Roofing Contractor in Beaufort, SC

One of the traditions of the holiday season is going to see a live performance. One of the traditions of the holiday season here in Beaufort, SC and on the sea islands, is to go and see a live performance by Aunt Pearlie Sue. Be sure not to miss everyone’s favorite Gullah-auntie in a performance of Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish live onstage at USCB Center for the Arts on Thursday, December 5th and Friday, December 6th, at 7pm.

This full stage Gullah musical production has become a favorite holiday experience in Beaufort that captures the spirit of the Christmas season.

On the Sea Islands in Beaufort S.C., December 20th, 1860 marks the last Christmas before the Civil War. South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union. “Masters in the big house talkin’ ’bout war coming. Servants in the quarters talkin’ ’bout freedom coming,” the Kinfolk say.

Aunt Pearlie Sue and Gullah Kinfolk brings this history alive through interactive storytelling, dancing, and hand-clapping and foot-stomping music that mesmerize audiences as they journey back in time to celebrate this special Yuletide season.

This fully staged musical production has become a holiday favorite with audience members traveling from both near and far to experience the spirit of the season. “Com’ ‘joy Yo’self. Christmas dis ain’t Christmas wit’out Aunt Pearlie Sue and Gullah Kinfolk!”

Aunt Pearlie Sue is the creation of Anita Singleton-Prather, a native of the Sea Islands of Beaufort, South Carolina. Based on her grandmother, Aunt Pearlie Sue’s character has entertained audiences with Gullah-flavored folktales for over 20 years from our local schoolhouses all the way to the White House.

The Gullah Kinfolk preserves Gullah history and dialect, through expressions of musical performance. The Kinfolk is comprised of Prather’s family members, many of whom have been singing for years. You can find tickets online at www.gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org.

Also planned on Thursday, December 5th is the Gullah Geechee Sierra Leone Connection Lowcountry Energy & Environment Symposium from 9am to 1pm at the USCB Center for the Arts. Learn how we are raising awareness of green, renewable energy opportunities and lifting the voices of lowcountry communities so they are heard in the policymaking process. The event is FREE, but advanced registration is required.

The Gullah Taste of Christmas kicks off at 11am on Saturday, December 7th, at 711 Bladen Street. With live music, a Rice Cookoff, food vendors, a kid’s village and more, the event is a beautiful celebration of Gullah traditions that will have you singing and dancing with joy.

Celebrate the rich culinary heritage of the Gullah people at the Rice Cookoff, a highlight of the Gullah Christmas Celebration. Gullah ancestors brought rice to the United States, transforming South Carolina into the wealthiest colony before the Revolutionary War. This event honors their incredible contributions to American society, cuisine, and the economy.

Contestants will showcase their culinary skills by cooking onsite in a commercial kitchen located at 711 Bladen Street, 2nd floor, Beaufort. If you want to participate in the cookoff event with your own recipe, you can sign up here.

Experience a Gullah Christmas in Beaufort.

For nearly two years, Beaufort County elected officers have been awaiting a spate of expected rulings from the state’s ethics commission on accusations of violations against the employees of the administrative team led, at the time, by County Administrator Eric Greenway.

Late October, the former Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Loper was the first employee to get word she has been cited for a pair of ethics violations that come with fines and raise questions about what’s to come next.

Understanding the context of this report is to recall the chaos that county’s leadership was in during the first seven months of 2023 prior to the termination of Greenway.

The South Carolina Ethics Commission recently investigated Loper in response to two separate complaints, ultimately finding multiple ethics violations. This inquiry is just one of several investigations against county leaders that may expose a pattern of alleged impropriety across county departments.

While the state’s ethics commission cited concerns over Loper’s authorization of payments to family members and reimbursement procedures, it issued a public reprimand and fine in one case and waived further proceedings in the other.

Fired in October 2023, Loper is facing accusations that include unauthorized payments to family members, misuse of county equipment and participation in an unapproved almost $800,000 playground purchase.

