Category Archives: Beaufort’s Best

Marsh Tacky Horses, Historical Demonstrations, and Festival Fun at the 2018 Lowcountry Fair

Posted on October 11, 2018 by | Leave a comment

What could be more fun than an old-fashioned country fair, filled to the brim with historical flair? With the arrival of crisp fall air, the Santa Elena Foundation hosts the second annual Lowcountry Fair on Saturday, November 3 from 11 am to 5 pm at the beautiful, privately-owned Cotton Hall Plantation, only 5 miles from Interstate-95 in Northern Beaufort County, SC.

It’s the perfect way for the entire family to spend a fall day in the Lowcountry! And the event is the host of the ONLY Marsh Tacky Horse Races in 2018!

Moderately-priced tickets and family ticket packages allow visitors of all ages to enjoy special activities and events throughout the day at no extra cost. The fun, family-friendly atmosphere will showcase Marsh Tacky horses from around the region in obstacle courses, meet-and-greet areas and several racing heats.

“At the end of the day, we will awarding a grand champion of the horse races, but with a great community event like this – everyone wins!” said Megan Morris, executive director of the Santa Elena History Center. “This fall’s Lowcountry Fair will be a stand-out event for the community to experience local heritage mixed in with plenty of good fun, food and friendship. This continues our efforts to highlight Beaufort County’s unique history and collaborate with others in the region.”

The events featuring the Marsh Tacky horse will be the perfect complement to other headline activities, like Living History. Across a 50-acre field, over 500 years of local history will be on display with historical re-enactors showing family life, living conditions, and times of war, sacrifice, and change. From 16th century colonial times when Santa Elena was founded by the Spanish, through the American Revolution, the Civil War/Reconstruction era and up to WWII — men, women and children will demonstrate history in period costume. They will mingle with spectators, tell fascinating stories of life in days gone by, fire their weaponry, walk in a parade and engage visitors in fun, educational activities.

The most delicious local food concessions will be available for purchase throughout the day. Do you love oysters or barbecue? Why choose? Enjoy the day’s activities with a lowcountry lunch, a sweet treat, and perhaps even a local brewed beer or Spanish wine. Sip and see throughout the area with music playing and artisans displaying their original products from iron-welded signs, to local honey, and everything in between.

Children will also enjoy the exotic petting zoo, pony rides, and other fun activities. They can meet friends at the National Park Service and participate in a Junior Ranger program, or head over to see the critters brought by Coastal Discovery Museum, who have their own Marsh Tacky on site, named Comet.

And just when you think you’ve seen it all, follow a trail down to the plantation’s original operating sugar mill, still in use today. Enjoy a walk back in time to see how “sugar” was made in the antebellum South, thanks to the plantation owners who have preserved this art for decades and now welcome us to their home.

MORE DETAILS:
Tickets are available online (www.santa-elena.org/lowcountry-fair) and at the gate.
Patron Level ($100), General Admission ($20), Children 7-17 ($5)
Family Package (two Adults and 2+ Children) — $50
Active Military Families (two adults and 2+ Children) — $40

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Award for Partnership and Collaboration bestowed upon Santa Elena Foundation and USC-Beaufort

Posted on May 7, 2018 by | Leave a comment

The Santa Elena Foundation, along with the University of South Carolina Beaufort, is proud to announce statewide recognition for a progressive partnership.

The prestigious “Engaged Community Partner” honor comes after three years of working together during the establishment and ongoing growth of the Santa Elena History Center thanks to USCB Administration, Professors, and Student support.

As stated in the official press release from the University of South Carolina, the South Carolina Engaged Community Partner Award is presented to a community partner that has worked to support the civic mission of their partnering campus and enhanced the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways.

“Our working with many departments and levels of USCB is creating a dynamic work-study opportunity for local students. From Heritage Tourism studies to History and Spanish enrichment, and even computer programming, both the Foundation and University have benefitted greatly from this partnership. The potential for more collaboration knows no boundaries,” says Megan Meyer, Foundation Director. “Santa Elena Foundation want to be a vibrant cultural resource for the community, especially local students.”

