The time is here!! The FestivalSouth Best of the Pine Belt Awards, brought to you by Southern Eye Center, opens for voting today, July 1!! From home builders to hair stylists, custom cabinets to craft cocktail concocters, you can now vote on your favorite local businesses and people.
Two years ago, you nominated your favorites over 132,000 times. We were overwhelmed last year when you nominated your favorites 150,924 times. Well, this year we counted 162,846 nominations, and we can’t wait to tally the votes. Simply go to hubcityspokes.com and click on the link to voice your opinions. You can vote once each day for each category through July 21, so vote early and often. Every vote counts!
Developing the list of finalists is always an interesting experience. These days the computer does the work, unlike the days in the not-so-distant past when we had to tally paper ballots. I remember buying pizza for the staff as we worked late into the night preparing the list!
What never changes is that there is a long list of businesses and professionals that seem to show up year-after-year on the list of finalists. These are the business owners and professionals who took risks and were successful at developing businesses that have made a true impact on our community. These folks drive our economy and make the Pine Belt what it is – a truly special place to live and work. Nothing makes you prouder of your community than reading through this list.
You will find the complete list of finalists online at hubcityspokes.com and in the July issue of Signature Magazine, and the winners will be announced in our August issue of Signature Magazine. We are very busy planning an extravaganza of an event to announce this year’s winners. We’ve planned a dinner/dance to be held at the Lake Terrace Convention Center on July 27. With the theme of “1980’s Neon Celebration,” we are ready to party like it’s 1984! Almost all of us have costumes at the ready, planning to attend as Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton in ‘9 to 5’, or in a fabulous Cyndi Lauper getup. I wish I could tell you how to buy tickets, but, again, we were overwhelmed when we sold out at 770 tickets almost 6 weeks before the event!
Personally, I’m attending in vintage Reeboks, a pink tutu, and a wind suit jacket. Shopping for the costume is half the fun, but I had to wonder how many 60-somethings were wearing Reeboks and a tutu, in the 1980’s or at any time! Apparently, I’m of the school of thought that believes a costume can transport you through time in more ways than one!
Christina Pierce is the publisher at Hattiesburg Publishing, which produces The Pine Belt News and Signature Magazine.
