US Airways Restarts Service to Melbourne, FL

US Airways announced on Monday morning that they will resume air service between their hub Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, NC and Melbourne International Airport located in Melbourne, FL.

Richard Sheinwald/ Bloomberg News

The world’s fifth largest airline will offer three flights a day seven days a week service beginning February 11, 2010 putting them in direct competition with the only other major carrier at Melbourne International Airport – Delta Airlines.

US Airways operated out of Melbourne International Airport from 1989 to 1997 and will be a very welcome addition to the airports current lineup.  Tickets for the

Haunted Houses, Rocky Horror, and Street Festival Lead Halloween Fan Fare

Halloween has long been a favorite holiday of mine.  Who wouldn’t love the colors, the opportunity to dress up in costumes, carve jack-o-lanterns and eats ton of candy without retribution? 

Even though I don’t feel like Halloween is as great as it used to be – what a bummer it must be to trick-o-treat in one’s neighbor mall -there are still enough events going on locally to intice this jaded soul to go out and partake in what my area – Florida’s Space Coast - has to offer.

Halloween officially begins for me tonight!  The first annual Halloween in the Village, which is touted as being one of the largest on the Space Coast since it will be taking over all of downtown Cocoa Village. 

Activities will include a haunted house at The Porcher House, haunted hayrides, trick-o-treating with candy provided by Village shoppes, pumpkin decorating, a children’s costume contest and a viewing of the movie Monster Mash on the shores of the Indian River. 

If your taste runs more to the historic you can join the Florida Historical Society .  They will showcase the last movie on their Florida History Film Festival schedule, The Canaveral Monster beginning at 7:00 p.m.  

 

Want more adult fare?  Try your luck at Meg-O-Malley’s Annual Meg-O-Ween!  This 2-day fun-filled street party will feature a live bands, costumes, and a street party. The fun begins @ 6p.m. sharp and there’s a $10 cover charge to enter the festival area. Check out their full schedule.

 

On Saturday, I’m headed to Surfside Players - the oldest theatrical troupe on Cocoa Beach - who’s hosting the full movie version of  The Rocky Horror Picture Show performed by a shadow cast complete with audience participation & props. Even though the performance has been running for a week or so and will again be presented next weekend, I saved the event for Halloween because I figured the magic would be heightened on one of my favorite holidays.  If you interested in going there will be two shows one at 8pm and another at 11:30p.m. 

Whatever you plan to do on Halloween, I hope you are able to get your creep on!  I a will:)

Click here for a full calendar of Halloween events

Kowabunga! Surf’s Up On Florida’s East Coast!

Pull out the board shorts, bikinis and surf wax!  During the first two weeks of November, Florida’s Space Coast will play host to not one, but three major surfing events. 

From October 31-November 2, the AAU National Surfing Championship will draw surfers as young as the age of eight in hopes of becoming the King or Queen of the Grom!  The AAU National Surfing Championships will be held the last weekend in October behind Coconuts on the Beach, 2 Minutemen Causeway in world famous Cocoa Beach. 

Immediately following the AAU National Surfing Championship, The Slater Brother’s Invitational along with the 15th Annual Quiksilver King of the Peak surfing contest, will run concurrently the weekend of November 6-8.  Both events will wash ashore with a whole slew of events and head on head competition not only in the water, but on land as well!  And both will hosts pro talents such as C.J. and Damien Hobgood, Rob Machado, Shea Lopez and 9-time ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater!

 Weekend highlights include a street party which will take over Port Canaveral, shortboard and longboard contests skateboarding demos, a bon fire party and FREE skin cancer screenings. For a full schedule visit www.space-coast.com. 

If you can’t be in town for the any of the action, don’t worry!  All events will be streamed live at www.spacecoastsportstv.com.  But if you plan to attend check out Florida Space Coast’s special online only rates good through November 31, 2009.

NASA Launches New iPhone Application

NASA has launched itself into a different king of space. Mobile Space.  With the development of their very first iPhone application, designed by their New Media Team at NASA Ames Research Center.  The new mobile app is set to deliver up-to-the-minute NASA content directly from Agency sources in one easy-to-use mobile platform.

The software, which is free, makes use of built-in iPhone features and usability to offer NASA information in the form of dynamically updated information, images from their vast library and video links.  The NASA App is available in the App Store  from Apple directly to the iPhone and iPod Touch or within iTunes.

To send a comment or ask a question about the NASA app for iPhone, please send e-mail to: arc-dl-iphone@mail.nasa.gov.  So that they can sort e-mail and respond more effectively, please include a specific subject line.

NASA’s next launch into outer space is scheduled for November 16 STS-Mission 129.

 

JA, it’s time for Oktoberfest!

Fall is in the air…it’s the middle of October and every one knows what that means?  Halloween is in 10 days?  That and the fact that communities around the world are holding their annual Oktoberfest celebrations!

 

   

Oktoberfest, Munich

 

Starting as a wedding celebration for the recent marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and his bride Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a simple horse race almost 200 years ago has turned into two weeks of  festivities in Munich, Germany and smaller celebrations throughout the world even right here on Florida’s Space Coast.   