Examples include Dr. Brian Canada, associate professor of computational science, and his students who worked to establish an “Education Station” at the Santa Elena Museum with computer games to educate the public on the history of the Spanish settlement of Santa Elena in Beaufort in the 1500s. By serving on the Board of Directors, Martha Moriarty, Ph.D. associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and institutional effectiveness and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Larry Rowland have also been instrumental in this partnership.

“We are grateful to SC Campus Compact for the recognition of the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, students and community partners,” said Eric Skipper, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at USCB. “These recognitions also serve as a model of exemplary service for the entire USCB community.”

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BEAUFORT FILM SOCIETY PRESENTS “SHORTS AT HIGH NOON”

Posted on April 26, 2018 by | Leave a comment
Shorts at High Noon, the very successful short film program produced by the Beaufort Film Society, will return in May.  

“We’re very pleased to announce the return of our short film program that was so successful last fall. In partnership with the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) in Beaufort, SC, screenings will commence on May 2 at the TCL Auditorium.” stated Ron Tucker, president of the Beaufort Film Society.

The Beaufort Film Society presents films from its vast collection of short films, student films and animation films. The collection consists of submissions to the Beaufort International Film Festival over the last twelve years, from 2007 to present and contains everything from audience favorites to category winners.

The film program consists usually of at least one short, one animation and one student film. The weekly program is always one hour long, so each film had to be chosen carefully for time limits as well as content. For a complete week by week schedule visit: https://www.beaufortfilmfestival.com/page4


All screenings will take place at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, 921 Ribaut Road, Building 12/Auditorium, Beaufort, SC from noon to 1:00 pm each Wednesday in May and June. (Exception: No screeningMay 9th).  Arrive early as check in time will be 11:30am. Admission is FREE.For more information about Shorts at High Noon or the Beaufort International Film Festival please visit beaufortfilmfestival.com. All Press Inquiries contact Ron Tucker at beaufortfilm@gmail.com.

The Beaufort Film Society (BFS) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry

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Archaeologists work to create detailed map of 16th-century Spanish town on Parris Island

Posted on March 30, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Less than two years after discovering the location of an elusive Spanish fort on present-day Parris Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, archaeologists have begun mapping a complex and vast array of archaeological features that can provide insight into over 4,000 years of history in the region, including a focus on the 21-year occupation of Santa Elena (1566-1587) to paint a picture of what life was like during the once-capital of Spanish La Florida.

In 2016, University of South Carolina archaeologist Chester DePratter and Victor Thompson, an archaeologist from the University of Georgia, pinpointed fort San Marcos at Santa Elena, founded in 1577 by Pedro Menendez Marquez, the governor of Spanish La Florida.

Archaeologists began excavating the remains of the Charlesfort and Santa Elena site in 1979, but they have never had a good map of the settlement. In a recent paper published in the journal, “Remote Sensing,” DePratter and Thompson discuss how they used remote sensing technology to map the various significant occupations of the site including those of Native Americans, French, Spanish, plantation owners, Freedmen, and  World War I era U.S. Marine Corps.

 

“By combining traditional shovel testing with remote sensing using radar and other instruments, we are well on the way to constructing a detailed map of the Spanish settlement,”

says DePratter, who conducts research through the university’s South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “It’s critical to gather the data necessary for putting together a comprehensive tool that will help us better understand what happened not only during the Spanish settlement of Santa Elena 450 years ago but throughout history.”

 

The team’s most recent work provided new insights into the Spanish presence at Santa Elena occurring between 1566 and 1587. During its early years, the settlement went from military outpost to capital of Spanish Florida, but it was abandoned in 1576 due to a Native American attack. It was reoccupied in 1577 with the construction of fort San Marcos, but a decade later the town was again abandoned. At its peak, Santa Elena covered nearly 15 acres and had about 400 residents.

Under the sponsorship of the Santa Elena Foundation in the summer of 2016, Thompson and DePratter worked with a University of Georgia archaeology field school to look beneath the surface of the 15-acre site. They sent pulses, and electric currents into the ground and measured differences in local magnetic fields in order to map the remains of Santa Elena. They worked to pinpoint locations of some of the lost Spanish buildings, including two missing forts, a church, shops, and houses, as well as the town’s streets and plaza.