Loper, who served Beaufort County for over seven years, was hired to a similar role as the interim parks director in Rincon, Georgia, despite the ongoing scrutiny. Then-Rincon City Manager Jonathan Lynn supported her hiring, citing her transparency about the allegations and commitment to ethical governance. He acknowledged, however, that the ongoing ethics investigations could impact her permanent status with the city.

Lynn resigned from his position effective Sept. 3, citing personal reasons for his departure with a media outlet. Following his resignation, Robert Byrd was hired to fill the city manager role; when contacting City Hall regarding Byrd’s office, he was unavailable. An employee at Loper’s city line stated, “She is no longer here.”

At the heart of the complaints against Loper are two allegations: the first alleges she paid family members, including her sons, nearly $7,000 for services such as officiating sports games and cheer camp coaching. The second claim asserts she used county resources for personal property projects. Loper has responded publicly as a guest on former County Council Member Mike Covert’s podcast, Beaufort County’s House of Cards, defending the necessity and qualifications of her sons’ involvement due to challenges in finding other qualified staff for certain activities.

The first complaint, filed in October 2023, involved allegations that Loper authorized payments to her four sons, who worked as independent contractors for the Parks and Recreation department during her tenure. From 2020 to 2023, Loper approved multiple invoices for her sons’ work, with payments totaling over $6,600, according to the consent order. This included contracts and authorization for her son Dayton Loper to provide services for the county.

The Commission determined that Loper’s actions violated the state’s code of laws, specifically provisions prohibiting public employees from participating in decisions that economically benefit their family members, according to the consent order. In response, Loper acknowledged the violations in a consent order but stated she sought advice from Greenway, county legal and finance officials, who approved her actions due to staffing shortages.

The consent order also reads that the ethics commission acknowledged that there was no evidence to suggest Loper paid her sons’ above standard rates.

The ethics commission issued a public reprimand to Loper, citing five counts of ethics violations, and ordered her to pay a reduced civil penalty of $1,000 along with a $500 administrative fee.

In a second complaint, filed in May 2024, Loper faced allegations of improperly using county funds for personal expenses during a work conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2022. The complaint claimed she rented a house and a van with county funds for personal excursions, which included sightseeing, dining and visiting a rodeo.

The investigation revealed that Loper used a county-issued p-card to rent a house and van to accommodate five Beaufort County employees, resulting in savings compared to individual hotel bookings. The house rental cost $2,477.57 — about $1,770 less than the estimated cost for separate hotel rooms. Employees used the van for both conference-related and personal activities, with personal expenses shared among the group and no additional cost to the county, according to the decision and order.

While the ethics commission found no evidence of misuse of county funds for these activities, it did discover that Loper had authorized her own reimbursement for daily expenses after the conference, potentially violating ethics rules against self-authorization in transactions with personal financial interest. The commission found probable cause for this violation but waived further proceedings.

Loper’s case is only one in a wave of ethics complaints hitting the county. Former County Attorney Brittany Ward recently resigned amid unrelated scrutiny over a profitable land sale involving her family’s property, which was sold to Beaufort County at a significant gain. This sale has raised questions, as it took place while she held her official role.

Ward’s resignation comes alongside former County Attorney Thomas Keaveny’s retirement, which was also marked by controversies, including his involvement in hiring practices and consulting contracts with former employees. Keaveny’s tenure showed he had been demoted and later reinstated as county attorney shortly after criticism over a proposed ordinance to curb public speaking at council meetings.

The departure of two top county attorneys leaves the county in a leadership transition during a period marked by nine formal complaints against officials. The complaints are as follows:

To date, the ethics commission has only ruled on two of the complaints against Loper.

Efforts to reach Loper and current Beaufort County Parks and Recreation Director Eric Brown were unsuccessful.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024, 10:38 AM.

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There's a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you're biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes.

"Yes," it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the sweet tea at Blackstone's Cafe. Spending hours strolling through The Old Point and gazing at historic homes and even older live oaks offers endless enchantment. But with my eyes peeled for rattlers, I was (yes) relieved that the only serpentine thing I discovered was more of the winding trail along old dune ridge lines through a primordial wonderland.

