comedians ranging from D.L. Hughley and Mo'nique, to Ron White and Bill Engvall. In 2008, Roy was featured on the new season of HBO's "Russell Simmon's Def Comedy Jam," and E! Network's "Chelsea Lately." Prior to that, he appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman," "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," "Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen," and Comedy Central's "Premium Blend." Roy is a freelance writer for a variety of morning shows, and his prank calls can now be heard on more than 40 national radio shows, including Jamie Foxx's Foxxhole Radio on Sirius|XM Satellite Radio Tickets will be $43 and $30 plus service charge Tickets on sale now!!

(Mobile)

Bellingrath Gardens has put together a fantastic line up for the 2011 Winter Wednesdays.  Admission for each day is $12 and Friends of The Gardens get in free of charge.  For more information, check out their website at:  www.bellingrath.org.

Housekeeping in an Historic Home

January 12th 10:30 AM – 11:30

Tom McGehee, Curator & Gail Bravos

Learn how to maintain your antique furniture, glassware, silver and textiles.   We’ll share our secrets for products to use and what products to avoid.

Art & Treasures in the Bellingrath Home

January 19th 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Tom McGehee, Curator

Join this special tour to learn more about the art and objects d’art in the Bellingrath Home’s collection.

A New Look at George Rogers

January 26th 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Cart Blackwell, Architectural Historian, Mobile Historic Development Commission

Cart will share information from his recent in-depth research on George Rogers, the designer of Bellingrath’s Gardens and Home.

Winter Garden Walk

February 2rd 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Barbara Smith, Horticultural Display Manager

Bundle up and join Barbara for a walk through the Gardens to learn what plants and combinations work best for winter gardens along the Gulf Coast.

Rose Pruning

February 9th 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Linda Guy, Rosarian

Pruning is a critical success factor for any rose garden; learn from our expert how to get your roses in top shape.

Urban Gardening in Mobile

February 16th 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Leslie Doyle, Landscape Architect, Downtown Mobile, Inc.

Learn how Leslie transforms Downtown Mobile with plantings and baskets.  Great ideas for your home garden, too!

Propagation 101

February 23th 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Chuck Owens,  Director of Horticulture & Maintenance

See how Chuck and his team grows thousands of plants for Bellingrath Gardens and Home.

(Mobile)

The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center is opening its new exhibit "Giant Insects" on January 22.

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
If you thought there were already big bugs in Mobile, think again! Opening Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 is Giant Insects, the Gulf Coast Exploreum’s newest interactive traveling exhibit. Giant Insects features six oversized robotic bugs, three giant mechanical insect heads, an insect art gallery, a live insect zoo, preserved specimens, special lab activities and MORE.

NAME AN INSECT CONTEST
There’s a bug infestation taking place at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center this January, and the giant praying mantis leading the group of bugs is desperately searching for a name! The Exploreum launched the “Name an Insect” contest, inviting the public to pick a name for its praying mantis, which will be one of six oversized robotic bugs on display during the upcoming Giant Insects exhibition. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

BUG BLAST BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Does your child have a birthday in February, March, April or May? Book them a Bug Blast Party at the Exploreum for a birthday they will never forget! Our Bug Blast Parties include admission to the Exploreum and Giant Insects for 30 guests, a themed cake, a special party room, the chance to meet some of the bugs, unique decorations and MORE! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR CALL 251.208.6881 TO BOOK YOUR PARTY TODAY.

ROBOTIC BUG DESCRIPTIONS

Chinese Praying Mantis - This 19-foot leaf-like insect (60 times life-size) gets its name from its praying position either at rest or waiting to make a kill. An intimidating hunter, the praying mantis has a voracious appetite, feeding on insects and even lizards, frogs and birds. Praying mantids will also eat each other - a female mantis will sometimes eat the male after mating which provides the female with the large amount of protein needed for the production of eggs.

Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar - Representative of one magical stage of metamorphosis, this 15-foot wiggler (30 times life-size) is at the larval stage of the swallowtail butterfly. Growing in five stages, a caterpillar sheds its skin as it gets bigger, attaches to a leaf and becomes a pupa. A chrysalis forms around it, providing protection for several months while it develops adult legs, mouthparts and wings. The final result is a beautiful butterfly.

Atlas Beetles - Two (2) male horned beetles battle each other in mortal combat. From the order Coleoptera, meaning “sheath wing,” these 11-foot beetles (40 times life-size) have two armor-like wings that cover and protect the transparent wings used for flying.