While the “focus” of the work was to test the viability of using modern remote sensing methods in conjunction with previous shovel test data to provide comprehensive distribution data on all of the components of the site over 4000 years of occupation, the work also led to important new discoveries, including:

1) “the probable location of the remains of two native council houses that date to the mid-17th century”;

2) areas that represent “rows of dwellings for enslaved peoples.  and,

3) circular features in the northern portion of the site dating to the Late Archaic/Early Woodland period of Native American prehistory, 2750-1360 BC.  are roughly the same diameter of “shell rings” of the region and possibly represent a  “Stallings period Circular Village”

“There are few sites in country that afford the kind of window into the past, such as we have at Santa Elena,” says Thompson, who directs UGA’s Center for Archaeological Sciences.  “The conditions at Santa Elena were just ideal for this type of remote sensing survey. We simply could not ask for better circumstances.”  DePratter says Santa Elena is the best preserved 16th century town in the country, in part because of its location, which is underneath a former military golf course that has no standing structures on it.  Currently, the site is closed to visitors while the Marine Corps finalizes restoration from the recent hurricanes which caused safety hazards from fallen trees.  Analysis, assessments, and protection of the resources were necessary before downed trees could be removed.  The Marine Corps plans to re-open the site to visitors in the next few months.

No archaeological excavations have been conducted at Santa Elena since 2008, but the mapping project will likely provide the impetus for more detailed work on the site in the coming years. “Now that we have collected all the data with three instruments, we will move forward with detailed interpretations of our results to create the final site map,” Thompson says.  “Once it is completed, it will be one of the best and most completely mapped sixteenth-century sites in the United States.”

“Once we have a detailed site map, we can focus on individual structures—a church, a house, a fort—rather than just having to open large excavation units in the hope of finding something interesting,” says DePratter.

SCIAA archaeologist Stanley South, who died in 2016, found the remains of Santa Elena in 1979, with DePratter joining the project in 1989. The Charlesfort/Santa Elena National Historic Landmark is located on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. The current remote sensing work is funded by the Santa Elena Foundation and SCIAA’s Archaeological Research Trust and supported by the University of Georgia’s anthropology department.

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Southeast Tourism Society Selects Beaufort International Film Festival as Top 20 Event

Posted on January 23, 2018 by | Leave a comment

The Beaufort International Film Festival has been named a Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Top 20 Event in the Southeast for February 2018.

 This year’s film festival will take place February 21 – 25, 2018 in historic downtown Beaufort and will welcome thousands of filmmakers from around the world for the 12th annual event. The STS Top 20 Festival and Event Awards have highlighted programs around the Southeast since 1985.

“We’re thrilled that the Beaufort International Film Festival is being recognized for bringing filmmakers around the world together and showcasing a ‘films first’ mentality in Beaufort,” said Robb Wells, VP of travel and tourism for Beaufort, SC. “The film festival is truly a catalyst in showcasing the strength and commitment to arts and culture that Beaufort exhibits and the team deserves this recognition. They’re a prime example of true hospitality and class.”

Travel industry experts select 20 events per month, and STS publicizes them throughout the United States. The complete list of honorees can be found on the STS website.

 “The Southeast is home to unique and memorable events throughout the year. In spotlighting the Top 20 festivals and events each month, STS is not only giving these events the recognition they deserve but we’re also creating a quick reference guide to some of the best festivals in the Southeast,” said Bill Hardman, president and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society.  “These events are important to the economic vitality of our communities and this is a way for us to acknowledge the time and resources organizers have tirelessly spent to create memories for their attendees.”

 Events considered for the STS Top 20 recognition must be at least three years old and have attendance of at least 1,000.

 STS, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism to and within 12 states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

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Beaufort History Museum Announces Renovation

Posted on January 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Beaufort History Museum, which is located on the upper level of the arsenal on Craven Street in Beaufort’s historic district, is undergoing a complete renovation of its principal exhibit hall. The museum displays the City of Beaufort’s collections, which tell the remarkable 500–year-old history of the Beaufort District.