 

Prince Ludwig – 1831

  

  

 Princese Therese

 

 Last week, the 32nd Annual Melbourne Oktoberfest was held in Melbourne’s Wickham Park.  Usually attracting thousands of revelers throughout the county and surrounding areas, this year’s festival, the longest running on the Space Coast, was no exception since it continues to offer authentic German food, music and beverages and carnival rides. 

 

 Beer…

  

  

 Bratwurst…

 

 

 

and Sauerkraut for everyone!

 

If you missed it usually you have to wait until next year, but not so this year.  Brevard Night Life will present the 1st Annual Cocoa Village Oktoberfest in Downtown Cocoa Village from October 23 – 25.   Event coordinators have scheduled a street parade, a midway with rides and games, over a dozen street vendors serving German cuisine, live music on two states, and a Beer Garden.   Tickets for the street party are on sale at Savings Safari, 3670 N. US Hwy. 1 in Cocoa or at festival gates. 

 

 

Schedule of Events

Thursday, October 22

Brevard County Schools Night
5:30 pm – 10 pm

All Brevard County Students get an Unlimited Ride armband for just $10 when they show their student ID (or equivalent).

Friday, October 23
5:30 pm -1:00 am
Halloween Party Friday. Dress up for the costume contest.

Saturday, October 24
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
FREE ADMISSION -Carnival & Midway Riverfront Park

5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Oktoberfest Street Party – Brevard Ave. & Harrison St.
$10 Per Person
Four Stages & Much More!

Sunday, October 25
11:30 am – 8 pm
FREE ADMISSION Carnival & Midway Riverfront Park

 Historic Cocoa Village is located in historic downtown Cocoa between U.S. 1 and the Indian River, adjacent to State Road 520.  Click here for driving directions.

NASA Will Treat Those Who Tweet

For the first time, @NASA Twitter followers are invited to view a space shuttle launch in person.  NASA is hosting this unique Tweetup on Nov. 11 and 12 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Space Coast.

The two-day event will provide NASA Twitter followers with the opportunity to take a tour of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, view the space shuttle launch and speak with shuttle technicians, engineers, astronauts and managers.

The Tweetup will include a “meet and greet” session to allow participants to mingle with fellow Tweeps and the staff behind the tweets on @NASA.

Space shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch at 4:04 p.m. EST on Nov. 12 on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station.

For rules visit http://www.nasa.gov/collaborate/tweetup.html

Delta Airlines To Support Local Breast Cancer Walk

 

Throughout the month of October, Delta’s pink 757, tail number N610DL, is making appearances at local airshows in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.  However, it was just announced that Delta will fly the plane into Melbourne International Airport  in Melbourne, Florida on October 23 a day ahead of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Brevard Walk at the Avenues Viera on Saturday, October 24! 

Instead of Delta’s traditional livery, this aircraft wears a special livery in multiple shades of pink, featuring the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s trademark pink ribbon logo, adjacent to the boarding door.  Also, Delta flight attendants  don limited-edition pink dresses and pink uniform accessories and patrons can order pink lemonade onboard with 100% of the proceeds going toward the fight against breast cancer.

  

 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer honors breast cancer survivors, remember people we have lost, and raise funds and awareness to help end this disease.  Making Strides is not a race; it is a celebration of survivorship, an occasion to express hope, and a shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people. Teams of walkers and people of all ages are welcome to participate.

If you’d like to participate in the walk at the Avenues Viera, 6550 Colonnade Ave, in Melbourne, FL 32940, just click on the sign-up button :

Fly Me to the Moon….

NASA’s Ares I-X rocket, their new unmanned lunar rocket, is set to take flight on October 27 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.  Senior managers made the decision regarding the 33-story rocket after a meeting Monday at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Currently being prepped in high bay no.3 in the Vehicle Assmebly Building, the Ares I-X rocket will have an extended launch window from 8 a.m. to noon EDT.

Technicians at Kennedy have completed the stacking, or assembly, of the rocket on a mobile launch platform. This week, Ares I-X team members are conducting a launch countdown simulation and conducting final checks of the rocket’s systems.

The Ares launch will provide NASA with an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations, while gathering critical data for the Ares I rocket and future launch vehicles.

If you could travel into outer space where would you go?  The moon? Jupiter?

Fall Festival Days at Forever Florida

Forever Florida is gearing up for their annual Fall Festival Days with a jam packed schedule that features three highly attended and popular events.  First up on the schedule is the Harvest Music Jam to be held on Saturday, October 10, 2009.  The day‐long outdoor music festival celebrates the best of Central Florida’s local live music and arts in the amazing setting of Forever Florida’s 4700 acres of conservation and ranchlands. 

