By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The 2024 Original Gullah Festival is gearing up for three days of festivities celebrating the Gullah Geechee culture in Beaufort.
The festival will start on Friday, May 24, and will continue through Sunday, May 26, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort.
The vendor market is free and open to the public and tickets are available to attend additional events and workshops.
The festivities will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The event is rain or shine, so they recommend bringing an umbrella if rain is forecast. There will be no refunds due to inclement weather.
Pets, tents, alcoholic beverages, drugs and fireworks are prohibited from the event. Coolers are allowed, but they will be searched for alcoholic beverages before entry.
The Hour of Power Worship Service will take place on Sunday at 9 a.m. at Waterfront Park.
On Friday, the All White Party will be held from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Waterfront Park Pavilion and will feature DJ Snipes, a Gullah Caribbean meal, Comedian Bam Robinson and the band Fresh Vibe.
Tickets are $45 online and $50 at the door.
On Friday and Saturday, Lest We Forget – Times to Remember will be available for the public to walk through at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Craven Street. This event is free and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Schedule
Friday’s main stage events
10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. — “Drum Call” — Spiritual Vibrations
10:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Area Beaufort County School Performances (w/Red Cedar Elementary Drummers and Dancers, Pritchardville Elementary School Choir, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy Choir, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy Step Team, Whale Branch Middle School Choir, Whale Branch Middle School Concert Band, Battery Creek High School Band, Whale Branch Early College High School Band, Nacir Keen — Spoken Word)
3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Deninufay African Dancers and Drummers
Saturday’s main stage events
10 a.m. — Drum Call — Spiritual Vibrations
10:20 a.m. — Aunt Pearlie Sue and Gullah Kinfolk
11:30 a.m. — Official Welcoming Ceremony — Hosts Sharon Millen and Rayburne Turner
12:35 p.m. — Voices of de Gullah People Singers
1:10 p.m. — Louise Cohen — Gullah Storyteller
1:45 p.m. — Wona Womalon African Dancers & Drummers
2:20 p.m. — Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters
2:55 p.m. — Marlena Smalls & The Hallelujah Singers
3:30 p.m. — Renesha Hendrix — Interpretive/Inspirational Dance
4:05 p.m. — Beth Inabinett and The For The Funk Of It Band
4:40 p.m. — Dani’s Dance Dynamics
5:15 p.m. — Angela Bonaparte Ministries
5:50 p.m. — Ronald Daise
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Gwen Yvette Band
Sunday’s main stage events
2 p.m. — Drum Call – Spiritual Vibrations
2:20 p.m. — Beaufort Mass Choir
2:55 p.m. — Devin Smalls – Gospel Mime Artist
3:30 p.m. — Gospel Proclaimers of the Lowcountry
4:05 p.m. — Gullah Historical Reenactment Group
4:40 p.m. — Latrise Bush and Band
5:15 p.m. — Quinton Smalls – Gullah Rapper
6:00 p.m. — Parris Island Marine Band Presents — “Dirty Boots Brass Band” Concert
7:05 p.m. — Unity Circle w/”God Bless America” (Form a circle around the park and connect)
Tickets will be available for purchase on site but can also be purchased online prior to the festival at www.originalgullahfestival.org. For a full list of the events, visit the website.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
