Photograph by Visit Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands
Every year over Memorial Day weekend, against the backdrop of the bucolic Beaufort River and under the shade of swaying palmetto trees, the Beaufort waterfront comes alive with the colors, sounds, and tastes of West Africa. You can almost feel the music before you hear it—the pounding percussion of complex African American beats as history comes to life with The Original Gullah Festival at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
It is a celebration of hope, history, and the magnificent Gullah culture. “It’s a time of fellowship and it’s a time of learning and teaching,” says festival president Thomas Roy Hicks II. “We provide a platform for descendants of the Gullah community to communicate our history through food, dance, music, and storytelling.” This year’s festival will include a somber note, as the Gullah community continues to mourn the loss of seven residents of nearby Sapelo Island, who died in a gangway collapse at a Gullah Geechee celebration there in October.
The Gullah are descendants of enslaved Africans, brought from West and Central African countries to the Carolinas and Florida to toil on plantations along the coastal waterways. They brought specialized skills in rice cultivation and, as they commingled, created a dazzlingly rich cultural heritage. Because the enslaved people hailed from different regions of Africa, they created an English-based Creole language and shared strong traditions around spirituality, family, food, art, and music.
Photograph by Visit Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands
Photograph by Visit Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands
The Original Gullah Festival is a feel-good—and free—three-day party, held annually since 1986 (save for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic). Visitors come from all over the United States to enjoy Gullah cuisine, including Lowcountry boil (a one-pot taste explosion of seafood, sausage, corn, potatoes, and Old Bay seasoning), Hoppin’ John (traditionally made with red peas, ham hock, and Carolina gold rice), and sweets such as chewies (molasses-infused brownies with pecans).
The stage features a full roster of performances, including interpretive dancing, African drumming, and talks about Gullah history and culture.
Workshops are available, generally for a small fee, to learn about and make traditional crafts, including decorative sweetgrass baskets, which were used for harvesting fruit and rice; handsewn Gullah “strip quilts,” traditionally made using nonuniform strips of whatever scrap fabric was available; and a shekere—a handheld percussion instrument made from a dried gourd, fishnet, and shells. Vendors sell everything from colorful crafts to specialty pies and African clothing.
Photograph courtesy of the Original Gullah Festival
Hicks says the festival is about community and inclusivity. It’s an alcohol-free event and has a play area for kids and plenty of space to dance and chat with the locals to learn about the Gullah culture and its role in American history.
Sunday, the final day of the festival, kicks off in the morning with the Hour of Power, a worship service that can lift anyone’s soul, regardless of race, history, or spiritual affinity. “This is where our ancestors started,” says Hicks. “This is our chance to honor them, share their stories, and celebrate all that we have accomplished.”
Photograph by Caroline Brammlet
Where to stay
The Beaufort Inn (809 Port Republic Street) is a charming hotel that includes several historic buildings surrounding the pink 1897 Wallace Smith mansion, which is filled with 19th-century furnishings and modern amenities. The inn offers a variety of accommodations from two-bedroom suites to stand-alone cottages, with open courtyards, verandas for sweet tea sippin’, plush linens, and shared spaces. The inn is walking distance to the festival at Waterfront Park.
Barbra Streisand stayed at the Rhett House Inn (1009 Craven Street) during the filming of The Prince of Tides, absorbing the Lowcountry history of this 1820 Greek Revival house in the heart of the historic district. Also walking distance to Waterfront Park, it includes 10 luxury rooms in the main house, plus a handful of “cottage” rooms across the street.
Where to eat
A lively atmosphere, a pet-friendly patio, and giant portions make Blackstone’s Cafe (205 Scott Street) the best place in town for a full breakfast or early lunch. Located a block off the waterfront, this casual place features such local favorites as corned beef hash brisket, Cajun shrimp and grits, and big, juicy burgers.
With outdoor seating right on the waterfront, Plums Restaurant (904 Bay Street) is a favorite for people-watching and delicious Lowcountry cuisine. Slurp on some peel-and-eat shrimp or Lowcountry gumbo and sip on a strawberry lemonade while watching the world float by.
Back to Must-Do South.
This article appears in our March 2025 issue.