The trail affirms why Hunting Island, a breathtaking 25-minute drive from Beaufort, is South Carolina's most popular state park. With a dozen similar paths and 5 miles of pristine beach, this place leads you back eons in time through an untouched maritime forest with towering pines and ospreys soaring overhead as well as magnolias and saw palmettos tangled with yaupon hollies and wax myrtles in the dense understory. Here you breathe deeper and look more closely. Life slows down, and a sense of awe percolates up.

Take In The Scenery At Waterfront Park

Take a seat on one of the bench swings at Beaufort's Waterfront Park. Wide and welcoming, they move back and forth in a rhythmic lullaby. You can't help relaxing, especially if you happen to catch a sunset or tune into the soft lapping of the Beaufort River against the floating dock, hearing the jingling clink of pulleys against sailboat masts—a mariner's wind chime.

PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards A slice of the sweet life from Beaufort’s upscale Saltus River Grill. PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards

Waterfront Park showcases the smart civic planning that makes Beaufort such a delight: The town's best vistas are protected and preserved. There are thoughtful amenities (parking, public bathrooms, an amphitheater, picnic tables, and plenty of green lawn for kids and dogs to play on). Plus it's all conveniently adjacent to an enticing array of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores along Bay Street. What better nightcap than to sit and swing a spell after enjoying grilled scallops or top-notch sushi at Saltus River Grill?

Appreciate Beaufort's Subdued Beauty

Beaufort is subdued in the best possible way. She has the same deep history and stunning architecture that her nearby sisters, Charleston and Savannah, are celebrated for, but she's fine staying slightly out of the limelight. Wise and mature, Beaufort wears her age like the badge of honor it is. Her Lowcountry aura feels elemental, with more patina and less pomp. Along Short Street at the edge of The Old Point, moss-heaped limbs cradle historic mansions. Beaufort's treescape shouts of grandeur in whatever language oaks speak. Gardens and yards aren't so much manicured as they are magical. It's easy to see why Hollywood frequently comes calling (a stairwell at The Beaufort Inn features posters from major motion pictures filmed here). Longtime resident Pat Conroy was so smitten that he wrote, "When I came to Beaufort I had struck upon a land so beautiful I had to hunt for other words."

Learn About Beaufort's History

Not far from Short Street, the First African Baptist Church, a Gothic Revival gem built by freedmen in 1865, bears witness to Beaufort's African American, Gullah, and Reconstruction-era history. "Robert Smalls was a member here. This document notes his Sunday school attendance and that he put a few cents in the offering plate," says the Rev. Alexander McBride, a jovial former marine and the church's pastor of almost 20 years, pointing to framed, yellowing pages hanging behind the sanctuary. A statue of Smalls, an enslaved crewman who heroically commandeered a Confederate ship and later served as a U.S. Congressman, is less than a mile away at Tabernacle Baptist Church, where a monument to Harriet Tubman is also planned.

Both churches are worthy stops, along with the Penn Center, the first Southern school for formerly enslaved people, across the bridge on St. Helena Island. Each place gives a deeper insight into the region's vibrant and enduring African American and Gullah Geechee culture.

Providing an overview of Beaufort's past, Capt. Henry Brandt of Coastal Expeditions offers a boat tour that cruises through the area's Native American, Spanish, and French history; Union occupation; and a view of Camp Saxton's tabby ruins, where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in South Carolina—all interspersed with musings on estuary ecosystems and the fecund marvels of pluff mud.

