Tag Archives: lowcountry
Lowcountry Fair
Posted in Events, Hilton Head Essentials
Tagged Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head, lowcountry
Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish… Freedom Coming
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.
Posted in Beaufort's Best
Tagged Beaufort, events, Gulllah, holiday, lowcountry, South Carolina
History Lecture Revisits The Battle of Port Royal Sound
Key Civil War Event Marks 156th Anniversary
Beaufort History Museum, in partnership with the Beaufort County Library, announces this season’s second program in its local history lecture series, The Battle of Port Royal Sound. The event is planned for Tuesday, November 7, at 2:00 pm at the Beaufort Branch Library, 211 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC.
The Battle of Port Royal Sound was one of the earliest naval operations of the Civil War. On November 7, 1861, a massive U. S. Naval fleet and U. S. Army expeditionary force sailed into Port Royal Sound and captured Fort Walker on Hilton Head and Fort Beauregard on St. Helena Island. At the time, it was the largest armada ever launched by the United States.
Beaufort was among the first southern towns to fall into Union hands. The Federal occupation changed the course of Beaufort District history and led to the most misunderstood period of American history, the Reconstruction Era.
Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center Executive Director and historian Michael D. Coker will bring this important battle, and the events surrounding it, to life. He will share stories from his book,The Battle of Port Royal Sound, about this pivotal point of the Civil War.
Admission is free. A donation of $5 is suggested and reservations are required. To sign up visit the BHM website: www.beauforthistorymuseum.com Please print out the ticket and bring to the event. Registration opens October 25. (Lectures sell out. Those with tickets admitted first.) Funds collected will be used to support ongoing Museum programs, which are open to all.
Beaufort History Museum, located in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street, 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.
Posted in Beaufort's Best
Tagged Beaufort, events, historic, lowcountry, South Carolina
Bluffton Lecture Series Underway
The Bluffton Historical Preservation Society presents Dr. Larry Roland.
The second lecture in a year-long series features Dr. Larry Rowland, local historian and USCB professor emeritus, who will discuss “The Early Explorers of the Lowcountry.”
The lecture will be at Bluffton, SC, Town Hall on Monday, August 7 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Admission is $5 and will be used to fund the preservation and digitization of Bluffton’s history (documents, maps, etc.).
Upcoming Lectures:
October 9-Rotary Community Center
Speakers: Emmett McCracken & Jacob Martin
Topic: What it was like to be a Kid in the Late Fifties and Early Sixties in Bluffton
December 11-Rotary Community Center
Speaker: David Lauderdale, Local Opinion Column Contributor, Island Packet
Topic: Lowcountry Life & Times in Beaufort County
February 19-Town Hall
Speaker: Air Force General Lloyd “Fig” Newton, Retired four-star general, Commander, Air Education & Training Command, first African-American pilot in the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Ridgeland-native. Newton is also the founder/promoter of the new Polaris Tech Charter School in Jasper County.
Topic: Military Stories
April 9-Town Hall
Speaker: Jonathan Haupt, Executive Director, Pat Conroy Literary Center
Topic: Pat Conroy Literary Center and the legacy of Pat Conroy as a student, teacher and mentor.
June 11-Town Hall
Speaker: Jeff Fulgham, Bluffton native, historian and author of, “The Bluffton Expedition: The Burning of Bluffton, SC, During the Civil War”
Topic: The Burning of Bluffton
For more information about the lecture series, please call
1 (843) 709-0880
Gullah Celebration Opens in Hilton Head
The 20th Annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration will present 15 events during the month of February. Back by popular demand are the Arts Ob We People: Art Exhibition and Sale, Arts, Crafts and Food Expo, Sweetheart Ball featuring Deas Guyz and Gullah Music Series featuring the G.A. Mass Choir. Additional highlights of the 20th Annual Gullah Celebration include the introduction of the Community Wellness Initiative that kicks off at the Fish Haul Creek 5K Run/Walk and the national observation of Freedom Day which commemorates President Lincoln’s signing of the US Constitution’s 13th amendment which outlawed slavery, immediately following the Ol’ Fashioned Gullah Breakfast. Debuting this festival season is the National Gullah Institute, which will present its first panel discussion on the American South’s Connection to West Africa on Sunday, February 28th.
