Tuesday, November 25, 2008

We Have Walls!


That’s right - you heard it here first! The first wall is officially up at The Conference Center at The Wharf.

Planned at approximately 27,000 square feet, The Conference Center will accommodate meeting room space through a partitioned wall system, a Green Room, state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, and a catering kitchen. When the wall system is not used, the conference center will serve as an 18,600-square-foot exhibition hall, which will accommodate more than 2,000 guests for reception or theater seating and more than 1,500 for banquet seating.

The Conference Center at The Wharf will be able to host a variety of groups and events, including association meetings, special events, sporting events and more. Early bookings for 2009 include Student Life, a youth ministry organization that will use the conference center from May through August for its summer camps.

THE WHARF CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS IN A BIG WAY

Its finally our favorite time of the year here at The Wharf and we here at The Wharf are planning to celebrate Christmas in a BIG way this year. The annual “hanging of the green” started last week. Garland now flows from every railing along Wharf Parkway and Main Street. Rumor has it that the tree will arrive this week. The tree is 40 feet tall – the tallest on the Island we hear. Excitement definitely fills the air at The Wharf right now and it could not come soon enough!

The merriment officially kicks off this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, at 6:00pm, at the “Lighting of the Island” event. Friends and family of The Wharf and the Island are invited to come cheer along as the grand Christmas tree is lit. This year’s tree will be placed in the round about at the end of Main Street, in front of the Guy Harvey boat bar. The highlight of the evening will be the arrival of our favorite jolly old man - Santa - escorted by Orange Beach’s finest – the fire department. That’s right – Santa will arrive atop of big red fire truck! Children will not want to miss this! Santa will hang around after his arrival for a few hours to offer FREE pictures. No need to bring your camera; a photographer will be on-site and The Wharf will post the pictures on its website after the event. The wonderful night is presented by NBC15 and UTV44 and Pen Air Credit Union. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors.

If you cannot make it out Friday to visit Ole’ Saint Nick, don’t worry. He will be back at The Wharf every Saturday through the holiday season. Santa will perch himself atop his giant sleigh every Saturday from 1pm-5pm right next to the Christmas tree. Pictures are FREE each Saturday as well. I hear that Santa is fond of pets and has extended an open invitation to pet owners to bring their dogs as well! Peace on earth and good will to men and PETS this year! The Saturday events are presented by NBC15 and UTV44 and Pen Air Credit Union.

Since Santa will be busy sharing the camera with all his adoring fans, he might need a little help taking care of all his lists and The Wharf is THE place to take care of this. The Wharf is the largest shopping center on the Island, and has something for everyone on your list. Get dad a shirt at Bobby Chan, a fishing shirt at Sand Dollar, a fishing rod at The Wharf Outfitters Outdoor Store or a gift certificate to a sports bar so you can get him out of the house to go watch bowls games during the holidays! There are so many great gift shops to take care of all of your teacher gifts, friend gifts or, if you cannot resist the temptation to pick up some things here and there for yourself, “me” gifts. The Wharf has a ladies clothing option for all price ranges and ages. Support the local economy and your local retailers by doing your Christmas shopping at The Wharf this year. Park, shop, eat and play – a great way to spend a day this holiday season.

For those who love Christmas music, The Wharf will feature Christmas carolers from local community groups every Thursday beginning December 4th. This event is free to the public, and is a great way to get in the holiday spirit by bringing your family and friends together for a unique Christmas experience at The Wharf. Hear these festive carolers at The Wharf:

December 2nd … St. Benedict Children’s Choir
December 4th … Orange Beach Girl Scouts
December 11th … Orange Beach Methodist
December 16th … Gulf Shores High School
December 20th … Gulf Shores Baptist Bell Choir

Finally, I have one last holiday event to share. Thanks to the relentless effort of The Wharf’s own event coordinator, Lesley Dethloff, the Island is going to host the 1st Annual “Pleasure Island Christmas Parade”. This inaugural event is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Saturday, December 13th, at The Wharf. The cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores have come together to make this event possible. The parade will be an exciting event that will be community focused and family oriented. Entrants to date include area high school bands and drum lines, several floats, fire trucks, local charity groups and local businesses. The parade will end with a special guest – you guessed it – Santa. This event is sure to become an island tradition that you just simply cannot miss! Go to
www.thewharfal.com to get entry information. Thanks to our great sponsors - Cat Country 98.7 and NBC15

That’s all I have to share now! Stay tuned for future updates, pictures and a surprise announcement. I will give you one hint – when is the last time it snowed in the Island???

Visit www.TheWharfAL.com or text the word ‘WHARF’ to TEXT ME (839863) for all your Wharf holiday events and retail sales information!