"You don't fully experience Beaufort until you see it from the water," Brandt claims. After watching dolphins curl and glide from the boat's bow and admiring the town's steeples rising in the background, I absolutely believe him.

tabernacle1863.org; 901 Craven Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29901penncenter.com; 16 Penn Center Circle East, St. Helena Island, South Carolina 29920coastalexpeditions.com

Where To Stay

Anchorage 1770Boutique hotel in an 18th-century mansion with fine dining at the Ribaut Social Club anchorage1770.com; 1103 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Beaufort InnHistoric main inn plus several cottages clustered around a courtyardbeaufortinn.com; 809 Port Republic St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Rhett House InnHistoric Greek revival mansion that's been a favorite of movie starsrhetthouseinn.com; 1009 Craven St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

What To Eat And Drink

Blackstone's CaféClassic diner-like optionsblackstonescafe.com; 205 Scott Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Red Rooster CafeExtensive breakfast menu, whether you like it country, continental, Lowcountry, or Tex Mexfacebook.com; 2045 Boundary Street, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29901

Lowcountry Produce KitchenLocally sourced salads and sandwiches and a legendary tomato pielowcountryproduce.com; 302 Carteret St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Chapman's GrocerGrab-and-go items plus beer, wine, and snacksinstagram.com/chapmans_grocer_beaufort; 208 West St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

PlumsWaterfront dining featuring soups, salads, and sandwichesplumsrestaurant.com; 904 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Saltus River GrillFine dining with fresh local seafood, Southern fare, steaks, sushi, and a well-curated wine list saltusrivergrill.com; 802 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Old Bull TavernGastropub featuring a lively bar scene anda lamb shank that does not disappointoldbulltavern.com; 205 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Breakwater Restaurant and BarSeafood, steaks, and seasonal dishes with Southern flairwww.breakwatersc.com; 203 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Paninis on the WaterfrontStone-baked pizzas, paninis, seafood, and pastaswww.paninisonthewaterfront.com; 926 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Where To Shop

Cabana22Coastal-chic boutiquecabana22.com; 819 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Chocolate TreeConfections such as fudge, truffles, and peanut brittlefacebook.com; 507 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Beaufort Candy ShopClassic candies and sweet treats of every kindfacebook.com; 103 West Street Extension, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906

Lisa Rivers Fine ArtGullah-inspired art, prints, and giftswww.lisariversart.com; 917c Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Cassandra Gillens Art / Gullah Art in De WoodsPaintings, posters, and giftswww.cassandragillensarts.com; 711 Bladen Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906

Good AuraSustainable clothing and jewelry boutiqueshopgoodaura.com; 221 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Monkey's UncleToys, fun, and games for children of all ageswww.monkeysuncletoys.com; 909 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

What To Do

Hunting Island; southcarolinaparks.comSt. Phillips Island; southcarolinaparks.comPat Conroy Literary Center; patconroyliterarycenter.orgCoastal Expeditions; coastalexpeditions.comReconstruction Era National Historic Park; nps.gov/reerSpanish Moss Trail; spanishmosstrail.comCraven Street en route to The Old Point to explore historic neighborhoods

There's a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you're biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes.

"Yes," it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the sweet tea at Blackstone's Cafe. Spending hours strolling through The Old Point and gazing at historic homes and even older live oaks offers endless enchantment. But with my eyes peeled for rattlers, I was (yes) relieved that the only serpentine thing I discovered was more of the winding trail along old dune ridge lines through a primordial wonderland.

The trail affirms why Hunting Island, a breathtaking 25-minute drive from Beaufort, is South Carolina's most popular state park. With a dozen similar paths and 5 miles of pristine beach, this place leads you back eons in time through an untouched maritime forest with towering pines and ospreys soaring overhead as well as magnolias and saw palmettos tangled with yaupon hollies and wax myrtles in the dense understory. Here you breathe deeper and look more closely. Life slows down, and a sense of awe percolates up.

Take In The Scenery At Waterfront Park

Take a seat on one of the bench swings at Beaufort's Waterfront Park. Wide and welcoming, they move back and forth in a rhythmic lullaby. You can't help relaxing, especially if you happen to catch a sunset or tune into the soft lapping of the Beaufort River against the floating dock, hearing the jingling clink of pulleys against sailboat masts—a mariner's wind chime.

PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards A slice of the sweet life from Beaufort’s upscale Saltus River Grill. PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards

Waterfront Park showcases the smart civic planning that makes Beaufort such a delight: The town's best vistas are protected and preserved. There are thoughtful amenities (parking, public bathrooms, an amphitheater, picnic tables, and plenty of green lawn for kids and dogs to play on). Plus it's all conveniently adjacent to an enticing array of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores along Bay Street. What better nightcap than to sit and swing a spell after enjoying grilled scallops or top-notch sushi at Saltus River Grill?

