38th Annual Gullah Festival to bring food, culture, fun to downtown Beaufort

Photo byOriginal Gullah Festival

On Memorial Day weekend, May 24th, 25th & 26th, the Original Gullah Festival invades downtown Beaufort and brings lots of cultural experiences, food and fun.

For 38 years, the Gullah Festival has celebrated the rich Gullah/Geechee heritage of the Sea Islands of the Lowcountry and honors the preservation of the Gullah culture and the descendants of enslaved Africans who lived in the Lowcountry region.

The Original Gullah Festival was established in 1986 to honor and recreate the atmosphere of a celebration called Decoration Day, now named, Memorial Day. As a result, every year during the festival weekend, there is a Decoration Day Play to commemorate the historic event.

The Festival provides a unique family friendly cultural experience for over 40,000 local, national and international attendees during the 3 day event. For 38 years, the event has been celebrating a rich history and will continue to share the Gullah experience.

The festival is highlighted by authentic arts and crafts, exhibits, Gullah presentations, live jazz, blues, African, & reggae music, workshops, Gullah dancing and traditional Gullah cuisine.

In addition to a festive Vendor Market and The Gullah Village, you can enjoy sweetgrass basket weaving demonstrations, concerts, lectures, school performances, African dancers and drummers, DJs, Gullah storytellers and Ring Shouters and lots more.

Also, according to the event's website, there will be a performance by both Dr. Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers and Aunt Pearlie Sue & The Gullah Kinfolk, as well as Ronald Daise, aka Dad from the 1990s children's show "Gullah Gullah Island."

You can also visit this link for the full schedule of events.

For more information about the festival itself, please visit www.originalgullahfestival.org