Details about all events presented during the 20th Annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration are available at gullahcelebration.com or using this link: http://gullahcelebration.com/assets/media/img/eventguide.pdf .
Posted in Events, Hilton Head Essentials
Tagged art, events, festival, Hilton Head, historic, lowcountry, South Carolina
Music, Wings, Lasers & More at Lowcountry’s 20th Annual Wingfest
It might be 6,000 pounds of South Carolina’s best chicken wings that attracts a crowd at the Hilton Head Island Wingfest, but this year’s musical line-up is sure to intrigue the senses as well.
The 20th annual Hilton Head Island Wingfest, scheduled to take place March 20 – 21, 2015 at the iconic Shelter Cove Community Park, will feature world-class live entertainment from local and regional musicians, such as Sara Burns, a self-taught musician who began her career as one of the youngest solo entertainers on Hilton Head Island, and Liquid Ginger, a popular band out of Savannah, Ga. best known for its pure rock and roll sound with a hint of country and classic blues. In addition, Wingfest will be hosting its first ever laser light show, which is sure to keep the audience entertained.
Music Line-up
Friday, March 20th
5:30 pm-7:00 pm – Sara Burns & Taylor Kent
7:00 pm-9:00 pm – Groove Town Assault
8:30 pm – Laser Light Show: NEW!
Saturday, March 21st
11:00 am-1:00 pm – JoJo Squirrel & the Home Pickles
1:30 pm-3:30 pm – Deas Guyz
4:00 pm- 6:00 pm – Liquid Ginger
The main event will showcase 20 local restaurants and 15 home cooks offering their finest creations in competition for the claim of 2015 Best Wing of Hilton Head. With games and activities for the kids, a big-screen television streaming coverage of this year’s March Madness basketball tournament, and live entertainment – there’s something to make everyone happy.
What: Hilton Head Island Wingfest, presented by the Hilton Head Island Recreation Association and Hargray Communications, to help fund the Island Recreation Center’s Children Scholarship Fund.
When: Friday, March 20 from 5 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Shelter Cove Community Park, 39 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Cost: Admission is $6; free for ages 10 and under.
To learn more about the 20th Annual Wingfest, visit islandreccenter.org.
Posted in Events, Hilton Head Essentials
Tagged events, Hilton Head, lowcountry, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance Names Honorary Chair
The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance will celebrate its thirteenth year in the fall of 2014. The festival kicks off with the Savannah Speed Classic, October 24 – 26, on the Grand Prize of America road course situated on the property of The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. The festivities will continue on Hilton Head Island, SC, November 1 – 2, at Port Royal Golf Club where the Concours d’Elegance (November 2) will take center stage. For more information, visit www.HHIMotoringFestival.com online.
The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing automotive and motorsports enthusiast event weeks, has named Edsel B. Ford II, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, as the honorary chairman for the festival this fall, October 24 – November 2. Beginning his career at Ford in January of 1974, Ford is a current member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company. Ford joins a list of past Honorary Chairmen that includes names such as Bob Lutz, Nicola Bulgari, J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Bobby Rahal, Hurley Haywood and Dennis Gage from My Classic Car.
“We have been honored to have Mr. Ford attend the Savannah Speed Classic portion of the event before when we had the Model T as our Honored Marque and are thrilled he will be joining us this fall on Hilton Head Island as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the revered Mustang,” said Carolyn Vanagel, the festival’s president.
Ford will be on-hand during the 2014 festival serving as a guest judge for the Concours d’Elegance, the core of the Motoring Festival, on Sunday, November 2 at the Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island. In addition to his appearance at the public event on Sunday, the schedule includes a special appearance by Ford at an exclusive fundraising event that Saturday evening, November 1 for Driving Young America, the festival’s charitable fund.