Appreciate Beaufort's Subdued Beauty

Beaufort is subdued in the best possible way. She has the same deep history and stunning architecture that her nearby sisters, Charleston and Savannah, are celebrated for, but she's fine staying slightly out of the limelight. Wise and mature, Beaufort wears her age like the badge of honor it is. Her Lowcountry aura feels elemental, with more patina and less pomp. Along Short Street at the edge of The Old Point, moss-heaped limbs cradle historic mansions. Beaufort's treescape shouts of grandeur in whatever language oaks speak. Gardens and yards aren't so much manicured as they are magical. It's easy to see why Hollywood frequently comes calling (a stairwell at The Beaufort Inn features posters from major motion pictures filmed here). Longtime resident Pat Conroy was so smitten that he wrote, "When I came to Beaufort I had struck upon a land so beautiful I had to hunt for other words."

Learn About Beaufort's History

Not far from Short Street, the First African Baptist Church, a Gothic Revival gem built by freedmen in 1865, bears witness to Beaufort's African American, Gullah, and Reconstruction-era history. "Robert Smalls was a member here. This document notes his Sunday school attendance and that he put a few cents in the offering plate," says the Rev. Alexander McBride, a jovial former marine and the church's pastor of almost 20 years, pointing to framed, yellowing pages hanging behind the sanctuary. A statue of Smalls, an enslaved crewman who heroically commandeered a Confederate ship and later served as a U.S. Congressman, is less than a mile away at Tabernacle Baptist Church, where a monument to Harriet Tubman is also planned.

Both churches are worthy stops, along with the Penn Center, the first Southern school for formerly enslaved people, across the bridge on St. Helena Island. Each place gives a deeper insight into the region's vibrant and enduring African American and Gullah Geechee culture.

Providing an overview of Beaufort's past, Capt. Henry Brandt of Coastal Expeditions offers a boat tour that cruises through the area's Native American, Spanish, and French history; Union occupation; and a view of Camp Saxton's tabby ruins, where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in South Carolina—all interspersed with musings on estuary ecosystems and the fecund marvels of pluff mud.

"You don't fully experience Beaufort until you see it from the water," Brandt claims. After watching dolphins curl and glide from the boat's bow and admiring the town's steeples rising in the background, I absolutely believe him.

tabernacle1863.org; 901 Craven Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29901penncenter.com; 16 Penn Center Circle East, St. Helena Island, South Carolina 29920coastalexpeditions.com

Where To Stay

Anchorage 1770Boutique hotel in an 18th-century mansion with fine dining at the Ribaut Social Club anchorage1770.com; 1103 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Beaufort InnHistoric main inn plus several cottages clustered around a courtyardbeaufortinn.com; 809 Port Republic St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Rhett House InnHistoric Greek revival mansion that's been a favorite of movie starsrhetthouseinn.com; 1009 Craven St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

What To Eat And Drink

Blackstone's CaféClassic diner-like optionsblackstonescafe.com; 205 Scott Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Red Rooster CafeExtensive breakfast menu, whether you like it country, continental, Lowcountry, or Tex Mexfacebook.com; 2045 Boundary Street, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29901

Lowcountry Produce KitchenLocally sourced salads and sandwiches and a legendary tomato pielowcountryproduce.com; 302 Carteret St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Chapman's GrocerGrab-and-go items plus beer, wine, and snacksinstagram.com/chapmans_grocer_beaufort; 208 West St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

PlumsWaterfront dining featuring soups, salads, and sandwichesplumsrestaurant.com; 904 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Saltus River GrillFine dining with fresh local seafood, Southern fare, steaks, sushi, and a well-curated wine list saltusrivergrill.com; 802 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Old Bull TavernGastropub featuring a lively bar scene anda lamb shank that does not disappointoldbulltavern.com; 205 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Breakwater Restaurant and BarSeafood, steaks, and seasonal dishes with Southern flairwww.breakwatersc.com; 203 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Paninis on the WaterfrontStone-baked pizzas, paninis, seafood, and pastaswww.paninisonthewaterfront.com; 926 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Where To Shop

