The 5th annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival takes place October 18-25, 2009. Discover “Where Fine Art & the Bounty of The Sea Come Together,†during a week long event showcasing locally harvested seafood, Low country cuisine, area andregional artists, live music and entertainment, fishing tournament, boat tours, children’s
activities, fireworks and more.
The festivities begin on the May River with the Blessing of the Fleet and Boat Parade at 2 pm at historic Church of the Cross on Sunday, October 18. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the Gospel Music on the bluff or join the parade in your own boat.
Monday again focuses on our local waterways as Al Stokes, Manager/Wildlife Biologist IV, presents a tour of the Waddell Mariculture Center during a seafood “lunch and learn†event from 10:00 am until 12:30 pm. The Bluffton Oyster Company will provide the delicious lunch buffet on the grounds of the center at Victoria Bluff. Tickets are $25.00 a person and can be reserved by calling 843.815.6278.
Wednesday night at six at Seven Oaks, Mary Alice Monroe, the New York
Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including Time is a River, Sweetgrass, Skyward, The Beach House, The Four Seasons, and The Book Club, will discuss her newest novel, LAST LIGHT OVER CAROLINA, which masterfully takes readers back to the South, to a shrimping community on the coast of South Carolina, and into the lives of a shrimper family. Also on hand will be Larry & Tina Toomer, owners of the Bluffton Oyster Company, who will share their personal experiences as a local couple involved in the shrimping industry. No charge but reservations only, 843-815-6278; donations to Friends
of the Rivers will gladly be accepted.
On Saturday, October 24, the two-day open-air street festival of visual and performing arts opens at 10 a.m. in Historic Downtown Bluffton. More than 50 by invitation-only artists from near and far will be showcasing their talents in all media. The Street Art Market continues until 5 p.m. and resumes again on Sunday, October 25 at 10
a.m. Musicians at several stages throughout the historic district will be performing along with strolling entertainers. Over twenty restaurants will also line the downtown streets offering a true taste of the Low Country.
Saturday night, Rockin’ on the Dock, a Seafood Extravaganza with music by the B-Town Playaz is scheduled at the Bluffton Oyster Company from 5:30 -8:30 p.m. capped off with a fireworks finale at dusk.
For details and a complete schedule of events, call (843)-757-2583 or go online to www.blufftonartsandseafoodfestival.com.
