Holiday Events on Jekyll Island

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Christmas and New Year’s are a wonderful time to be on Jekyll Island! During the holiday season, the island is full of exciting activities and events that you won’t want to miss. From holiday light displays to outdoor movies, there’s something for everyone. Here are the top ten holiday events to check out on Jekyll Island:

Holiday Light Displays. Take a Holly Jolly Light Tour around the island to enjoy Christmas light displays decorating historic sites and houses. The trolley tour includes festive drinks and music, with tickets available for purchase at the Mosaic Museum, or you can take a self-guided tour by car or bike by following the signs for the Holly Jolly Light Tour. Come watch Santa and other Christmas characters wind their way around the island in festively lit vehicles for the Holly Jolly Jekyll Island Light Parade.

Holiday Drive-In Movie Night. Enjoy holiday movies on the big screen with the whole family at this outdoor movie night. Popcorn, blankets, and warm clothes are all you need for this cozy event. Get there early to catch Santa riding around on a fire truck! 

Shopping for the Holidays. Visit the Goodyear Cottage to browse through handmade crafts and beautiful works of art from local artists at Merry Artists Holiday Market. Or stop by the Holly Jolly Trading Post on Pier Road to pick up your holiday gifts of the season and enjoy Christmas snacks and warm beverages. Open daily through Christmas Eve.

Go Christmas Caroling. On Saturdays in December, get in the holiday spirit with a Christmas sing-along put on by Chapel Carols! Local musicians lead the music at the Faith Chapel and admission is free.

Holidays in History. Take a trolley tour through the Historic District to learn what holidays were like for the wealthy families with homes on Jekyll Island at the turn of the twentieth century. Tickets can be purchased at the Mosaic Museum.

Follow the Christmas Bagpiper. Starting at the Riverfront Veranda, this fun live music tradition takes place daily for the week prior to Christmas. Grab a drink and take a stroll following the sounds of bagpipes. 

Get Festive at Jekyll Island Club. Get a little fancy and festive with Holiday High Tea at Jekyll Island Club throughout the month of December. Tables are set for up to four people and tickets can be purchased up to three days in advance. Or put your own spin on some holiday treats with Christmas Cookie Decorating at Jekyll Island Club Ballroom the weekend before Christmas, a timeless tradition sure to delight the whole family (tickets sold in advance). Jekyll Island Club also offers elegant holiday dining options for Christmas and New Year’s. 

Horsin’ Around for the Holiday. Join Three Oaks Carriage Tours for a narrated Christmas Lights Tour of the Historic District in a horse-drawn carriage. Or jump in the saddle for a one hour Jingle Bell Beach horseback ride, led by Three Oaks Farm. The horses will be decked out in festive attire and ready for some photos!

Festive Family Fun. Kids will love the Winter Carnival in early December, offering free carnival rides, games, a visit with Santa and a chance to get up close to fire trucks and emergency vehicles. Or take the whole family to the mini-golf course, which is transformed into Peppermint Land for the holiday season, with life-size gumdrops, gingerbread people and more! 

Explore the Local Environment. Visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to learn about the lives of sea turtles and tour their rehabilitation center. While you’re there, leave “get well soon” wishes in the holiday stockings for the turtle patients, and decorate a Christmas ornament to hang on the tree. Stop by the 4-H Tidelands Nature Center to learn about coastal ecology and see exhibits about animals native to the area. On your way out, pick up animal-themed DIY holiday ornament kits to complete at home.

No matter how you celebrate it, the holiday season is a magical time of year on Jekyll Island. Come join us in the holiday spirit and book your vacation rental today!

Villas by the Sea Jekyll Island

Thanksgiving on Jekyll Island

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Thanksgiving on Jekyll Island is the perfect time of year to enjoy everything the island has to offer. There are fewer crowds with the arrival of cooler weather, so you will have plenty of space to explore the island or relax on the beach with family and friends. The natural beauty, exciting wildlife and rich history of Jekyll Island provide a relaxing and fun way to spend time with your loved ones.

If you are planning to serve a traditional Thanksgiving feast in your vacation rental, you can find plenty of supplies at Jekyll Market or Winn-Dixie in nearby Brunswick. You could also take a short 30 minute drive north to St. Simons Island to pick up a pre-made Thanksgiving meal from The Market at Sea Island or Golden Isles Olive Oil, or homemade pies from Dulce Dough Bakery.