HW Exhibits, a Charleston-based exhibit design firm, has been retained to help write text, develop graphics, create a cohesive theme and fabricate interpretive exhibits based on the storylines, artifacts and photos that comprise the museum’s proprietary collection and support its mission of education.  Carol Poplin, HW Exhibits Director and Owner, is project leader.

Also on the museum’s “wish list” are plans for the exhibit hall to receive a fresh coat of paint and to undergo other repairs and improvements to the space.  Although the renovation has been a topic of discussion and research for several years, work actually began this year on the first phase of the renovation, which will be completed by late spring 2018.  The museum will remain open during the creative and implementation process but will close for a few weeks prior to completion to facilitate the exhibit installation.

The renovation is overseen and directed by the museum’s Exhibits Committee.  Members include Co-chairs Larry Koolkin and Anne Marie Reiley-Kay, Katherine Lang and Paul Keyserling with support from Mary Lou Brewton, Linda Irving and Phil Cromer.  Lawrence S. Rowland and Stephen R. Wise, co-authors of The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina and renowned authorities on Beaufort’s history, are the principal advisors.

Koolkin said HW Exhibits was chosen after reviewing the company’s impressive portfolio of work on peer museums, including the Santa Elena History Center and the Parris Island Museum.  The cost for the entire renovation is currently estimated to be  $ 250,000. The first phase of the renovation, which is already funded and now underway, will cost $100,000.  Work on the second phase of the project will begin in 2018 and will be paid for with funds from the museum’s escrow account, Accommodations Tax grants and through fundraising efforts.  A capital campaign is currently underway.

Koolkin said the renovation would take place in two phases with Phase I covering the initial planning, creative work, and selection of artifacts from the city’s collection, fabrication of storyboards and displays and installation.   Phase II will involve the installation of a central island with further displays and the implementations of interactive technologies to both enhance and expand the visitor experience.

Beaufort History Museum has evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16th Century until modern times.  The museum’s hours of operation are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Monday – Saturday.

HW Exhibits is the exhibit design division of Brockington and Associates, heritage resources consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit the website at www.hwexhibits.com

 

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DragonBoat Beaufort Receives $5000 Donation from Tiny House Show Organizers

Posted on December 4, 2017 by | Leave a comment

DragonBoat Beaufort, the local cancer survivor/supporter racing team, provided volunteers for the first Low Country Tiny House Show held November 4 and 5 at Shelter Cove Community Park on Hilton Head Island. The show was sponsored by New South Living, LLC. The show organizers were introduced to DragonBoat Beaufort by the Lowcountry Radio Group (104.9 the Surf), a long time media sponsor of Dragonboat Race Day.

New South Living, LLC, Driftwood Homes USA, along with several other builders, showcased their unique tiny homes as a part of the Tiny House Movement – one of the hottest trends in the housing market today. The tiny homes include all necessary features of a home to live a sustainable life including full bathrooms, appliances, queen size beds, living rooms, and many other custom features.

DragonBoat Beaufort is very thankful to Ben Kennedy (Brighton Builders) and to New South Living, LLC for the donation.

Dragonboat Beaufort is a non-profit organization located in Beaufort, SC. DragonBoat Beaufort’s mission is to provide cancer survivors the opportunity to heal and regain physical and psychological strength and wellness through the camaraderie and competition of dragonboat paddling and racing. In addition, through DragonBoat Beaufort’s Outreach Program, those impacted by cancer receive one-and-one grants to assist with needs they are unable to afford or for which they lack coverage. Cancer patients who live, work or receive treatment in Beaufort County are eligible to apply for grants.

Contact outreach@dragonboatbeaufort.org for more information. The DragonBoat Beaufort Fund is housed at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, a 501(c)3 organization.

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Lowcountry Community Concert Band presents Winter Soundscapes

Posted on November 30, 2017 by | Leave a comment

The Lowcountry Community Concert Band, sponsored by the University of South Carolina’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), will perform Winter Soundscapes December 10 and 12.

Under the direction of David Carbone, the program debuts Sunday, December 10 at 3:30 pm at St. John Lutheran Church (157 Lady’s Island Drive Beaufort.)