Cabana22Coastal-chic boutiquecabana22.com; 819 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Chocolate TreeConfections such as fudge, truffles, and peanut brittlefacebook.com; 507 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Beaufort Candy ShopClassic candies and sweet treats of every kindfacebook.com; 103 West Street Extension, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906

Lisa Rivers Fine ArtGullah-inspired art, prints, and giftswww.lisariversart.com; 917c Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Cassandra Gillens Art / Gullah Art in De WoodsPaintings, posters, and giftswww.cassandragillensarts.com; 711 Bladen Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906

Good AuraSustainable clothing and jewelry boutiqueshopgoodaura.com; 221 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Monkey's UncleToys, fun, and games for children of all ageswww.monkeysuncletoys.com; 909 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

What To Do

Hunting Island; southcarolinaparks.comSt. Phillips Island; southcarolinaparks.comPat Conroy Literary Center; patconroyliterarycenter.orgCoastal Expeditions; coastalexpeditions.comReconstruction Era National Historic Park; nps.gov/reerSpanish Moss Trail; spanishmosstrail.comCraven Street en route to The Old Point to explore historic neighborhoods

No city seems to do holidays quite like Beaufort: From Christmas tree and menorah lightings in Waterfront Park to a unique musical depicting the last Christmas on a Civil War-era plantation to a parade featuring boats bedecked in lights to spectacular fireworks over the Beaufort River, the historic city on the coast of South Carolina throws out all the stops.

The holiday spectacle begins Saturday.

Here’s a sampling of some of the larger and most popular traditions in the city you don’t want to miss throughout December.

Santa will be outside the Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., from 1-5 p.m.

It’s Artists Sunday from noon- 4 p.m. in downtown Beaufort. Enjoy a pop-up market at The Arsenal on Craven Street. Food trucks and street musicians are part of the fun and local artists will be selling holiday gifts. The Arsenal was built in 1798 to house the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery after it fought with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Today, it is home to the Beaufort History Museum and Visitor Center.

The Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish is an interactive musical depicting the last Christmas before the beginning of the Civil War among the enslaved at a South Carolina plantation. 7 p.m., USCB Center for the Arts. Tickets: https://www.gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org/christmas. “It’s the last Christmas before the Civil War ... South Carolina has just seceded from the Union ... Master’s in the Big House talking war, servants in the Quarters talking freedom coming.” The play is performed by the Gullah Kinfolk Traveling Theater.

Celebrate Night on the Town as streets close at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Merchants will be open, most offering complimentary food and drinks. On Bay Street, there will be plenty of food and activity booths hosted by non-profit organizations, and downtown restaurants will be open. The Parris Island Marine Corps Band will perform and there will be a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” The evening concludes with the popular tree lighting at 8:30 p.m. —and there will be snow, the city promises.

â–ª Celebrate and honor Gullah holiday traditions from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with the Gullah Taste of Christmas and Rice Cook-off.

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â–ª Santa photos outside Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., 1-5 p.m.

â–ª The Lighted Boat Parade, hosted by the Beaufort Water festival, begins at 5:30 p.m. Grab a seat along the seawall at Waterfront Park.

The annual Christmas parade begins at 3 p.m. and typically concludes about 5 p.m. Santa will be riding atop a Beaufort-Port Royal fire truck.

View more than 150 Nativity displays from around the world will be displayed at First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort, 1201 North St. from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and from noon-3 p.m. Dec. 8.

â–ª Wreaths Across America at Beaufort National Cemetery at noon.

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â–ª Santa photos outside Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., 1-4 p.m.

Santa photos outside Beaufort Candy Shoppe, 103 West St. Ext., 1-4 p.m.

Chabad Greater Hilton Head will hold the Chanukah menorah lighting, 5-6:30 p.m., Waterfront Park.

Fireworks at Waterfront Park.