Desert Locust - The desert locust is best known for their mass destruction capabilities. The swarms of desert locust may invade more than 20 percent of the total land surface of the world. This 15-foot robotic locust (70 times life-size) demonstrates the locust’s powerful legs that enable it to jump phenomenal distances, up to 40 times the length of its body.

Stick Insect - These insects are often hard to see with their protective camouflage. Predators often overlook them as their appearance and motion mimic branches and twigs. This stick insect is 21.5 feet in length (120 times life-size).

Mosquito, Bee and Dragonfly Heads - Magnifying glasses four feet in diameter will give visitors the experience of seeing the features of a mosquito, bee and dragonfly up close. Hands-on controls allow visitors to manipulate mouthparts to see how these insects chew, suck and feed.

LIVE INSECTS ON DISPLAY

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
Chinese Praying Mantis
Milkweed Leaf Beetle
Hercules Beetle
American Grasshopper
Wolf Spider
Rosy Knee Tarantula
Millipedes
Tobacco Worms (will go through metamorphosis to become moths)
Emperor Scorpion (Chem lab)
Mealworms (Separate enclosure)
Crickets (Separate enclosure)
Wax Worms (Separate enclosure)

SPECIAL DEMONSTRATIONS

Get Bugged Out!
The BioLab demonstration (available on weekends) will focus on the nutritional aspects of insects. Yes, that’s right…we said the nutritional aspects of insects, so we hope you’re hungry. We’ll prepare a variety of recipes with crickets, mealworms (a type of beetle larva) and wax worms (a type of caterpillar), while we talk about how these insects benefit our bodies. Then, visitors will have the chance to taste a sampling of our yummy recipes!

The Emperor's New Glow
The Chem Lab demo focuses on insect chemistry, featuring the emperor scorpion as the star of the show! We’ll explore the science of bioluminescence and investigate the chemical compounds that make our scorpion glow, along with other “light” insects such as lightning bugs. This demo is available on weekends.

Insect Investigation
Upstairs, in Infestation Hall, our field camp educators will give visitors a hands-on insect experience! Visitors will get to touch giant cockroaches, caterpillars and beetles. Plus, we’ll give you tips on how to catch and identify bugs in your backyard or during any camping adventure.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES (FOR SCHOOL GROUPS)
After walking with giant insects, visiting the live insect zoo and admiring many beautiful specimens, give your students the opportunity to explore insects with an in-depth insect lab! Classroom Activities are approximately 45 minutes and can be reserved for an additional cost of $2 per student during your already scheduled field lesson. Maximum 30 children per Classroom.

Being a Butterfly
Students will learn all about the life cycle of a butterfly as they act out each stage of development. ACOS Objectives - K:6 / 1:4 / 2:6

Grasshopper Dissection
Students will discover the grasshopper up close as they dissect this interesting insect. ACOS Objectives - 3:8 / 4:5 / 5:5

IMAX FILMS
While visiting Giant Insects, guests can enjoy one of the two IMAX films that will also open Jan. 22 in the J.L. Bedsole IMAX Dome Theatre. Bugs: A Rainforest Adventure and Lost Worlds: Life in the Balance are both exciting films with breathtaking scenery that will transport viewers to exotic locales. Visit our IMAX page for more information and show times.

ADMISSION PRICES
Giant Insects is included with general admission and combo admission tickets.

GENERAL ADMISSION (Includes permanent exhibits & Giant Insects)
Adults (19-59) - $14.00
Senior (60+) - $12.50
Youth (13-18) - $12.50
Child (2-12) - $12.00
Members - $2.50
Children under the age of 2 are free.

COMBO ADMISSION (Includes permanent exhibits, Giant Insects & an IMAX)
Adults (19-59) - $18.00 / Members - $9.00
Senior (60+) - $17.00 / Members - $8.00
Youth (13-18) - $17.00 / Members - $8.00
Child (2-12) - $15.50 / Members - $7.50
Children under the age of 2 are free.

(Mobile)

(Mobile)

Magic Christmas in Lights at Bellingrath Gardens and Home is a holiday tradition in the region.  The spectacular light display began in 1995 and continues to astound visitors every year.  Guests stroll through over 3 million sparkling lights with 929 set pieces in 13 themed scenes throughout the 65 acre Garden estate. Each set piece and all the scenes were designed specifically for Bellingrath and were completely constructed and installed by Bellingrath’s staff.  In addition, the Bellingrath Museum Home is decorated in its holiday finery and poinsettias encompass the Gardens.  Magic Christmas in Lights opens the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year’s Eve; it is closed only on December 25th.  Normal operating hours of 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM are extended until 9:00 PM throughout holiday season.