Brookgreen Gardens' Winter Events Celebrate the History and Culture of South Carolina Lowcountry

MYRTLE BEACH, SC – January 28, 2009 – Brookgreen Gardens is hosting a series of historical events that celebrate the South Carolina Lowcountry through early March. Known for its 18th century Southern plantations and rice fields, the Lowcountry owes much of its identity to the enslaved Africans who integrated elements of their heritage, including customs, traditions, crafts and language, into the Lowcountry culture, which is today known throughout the region as Gullah-Geechee. Unique to the coastal area of South Carolina, the Lowcountry, with its diverse history and blend of European and African culture, is unlike any other destination in the world.

Gullah/Geechee Mania!

Gullah/Geechee Mania! is an interactive, cultural game show that informs viewers about the unique Gullah/Geechee culture and heritage of the southeastern coastal United States. Guests can participate by answering questions about Gullah/Geechee people, songs, history, culture and foods. A variety of prizes are awarded.

Silent Cities

This two-hour excursion takes guests through the decades-old cemeteries of former slaves and plantation owners as they learn about the historical burial customs of European and African origin.

The Oaks Plantation History and Nature Trail

Guests are invited to view the archeological dig site of the original plantation house foundations, as well as the foundation of the Spring House and the historic Alston family cemetery on this self-guided walking trail. Interpretive panels tell the history of the people during the rice-producing years at the Oaks Plantation.

Brookgreen Gardens encompasses more than 9,000 acres and features three main areas of attractions: the Huntington Sculpture Garden, the Lowcountry History and Wildlife Preserve and the Center for American Sculpture. The Huntington Sculpture Garden opened in 1932 as America’s first public sculpture garden. Today, the garden features more than 1,200 works of art spanning the entire period of American sculpture from the early 1800s to the present. The Sculpture Garden is complemented by the Lowcountry History and Wildlife Preserve, which boasts the remains of the once-great Oaks Plantation of the 1800s and the Gullah culture of the enslaved Africans who sustained it, as well as the native plants and animals of the Lowcountry. The Center for American Sculpture contains a sculptor’s studio, library and offices. Its purpose is to provide a place to create, teach, research and promote figurative sculpture by American artists. It hosts sculpture master classes and workshops each year and supports a master sculptor-in-residence program.

For times, ticket pricing information or general information about Brookgreen Gardens, call (843) 235-6000 or visit http://www.brookgreen.org/ .

Web site: http://www.brookgreen.org/