November 30 - December 2, 2023
2023 Sea Island Gullah
Christmas Celebration Weekend
Come be our guest at the Sea Island Gullah Christmas Celebration in Historic Beaufort, SC. Enjoy three days of culture, food and fun enjoying the yuletide season Gullah Geechee style. The Sea Island Gullah Christmas Celebration will be magical with rich events as the Gullah Kinfolk Traveling Theater Christmas musical, Gullah Geechee-Sierra Leone Cultural Connection Symposium, and the Gullah Taste of Christmas, featuring Rice Cook-off competition!
November 30 - December 1, 2023
Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish...Freedom: A Sea Island Holiday Celebration
Make plans to join us for the historic
Christmas musical
with two show nights -
Thursday, Nov. 30 and Friday, Dec 1, 2023.
On the Sea Islands of Beaufort, SC, 1860, it’s the last Christmas before the Civil War. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union. Masters in the Big House Talkin’ ‘bout war coming. Servants in the Quarters talkin’ ‘bout freedom coming. Aunt Pearlie Sue and Gullah Kinfolk bring this history alive through interactive storytelling, dancing, hand-clapping and foot stomping music that mesmerizes audiences as they journey back in time to celebrate this special Yuletide season. This fully staged musical production has become a holiday favorite with audience members traveling from both near and far to experience the spirit of the season. Com’ ‘joy Yo’self!
November 30, 2023, 9 AM to Noon
USCB Center for the Arts
805 Carteret St, Beaufort, SC 29902
Gullah Geechee-Sierra Leone
Cultural Connection Symposium
Join us at the second symposium to where attendees will learn about the Gullah Geechee people and their Sierra Leonean cultural roots. The day will be filled with panel discussions covering an array of topics that will continue with the narratives of history, culture, education, heritage tourism and economics. Amadu Massally, founder of Fambul Tik (Family Tree), an African heritage experience company, will present “Wuh Mek Oonah Gullah Geechee,” a lecture that will explore how skills and knowledge brought from Sierra Leone allowed Gullah Geechee people to thrive in the new land. There will also be a panel to explore the economic impact Gullah Geechee culture has on South Carolina travel & tourism. This event is a component of the Sea Island Gullah Christmas Celebration.
December 2, 2023, 11 AM to 4 PM
Henry C. Chamber Waterfront Part
in downtown Beaufort, S.C.
Gullah Taste of Christmas & Rice Cook-off
Back for the fourth year is the Gullah Taste of Christmas featuring the Rice Cook-off Competition. The event is a part of the Sea Island Gullah Christmas Celebration to be held on Saturday. Rice is a staple among Gullah Geechee households, and the Gullah Rice Cook-Off showcases this “gold” by encouraging participants to show off their culinary skill by preparing a rice dish for which they are known. The entry fee is $50. Each dish will be judged based on five criterion - texture, flavor, consistency, crumb, and taste. There will be three winners who will receive a plaque and a cash prize - first place $2000, second place $1000, and third place $500. Entry has been extended and will close on Friday, December 1, at noon EDT.