In addition to Ford’s participation as the honorary chairman, several other notable names in the industry are scheduled to appear including Bobby Rahal, a member of the Motor Sports Hall of Fame; Hurley Haywood, called the most prolific sports car endurance driver; J. Mays, former chief creative officer at Ford Motor Company and Ian Callum, director of design for Jaguar Cars.
Tickets for the 2014 Motoring Festival are available for sale online (http://www.
For more information, visit the official Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance website at www.HHIMotoringFestival.com.
Posted in Hilton Head Essentials
Tagged events, festival, Hilton Head, lowcountry, South Carolina, tourist towns, updates
WineStock Music & Wine Fest
The music groups for this Saturday’s WineStock at La Belle Amie Vineyard are The Paul Grimshaw Band and The Party Favor Band.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013
Noon – 5 pm
Little River, SC
This Saturday’s weather forecast looks good! Temps in the low 70’s, no rain, and gentle breezes from the east. Should be a whole lot of fun for all. And the final full festival of 2013 at La Belle Amie Vineyard. Music, wine, a great venue, outdoor cooking, and a whole bunch of new friends to make.
Plus, taste exotic wine concoctions while enjoying the beauty of the vineyard. Don’t forget the vineyard tour (2:30). Or browse the great gift shop.
MUSIC (12:00 – 5:00pm)
ADMISSION : $8/person. (under 18 or over 80 admitted free) Bring two canned/dry good items for area food banks and receive $3 off admission. Club Members Free.
NO FOOD, NO BEVERAGES, NO PETS ALLOWED
Food Available From: Smokin’ Pitt BBQ and The Vineyard Grille
BEVERAGES (Water, Soda, Beer, & Wine) Available From: La Belle Amie Vineyard
Posted in Myrtle Beach's Best
Tagged events, lowcountry, music, Myrtle Beach area, South Carolina, tourist towns, updates, vineyards, wine
Oyster Ideas
Some of the best oysters you will ever eat are flamed in butter on this grill. Do you know where this is?
Songs & Stories of the South
Songs & Stories of the South: a concert @ ARTworks in Beaufort, SC
Friday, May 24, 2013 @ 7 pm
Storytelling and guitars go together like biscuits and gravy, when you have these three artists together on stage: Big Frank Waddell, Carroll Brown, and Clay Rice. This gifted trio has performed around the country and across the world, together and separately in festivals and concert venues, bookstores, pubs and house concerts, because once upon a time, there was a story to tell and a song to sing.
Following his retirement from the US Air Force, Big Frank Waddell leads the pack, and entertains with his humor as much as his voice. His talent is bringing people together, and cherishing the moment: he pulls for both Carolina and Clemson, mustard- and vinegar-based BBQ.
Born and raised on a farm in rural South Carolina, Carroll Brown’s first music influences were church music and what scatterings he could pick up from the night time radio. His mother was the church pianist and taught him his first chords on the guitar. This gift of music became his constant companion in the business of music, from Nashville to South Carolina to Ireland.
Clay Rice is a performance artist both vocally and visually: he will also sign copies of his new children’s book, Mama Let’s Make a Moon. Clay Rice is described by author Pat Conroy as a “great talent who combines soul and passion”. Silhouette artistry and storytelling have been in his family for more than 80 years. His grandfather, Carew Rice, was described by Poet Carl Sandburg as “America’s Greatest Silhouettist”
Friday, May 24, 7 pm: $17 per person, $12 for students (13+), $7 for children (12 and under) and $12 for groups of 10 or more. This performance is in the black box theater, surrounded by gallery exhibitions, workshops, and artists working in their studios, at ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, 2127 Boundary Street 29902. www.artworksinbeaufort.
Posted in Beaufort's Best
Tagged Beaufort, concert, events, lowcountry, music, South Carolina, storytelling