 

 

Seventeen local bands and performers are scheduled to appear with an eclectic mix of music ranging from folk to rock, bluegrass and blues. Among them, Bing Futch’s blend of rock and folk, Bluegrass by Patti and Frank, the acoustic rock of Andy Cartmell, and the popular Jam band Blue Lotus. Beginning at noon and running through 10pm, guests will enjoy continuous music from two stages along with performance artists, arts and crafts vendors, food and drink all in the relaxing setting of Forever Florida.       

 

Also, those up for some adventure will enjoy specially discounted Coach Safaris, Horseback Safaris and Zipline Safaris departing from the concert venue throughout the day. The kids, and the young at heart, can also take a dip in the old‐Florida‐style swimmin’ hole and enjoy the Camp Illahaw play area. The festival closes with a drum circle around a roaring bonfire beginning at 10pm and running into the night so guests are invited to make a night of it with overnight camping near the concert venue.  

 

Tickets are just $5 per person for the day with no charge for kids ages 5 and under. Additional $5 per person if camping. Chairs, blankets and drums are all welcome. Gates open at 11am. Advance reservations can be made by calling toll free, 866‐85‐4EVER ext 1. Florida EcoSafaris is located at 4755 N. Kenansville Rd in St. Cloud, Florida, just one hour southeast of Orlando or 30 minutes west of Melbourne. Take US ‐192 to Holopaw, then south on US‐441 for 7.5 miles. For additional information, visit www.ForeverFlorida.com/FestivalDays. 

Proceeds from this event benefit the Allen Broussard Conservancy, a 501C3 nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Florida’s wilderness and natural heritage. 

Fall Florida History Film Festival ‘09 Announces Schedule

Florida movie buff?   Well, you should plan on being on the Space Coast  during the month of October, for the 2009 Fall Florida History Film Festival.  Every Friday evening, the Florida Historical Society will view a film directed and filmed withing the borders of the Sunshine State.   All showings begin at 7:00 p.m. and a suggested donation for each film is $10–free admission for FHS members.   The scheduled line-up is as follows:

Friday, October 2, 2009

The Rose Tattoo (1955)

Filmed in Key West and based on the passion-filled Tennessee Williams play of  an Italian-American widow in Louisiana who has allowed herself to withdraw from the world after her husband’s death, and expects her daughter to do the same.  Starring Anna Magnani and Burt Lancaster.

 Presenter: Dr. Phil Simpson, former President of the Popular Culture Association and author of the book Psycho Paths: Tracking the Serial Killer Through Contemporary American Film and Fiction. 

 

 

 Friday, October 9, 2009

The Barefoot Mailman (1951)

Malicious intent follows the railway to south Florida in the 1890’s.  Based on the Theodore Pratt novel based on real life barefoot mailman James Hamilton.  Robert Cummings and TerryMoore star. 

presenter: Court Lewis, host of American Variety Radio, contributor to South Florida History magazine, and third generation Miamian. 

 

 

 

Friday, October 16, 2009

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)

A dramatic story inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and set among the greek Sponge Divers in Tarpon Springs.  Local fisherman resort to violence and even murder to maintain their established fishing grounds off the Gulf Coast of Florida. Run-ins between the two families clans lead to an exchange of threats and all-out brawls. Further complications ensue when Tony Petrakis meets Gwyneth Rhys, and the two fall in love.  The third film shot in Cinemascope.  The movie stars Robert Wagner and Terry Moore. 

Presenter: Dr. Susan J. Fernandez, professor of History at the University of South Florida and co-author of the book Sunshine in the dark: Florida in the Movies. 

 

  

Friday, October 23, 2009

Follow that Dream (1962)

A family of vagabonds who break down while traveling in Florida.  Instead of moving on, they take up residence on the land next to the road.  Soon, they build a thriving business catering to sports fisherman. Based on the satirical novel by Richard Powell.  1962 musical starring Elvis Presley and featuring 6 of his songs.  Filmed in Levy County. 

Presenter: Chris Kahl, singer-songwriter specializing in Florida history and culture, artist-in-residence in Brevard county elementary schools, and Florida Humanities Council “road scholar”.

 

 

 Friday, October 30, 2009

The Cape Canaveral Monsters (1960)

When a couple are killed in an auto accident their bodies are immediately inhabited by extraterrestrial beings.  Taking refuge in an underground cave, the aliens attempt to sabotage the U.S. Space Program.  An alien invasion sci-fi film so bad that it’s good.  Features actual NASA stock footage.  Written and directed by Phil Tucker. 

Presenter: Pat Duggins, award-winning broadcast journalist and author of the book Final Countdown: NASA and The End of the Space Shuttle Program.

 

 
The Florida Historical Society is the oldest cultural organization in the state, and the only state-wide historical society.  The FHS is dedicated to preserving Florida’s past through the collection, archival maintenance, and publication of historical documents and other materials relating to the history of Florida and its peoples.  The Society operates the FHS Press which publishes a diverse collection of interesting books, maintains the Library of Florida History with its extensive archival collections, and manages the Historic Rossetter House Museum.  Since 1997, the Headquarters of the Society has been located in historic downtown Cocoa Village at the Library of Florida History, and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.   The Florida Historical Library is located at 435 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa, Florida.