Sweetgrass Festival is Saturday

It's chance to taste, hear and feel the Gullah-Geechee culture, and it's happening June 1 and June 2 at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park.

The 2012 Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival steps off that Friday with the Real Taste of Gullah Banquet. On Saturday morning, June 2, local scholars discuss health, education and Heirs Property issues.

The weekend events are capped with the actual festival from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 2. Visitors get the chance to see sweetgrass basket-making and other arts and crafts. Local craftsmen also will be on-hand displaying and selling baskets, blankets and paintings.

"The festival is designed to educate, entertain and expose visitors to the Gullah-Geechee people's history," said organizer Thomasena Stokes-Marshall.

Gullah-Geechee descend from former African slaves. They have preserved many customs and arts from west Africa. Many descendants speak in an English-based creole language that contain significant influences from African languages. The cultural influence extends to arts, foods and music.

The festival has been named a Top 20 event for 2012 by the Southeastern Tourism Society. In addition to cultural components, organizers also roll out water slides, bouncy castles and face painting for the kids.

Here's the schedule
Gullah Banquet
6 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 1
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park Visitors Center
Admission: $50, available online

Sankofa Preservation Society Seminar
9 a.m. to 12 noon, June 2
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park Visitors Center
Admission: Free

Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival
12 noon to 8 p.m., June 2
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
Gullah-Geechee arts, including baskets, paintings and blankets, along with food and children's activities.
Admission: Free
For more information, visit the festival's website.