If you don’t feel like cooking, enjoy a Thanksgiving buffet at one of several Jekyll Island restaurants. Make a reservation for a traditional Thanksgiving buffet at the Jekyll Island Club or Beach House, or head to Sago on St. Simons Island for a poolside meal (reservations required). Not feeling like turkey?Head to Eighty Ocean Kitchen and Bar or The Wharf for tasty local cuisine. 

After you finish dinner, enjoy the refreshing ocean breezes on one of Jekyll Island’s gorgeous beaches or take a walk on one of the trails running through the island. Stick around the day after Thanksgiving for the annual Tree Lighting Festival in the Historic District. The festival includes themed tours, crafts and holiday decorations, and the tree will be lit at sundown.

Come stay at one of our premier vacation rentals and create a new Thanksgiving tradition on Jekyll Island!

beachfront jekyll island rentals

Jekyll Island Rentals Perfect for Working Remotely

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2020 has presented several challenges and changed the way many people operate day-to-day. Many around the world are working and learning remotely for the foreseeable future. Countless people are feeling a little stir-crazy and itching to get outside of their home, safely. People are heading out of major cities to escape to their own personal oasis, get some fresh air, and make up for the missed family vacations, responsibly.

Here are our top 3 reasons to work and learn remotely in a Jekyll Island Vacation Rental.

 

Location, Location, Location

You’ve been cooped up at home and your morning commute no longer involves a highway or a subway station. Your commute is now from the kitchen to the desk and ends on your couch in the evening. You’re yearning for a change of pace and even a new background for those Zoom calls. Who says you have to work and learn from the same old space? Walk to the beach when you finish your last Zoom call of the day. Take everyone for a bike ride on your lunch breaks. Pack up the family and head to a new WiFi zone in your Jekyll Island Vacation Rental. 

 

Spend more quality time together

With the beach as your new front yard, your crew will get outside and spend more time together rather than retreat to your corners of the house and glued to your screens all day. Never feel guilty about taking PTO again, you can have the best of both worlds – family vacation without missing out on those Monday through Friday obligations. 

 

Everything you need to work and learn remotely

Your fully equipped Jekyll Island Vacation Rental provides you with a safe, clean spacious home with enough room for everyone. Work, play, learn, and relax knowing that after you press send on the final email, the ocean is waiting just steps away. A hot tub? Pool? Bringing your four legged friend along? With over 130 properties, we have an option to fit your family complete with the amenities you need for working and learning remotely.

 

Book your winter vacation rental now and enjoy beach life on Jekyll Island, without skipping a beat.

Family enjoys the beach

Make Socially Distancing Fun for the Whole Family

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We know that COVID-19 has presented many challenges this year. We’re committed to helping you enjoy family time. Jekyll Island provides plenty of room to roam to make socially distancing fun for the whole family.

Create memories, stay healthy, and find family fun with these activities.

Hit the beach

Tucked away between the Isles of Savannah and Jacksonville, Jekyll Island offers miles of beautiful beaches. Head to the sand play, relax, and soak up the sun. From the iconic and photogenic Driftwood Beach to the magnificent Great Dunes beach, you can create your perfect beach day on our shores. 

More details on our favorite Jekyll Island Beaches.

Watch all the wildlife

Jekyll Island is a 5,700 acre state park overflowing with native wildlife. Horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, and knobbed whelks (large sea snails) are common sightings. Our shores are home to seas stars, red drum fish, and tiny shrimp. You might even spot a dolphin or manatee. Looking to see some of the local ocean life up close? Visit the 4-H Tidelands Nature Center and see the live nature exhibits with COVID-19 safety in mind.

Cruise the coast

Hop on two wheels and feel the wind in your hair. 25 miles of bike paths are available so you can choose your own adventure along the Georgia coast. See the sand dunes, beaches, Oak trees, and history of Jekyll Island. Opt for the leisurely Ocean View Trail for breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Get hooked on fishing 

Charter a boat or find your own honey hole along the water and everyone can delight in a day of fishing. Create fond new memories or traditions together near the water. Jekyll Island Fishing Center, just next to Jekyll Island Pier, can provide fishing gear to outfit your family adventure.

 

Jekyll Realty is closely monitoring statements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are working to ensure that we meet the latest recommendations for hygiene and cleaning. Whether you choose a beachfront property, a cozy cottage or an oceanview condo, you make socially distancing fun for the whole family at Jekyll Island.