The second performance is Tuesday, December 12 at 7 p.m. at May River High School (601 New Riverside Road Bluffton.) The school’s band department will present a concert at 6:30 prior to the LCCB concert, and the audience is encouraged to come early and enjoy both events.

Featuring a variety of holiday and traditional seasonal music, Winter Soundscapes includes Greensleeves; O, Little Town of Bethlehem; Sleigh Ride and O Magnum Mysterium.

Admission is free, and donations will be accepted to offset the cost of the program.

For more information, see the band’s website: www.ollilccb.com.

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Missy Ricker, Set Decorator for Film and Television, to Receive Behind the Scenes Award

Posted on November 27, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Charleston, SC based Set Decorator Missy Ricker will be honored for her more than 20 years of career achievements at the 12th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival.

The Beaufort Film Society is pleased to announce that Missy Ricker will be presented the prestigious “Behind the Scenes” Award at the 12th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival in Beaufort, SC. The festival dates are February 21-25, 2018 with the Red Carpet Reception and Awards Gala taking place on Sunday, February 25th at the University of South Carolina, Beaufort, Center for the Arts.

“The “Behind the Scenes Award” is presented to a South Carolina film or television professional who very often works quietly off camera but whose efforts are vital to the success of team production efforts. Those many unheralded moments sometimes spanning an entire career are recognized with this award,” stated Ron Tucker, President, Beaufort Film Society.

Missy Ricker is an East Coast Set Decorator for the Film and Television Industry, based in Charleston, SC where she shares her home with husband and fellow Crew Member, Joey Ricker. Originally from Virginia, Missy began her career in Theater and gradually moved into the Film Industry as a Set Dresser and ultimately as a Set Decorator. She earned her MFA in Photography and Filmmaking from VCU in Richmond, VA in 1994, and is currently an appointee to the Film Production Academic Advisory Committee at Trident Technical College, a Member of the Board of Directors for the ‘Carolina Film Alliance’, and a proud Member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 491 Studio Mechanics Union.

“We’re excited for Missy and applaud her more than two decades of dedication to her craft. Also, Missy will be our first female recipient of this award. We’re very excited about that,” said Co-Festival Director Rebecca Tucker.

Immediately following graduate school in 1994, Missy stayed very busy teaching Photography as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at both Old Dominion University and Thomas Nelson Community College, working as a Stagehand for the Virginia Opera and various Concert Venues in the Tidewater area, and dabbling in a variety of Crafts in the Film and Television industry including working as an Art Director for several Commercials and for the Television Series The New Detectives on the Discovery Channel in 1996. Missy’s first Major Studio Feature Film experience as a Set Dresser was on The Shadow Conspiracy starring Donald Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, and Linda Hamilton, released in 1997. This experience of “dressing” the sets under the established, award-winning Set Decorator Anne McCulley inspired Missy to set out on a path to learn and perfect her own skills in the Craft of Set Decoration.

While continuing to work on various productions, Missy was offered her first official position as a Set Decorator on a Feature Film called Asunder, starring Blair Underwood and Debbie Morgan, and then on a T.V. Series for Showtime called Linc’s starring Pam Grier and Steven Washington in 1998. She worked directly under the Production Designer, John D. Kretschmer. While several more Feature Films immediately followed this experience, Missy was then drawn back to her Fine Art background and set out to open an Independent Art School in Norfolk, VA called, ‘The Ghent Studio of Fine Art’ (S.O.F.A.) in 1999. While Owning and Operating S.O.F.A. successfully for the next six years, her calling was once again to return to the Film and Television Industry.

In 2006 Missy reunited with Production Designer John D. Kretschmer to Decorate several Feature Films including The List starring Malcom McDowell, Chuck Carrington and Hillarie Burton, released in 2007, and The Strangers starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, released in 2008, to name a few. It was at this time that Missy was reminded of her love of the Craft of Set Decoration, and from this point forward became fully re-dedicated to her career as a Set Decorator in the Industry.

