Holiday Helm

This December marks Southport’s thirtieth annual Winterfest, a weeklong celebration full of garden parties, live music, visits with Santa, tours of homes, and a parade. The Winterfest Flotilla, the December 14 grand finale, will illuminate the waterfront with sail, power, and paddle boats from across the historic maritime town.

At the helm of the flotilla’s all-volunteer board of directors is chairperson and Southport resident SUZANNE FOSTER.  

Foster lived most of her life outside of Portland, Oregon, where she managed her own real estate business for thirty years. She also operated long-term rentals and a vacation beach house rental, so when she decided to retire from real estate, becoming an innkeeper was a natural step. Foster’s move to Southport involved six weeks of traveling and sightseeing from the West to East coasts. She racked up 8,200 miles on her motorcycle and stayed at bed-and-breakfasts along the way.

Once in Southport, Foster purchased LaPolena, a private residence along the Cape Fear River. She first turned it into a vacation rental before opening its doors as a bed-and-breakfast.

An avid boater, Foster quickly joined the Southport Boat Club and attended a Christmas party to watch the flotilla. To her surprise, there were just five boats on the water. In Portland, Foster was one of seventy-seven boat owners who participated in The Christmas Ships, a two-week nightly boat parade during the holiday season. In an effort to inspire other boat owners, Foster decorated her 41-foot boat and sold tickets to join her onboard for the flotilla, with food and music included. She donated proceeds to the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, a tradition she continued for the next five years.

“I considered myself Southport’s flotilla cheerleader,” she says.

Last year, she sold her boat and began serving on the flotilla board.

“I’ve always been a believer that if you want to change something, don’t just talk about it, get involved. As a tourist town, I see businesses closing before Christmas until spring break. The decline in tourism during those months forces people to be without jobs, and that matters to me,” she says.  

The flotilla board is a well-rounded group of volunteers who provide input, strategy, and direction. This year’s team includes the city of Southport, Downtown Southport Inc., Cape Fear Yacht Club, the U.S. Coast Guard, individual boaters, and weather personnel.

“We’re aiming for a waterfront spectacle commemorating our thirtieth anniversary with thirty boats,” says Foster.

The flotilla has more sponsors than ever, enabling prizes for first place winners in two divisions, power and sail. The route has been extended from 15 minutes to one hour and covers waters from Deep Point Marina through the Intracoastal Waterway to the St. James Marina.  

This year’s flotilla is dedicated to Peggy Campbell, past commodore of Southport Boat Club. Campbell held a watch party every year for those who did not have a boat. “Peggy was my best supporter. We sadly said goodbye to her earlier this month. She is greatly missed,” says Foster. 

Foster is already thinking ahead to future years. “My vision is to grow the flotilla to multiple nights, keep our businesses open longer, pack rental properties and restaurants with people, and celebrate with watch parties and live music all along the route.”

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