Heritage Days Celebration showcases the Lowcountry’s African American history and culture

The 35th Annual Heritage Days Celebration concluded on Saturday with food, music, educational seminars, and arts and crafts -- all centering on the cultural traditions of the Gullah/Geechee/Sea Island people.

The day began with a parade down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the campus of the historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island.

Following the parade, attendees enjoyed live entertainment on the center stage by Gullah storytellers and re-enactors, singers, African drummers and dancers.

The celebration also featured an art exhibit and crafts and food provided by several vendors as well as a theatrical production and a Soul Slide Dance Party.

In keeping with this year’s theme, Reconstruction Era: Changes and Challenges, there was an exhibit on the life and times of Robert Smalls.

Jay Karr: 843-706-8150

This story was originally published November 11, 2017 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Heritage Days Celebration showcases the Lowcountry’s African American history and culture."