In 2008 Missy was offered the Set Decorator position on Lifetime’s Hit Series Army Wives, starring Catherine Bell, Kim Delaney, Brian McNamara, Terry Serpico, Wendy Davis, Drew Fuller, Sally Pressman and Sterling K. Brown, which was filming in Charleston. This is where she met her husband Joey, a Charleston native and fellow Crew Member working in the Transportation Department on the show. Their shared love of Film and Music is what brought them together, and they both enjoyed six wonderful Seasons, and over 100 Episodes, as part of the Army Wives Family. They both continue to work in Film and Television today and are proud to call Charleston home.

Missy’s most recent credits include the Pilot for the Television Series The Sinner starring Jessica Biel, Christopher Abbot and Bill Pullman, The Inspectors Television Series, Seasons 2 and 3, on CBS Saturday mornings starring Jessica Lundy, Brett Green and Terry Serpico, and the latest Feature Film in the Halloween Franchise starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

The Behind the Scenes Award is sponsored by Edie Smith and Eugene Rugala.

For more information about the 12th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival, visit beaufortfilmfestival.com. The festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society.

The Beaufort Film Society is a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3, member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.

 

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Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish… Freedom Coming

Posted on November 14, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Partake of the Spirit of the Season with the Gullah People of the Sea Islands

Enjoy a Weekend of Original Musical Theater, Storytelling and Great Food

Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m.

University of South Carolina-Beaufort Performing Arts Center

801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, SC

 

Artwork by Diane Britton-Dunham Griffin

A Taste of Gullah

Saturday, December 2 from Noon to 5 p.m.

Tabernacle Baptist Church

907 Craven Street, Beaufort, SC

 

Aunt Pearlie Sue and the Gullah Kinfolk will perform their foot-stomping, soul-stirring musical, Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish… Freedom Comin’ on Friday, December 1, at 7 p.m. at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort’s Performing Arts Center, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort, S.C.

The show is set on a South Carolina plantation in 1860 just before the start of the Civil War shortly after South Carolina succeeded from the union and on the eve of reconstruction.  There is excitement in the air as the anticipation of war and liberation penetrates the “Quarters” and “Big House.” The expectation of freedom is joyfully expressed through story-telling and song. The production is intended for people of all ages and races.

The historically-based performance was created by Anita Singleton Prather, who stars as story teller and singer Aunt Pearlie Sue. The powerful voices of the Gullah Kinfolk – a 20-member choral group – generate a jubilant celebration of song, dance and audience participation demonstrating the hopeful expectation of the time and the deep faith of the Gullah people.

Prather is a retired school teacher, ordained minister and nationally-acclaimed storyteller and writer. She has appeared on SCETV and other television networks. She also produced and starred in the film, My Man Done Me Wrong, which was screened at film festivals around the nation. Prather and the Gullah Kinfolk were featured in the made-for-television film Circle Unbroken… From Africa to America, which was also written by Prather. She also performed before the United Nations in 2016.

The Gullah Kinfolk specialize in the hymns, spirituals, dances and traditions of the Gullah people. Many cast members are known individually for their vocal gifts and performance skills. Aunt Pearlie Sue and the Gullah Kinfolk are scheduled to tour California next year for a series of performances and will appear at the World Bank in Washington, D.C, and Villanova University of Philadelphia and at shows in Virginia, New Jersey, Alabama and North Carolina.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Admission is $10 for those aged 7 to 17. Advance reservations may be made by called the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce at (843) 986-1102 ext. 2.  Information for out of town visitors regarding hotel and meal packages is also available.

A Taste of Gullah will be enjoyed Saturday, Dec. 2 from noon until 5 p.m. at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, 907 Craven Street, Beaufort. It will offer a feast of soul food dishes, a Gullah art exhibit and marketplace and live entertainment. Menu prices vary. For more information call the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce.

Prather said this first weekend in December promises a great opportunity to indulge in the gifts of the rich Gullah culture and the heritage of the Sea Islands of South Carolina. “We delight in sharing our history, music, stories and wonderful food with visitors and residents, family and friends of all backgrounds. To God be all the glory for the great things he has done,” she said.

The events complement other annual yuletide activities in Beaufort, including the popular Night on the Town, Light up the Night and the annual Christmas parade. For more information on these events, contact www.downtownbeaufort.com.

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