HOME COOKING

Lowcountry Supper a staple of annual Water Festival

PHOTOS & BRIEF BY BOB SOFALY

What does it take to feed Frogmore Stew to a couple thousand people and entertain them at the same time?

What does 750 pounds of red potatoes look like? Combine them with 1,300 pounds of shrimp and 1,200 pounds of smoked sausage and you have the beginning of what it takes to put together the annual Beaufort Water Festival Lowcountry Supper.

The 63rd annual Beaufort Water Festival has it all figured out. The traditional Lowcountry Supper on Thursday evening at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, despite threatening skies and peals of thunder, rolled on like a well-oiled machine.

 ”We cook up 1,300 pounds of local shrimp for starters,” volunteer cook Jason Dangerfield said prior the supper.

The local delicacy had, for a long time, been prepared at various mess facilities at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, according to Dangerfield. 

“Then one year their cookers broke down and we had just a couple of hours to get it done,” he said. “We set up cookers right at the entrance to the park and pulled it off. It worked out so well, we’ve done it that way every year since”.

Dangerfield said the traditional supper also boasts 750 pounds of red or “new” potatoes, 400 gallons of cole slaw, 2,700 dinner rolls, 600 quarts of cocktail sauce, 5,000 ears of corn, and 60 watermelons. All washed down with sweet and unsweet tea or lemonade, of course.

After everyone has had a chance to eat, the entertainment starts, usually a band or two followed by the much-anticipated performance of The Whistlers, a local whistling group made up of past Water Festival commodores.

Photo at top: Head cook Jason Dangerfield opens all four 128-quart coolers filled with smoked sausage, which were served up during the 63rd annual Beaufort Water Festival’s Lowcountry Supper. 

[Modula id=’7′]

Previous Story

New shop opens downtown

Next Story

FIRST FRIDAY – Inside, Outside, Sidewalk Sale

Latest from Community

Alice Cross Glawson

Beaufort Alice Cross Glawson passed away peacefully on December 24, 2024, after a years’ long battle

Philip Randel

July 18, 1947 – May 10, 2025 Ridgeland Philip Edward Randel, 77, passed away peacefully on

Carl John Hahn

June 8, 1930-April 29, 2025 Saint Helena Island, S.C. Carl John Hahn, 94, of Saint Helena

Alice Cross Glawson

Summerville, S.C. Alice Cross Glawson, 88, died December 24, 2024, in Summerville, S.C. A graveside service

Dusty Conner

December 4, 1954 – May 9, 2025 Beaufort, S.C. It is with great sadness that we