Gullah Geechee Junkanoo Festival

Join us for Brookgreen Gardens’ 9th annual Gullah Geechee Junkanoo Festival on Saturday, September 12, a vibrant celebration of West African, Caribbean, and Gullah Geechee heritage. Inspired by the Bahamian Junkanoo tradition, the festival highlights the cultural connections of the African Diaspora and the living heritage of the Gullah Geechee people through music, dance, storytelling, food, art-making, demonstrations, and community celebration throughout the Gardens.

Guests can enjoy African drumming and dance, an interactive dance tutorial, live screen printing, mask making, Adinkra stamping, Maasai-inspired beadwork, musical instrument making, community indigo dyeing, heritage seed packet art, artisan vendors, and the Junkanoo procession. This year’s festival is also presented in conversation with two exhibitions, Regal Threads: The Majesty of Blue and Purple and Threads of Memory: African Textiles, Adornment & Identity, deepening the celebration of textiles, adornment, identity, and cultural memory.

The festival will also honor recipients of the Huntington Exemplary Service Award, recognizing individuals from Georgetown County, Horry County, and South Carolina who have advanced equity, unity, and cultural understanding. Come dressed in colorful, festive, or Afrocentric attire and join us for a joyful celebration of heritage, creativity, and community.

Highlights: 

• Presentations on West African, Caribbean, and Gullah Geechee heritage
• African drumming and dancing by Wona Womalan
• Children’s crafts and mask decorating
• Gullah Geechee food tastings and desserts
• Exhibits and Artisans Market
• Junkanoo Mask Parade

Celebrate heritage and community at Brookgreen Gardens’ Gullah Geechee Junkanoo Festival. We look forward to seeing you there!

This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.