<b>Literacy group to&nbsp;</b><b>hold free workshop</b>

Born To Read is hosting a free parent reading workshop with librarian Madeline Helser-Howard from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 27, at the St. Helena Island Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Sr. Road, St. Helena Island.

There will be free literacy materials and books, the Beaufort County School District's traveling preschool bus, door prizes and light refreshments.

For more information, email borntoread@hargray.com.

<b>Caw Caw center focus&nbsp;</b><b>of guided field trip</b>

Fripp Audubon is sponsoring a guided walking tour of the Caw Caw Interpretive Center on Thursday, April 27.

The Caw Caw Interpretive Center is rich in natural, cultural and historical resources. The area includes over 6 miles of trails and elevated boardwalks through wetlands, former rice fields, sites of the Stono Rebellion, and thousands of naturalized tea plants from a 20th century tea farm.&nbsp;

Noted for its rich bird life, Caw Caw is a birding hotspot for coastal South Carolina. &nbsp;

This is a walking tour scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m. and end at 11:45 a.m.&nbsp;

Participants should bring binoculars, bug spray, sunscreen, water, snacks, etc.

A spotting scope will be available, but participants are also welcome to bring their own.&nbsp;

The tour is limited to 24 people.

To sign-up, send an e-mail to: frippaudubonclub@gmail.com

The cost of this guided tour is $12 per person.&nbsp;

Participants will meet at the parking area adjacent to McDonald's on Lady's Island for an 8:15 a.m. departure. &nbsp;

<b>Ella, Ellington tribute&nbsp;</b><b>set for April 28 at USCB</b>

The 21-piece Odyssey Jazz &amp; Swing Orchestra will present a musical birthday tribute concert, “Ella &amp; Ellington” at 7 p.m. Friday, April 28, at the USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St., Beaufort.

The Odyssey Jazz &amp; Swing Orchestra, conducted by Don Jemella, will perform music of Duke Ellington and will feature vocalists Gina René and Penney Lynn Smith performing some of Ellington and Fitzgerald best-loved hits.

Tickets are $28 for adults and $23 for seniors.

They are available online at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com or at the box office by calling 843-521-4145, and at the door before the concert.

<b>1893 hurricane to </b><b>be center of discussion</b>

The Beaufort District Collection will revisit the most devastating natural disaster in Beaufort’s long and storied history in May.

&nbsp;“Tide of Death: The Hurricane of 1893” will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, at the Beaufort Branch Library at 311 Scott St. in Beaufort

BDC Manager Grace Cordial will share first-person accounts, photographs and other rare materials of the night in 1893 that death came to call in Beaufort County.&nbsp;

The co-sponsor of the event is the Beaufort History Museum. Space is limited and registration is required.

This event is free. To register, visit beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org.

<b>HELP of Beaufort to&nbsp;</b><b>hold ‘Beach Party’</b>

HELP of Beaufort will hold a “Beach Party” from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at The Shed in Port Royal.

There will be live and silent auctions, music, dancing, food, beer, wine, door prizes and more.

Tickets are $40 per person; a table of eight is $300; and a table of 10 is $350.

This is the seventh annual fundraiser for HELP of Beaufort, a nonprofit organization that helps the needy with food, clothes, household items, rent, mortgage, electricity, water and the elderly homebound with a healthy meal Monday-Friday through its Mobile Meals program.

For tickets, visit helpofbeaufort.org or call 843-252-4105.

<b>Beaufort History Museum&nbsp;</b><b>to celebrate women’s hats</b>

The Beaufort History Museum’s Third Annual Spring Tea will focus on “Crowning Glory – Celebrating the Role of Women’s Hats in Southern Culture.”&nbsp;

Patrons are invited to wear their favorite hat and to “Strut their Hattitude” as they savor traditional delicacies, sip tea, learn about the allure of fashionable hats from celebrity speakers and enjoy a Parade of Hats.

The museum is also hosting a silent auction at the tea, which will include trips, dinners, cooking classes, tastings, luxury services and other items available for bidding. A preview of the auction items will be posted on the museum’s website with a “Buy it Now” option.&nbsp;

Guests will also be able to view the items, choose the ones they like and then bid with cash or credit cards at the event.&nbsp;

The principal speaker at the tea will be celebrity shoe designer and milliner Etu Evans, who will be coming to Beaufort from New York.&nbsp;

His grandmother and mother, both of whom had extensive collections of church hats, jewels and shoes, influenced Evans’ path in the fashion industry.

“Hats are really the stars this year,” said BHM Board President Carol Lauvray.&nbsp;

“We’ll take a look back at how meaningful church hats were and are, especially in the African-American community, where they held a special significance. &nbsp;

“We will also spotlight other occasions where hats play a key role, such as South Carolina’s legendary steeplechase thoroughbred horse races in Elloree, Aiken and Camden.&nbsp;

"Southern women just know how to dress for a party. We are encouraging everyone to wear a beautiful hat and join in the festive spirit of the tea.”

The tea will be held from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, in the Dataw Island Club’s Carolina Room.&nbsp;

Individual tickets are $60 and tables of 10 are available for $500.&nbsp;

Seating is limited.&nbsp;

Reservations can be made at tea.beauforthistorymuseum.com. &nbsp;

Proceeds benefit the projects of the Beaufort History Museum. &nbsp;

The Beaufort History Museum is in the historic Arsenal at 713 Craven St.

Visit www.beauforthistorymuseum.com.&nbsp;

<b>Birthday for the Birds&nbsp;</b><b>comes to Port Royal</b>

The town of Port Royal is celebrating its fifth Birthday for the Birds.&nbsp;

This event allows the town to showcase one of Beaufort County’s most unique and wonderful natural resources.&nbsp;

The birthday celebration will focus on the large and diverse number of nesting birds, their hatchlings and the habitats that make this unique boardwalk so special.

This year Port Royal is planning to have the first “Birthday for the Birds Parade” which will start from the Port Royal Elementary School on 12 Street and Paris Avenue and is a short walk to the Cypress Bird Sanctuary.&nbsp;

The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. (when the parade starts) to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 13.