Drayton Hall presents the 31st Annual Spirituals Concert
Herald the Holidays with History & Heritage Events in the “Holy City” of Charleston
– November 2014 – January 2015 –
CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 29, 2014 – This winter, the Charleston Area is celebrating the holiday season with a series of festive events and lectures. Listed below is a selection of offerings ranging from an authentic heritage farm-to-table dinner to spiritual concerts at a historic plantation to breathtaking displays of decorations and flora in historic landmark homes adorned to reflect 19th century Charleston.
Historic Charleston Foundation and Le Creuset present a Farm-to-Table Dinner featuring P. Allen Smith, November 1, 2014
- Allen Smith, an award-winning designer, gardener and lifestyle expert, will share his lifelong love of heritage poultry during an intimate gathering on the grounds of the historic and evocative Aiken-Rhett House Museum. P. Allen Smith is the host of three public television programs, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, P. Allen Smith’s Garden to Tableand, the syndicated 30-minute show, P. Allen Smith Gardens. Guests will enjoy an elegant farm-to-table dinner inspired by authentic Lowcountry recipes from the journal of Septima T. Holmes, who worked for many years at the Aiken-Rhett House. For more information, visit www.historiccharleston.orgor call (843)723-1623.
Distinguished Lecture Series: Tod Williams and Billie Tsien presented by the Gibbes Museum, November 19, 2014
The Gibbes Museum of Art is pleased to announce its second annual Distinguished Lecture Series, established with the support of Esther Ferguson. The series will feature New York-based and internationally recognized architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. Williams and Tsien’s compelling portfolio of work includes the Natatorium at the Cranbrook School, the American Folk Art Museum in New York, the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, the Asia Society Center in Hong Kong, the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and the new LeFrak Center in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. The firm, along with Davis Brody Bond, was awarded the commission to design the New Embassy Compound in Mexico City. Parallel to their practice, Williams and Tsien maintain active teaching careers and lecture worldwide. The lecture begins at 6p.m. at Memminger Auditorium. For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org or call (843)722-2706.
The Drayton Hall Distinguished Speakers Series presents Jill M. Lord, November 20, 2014
The 2014 Drayton Hall Distinguished Speakers Series will conclude with a presentation by Jill M. Lord titled, Improvement of the Americas: The Architecture of Colonial American Libraries. Lord is an independent architectural historian who specializes in 19th century American architecture. The series, held at the South Carolina Society Hall in downtown Charleston, presents a range of thought-provoking lectures related to colonial history and culture by many of today’s most respected historians, archaeologists and curators. For more information, visit www.draytonhalldistinguishedspeakers.org or call (843)769-2627.
Music at the Library: Vynnytsky & Khoma, presented by The Charleston Library Society, November 20, 2014
Ukranian duo, pianist Volodymr Vynnytsky and cellist Natalia Khoma, take the stage to perform classical delights. Vynnytsky has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Great Bolshoi Hall, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, on NPR, Japan’s NHK-TV and before live audiences around the world. Khoma has won the All-Ukrainian, Pablo Casals International and the Tchaikovsky International Competitions. For more information, visit www.charlestonlibrarysociety.org or call (843)723-9912.
The Historic Charleston Foundation presents the Second Annual Women Who IMPACT Preservation, December 2, 2014
The second annual Women Who IMPACT Preservation event will feature an energy-filled evening highlighting the history of women preservationists in the Charleston community. Organized by women and hosted for women, attendees will honor the IMPACT award winner for her current-day contributions. The evening will include great music, delicious food and libations at the historic Rice Mill Building. Funds raised will benefit the Foundation’s Neighborhood Impact Initiative projects, including the Romney Urban Garden. For more information, visit www.historiccharleston.org call (843)723.1623.
The Charleston Museum presents the Holiday Workshop, December 3, 2014
Guests are invited to decorate a miniature replica of the Heyward-Washington House this holiday season in Kidstory, an interactive Charleston history exhibit for children at the Charleston Museum. The Heyward-Washington House is a historic landmark and a part of the Charleston museum. It was the home to Thomas Heyward, one of four South Carolinian signers of the Declaration of Independence. Kids will enjoy an afternoon participating in festive crafts while sipping hot chocolate and indulging in cookies. The holiday workshop takes place from 3:30 – 5p.m. For more information or to register online for the event, visit www.charlestonmuseum.org or call (843)722-2996.
The Charleston Museum presents Holiday Decorations at the Joseph Manigault House, December 6 – 31, 2014
The Garden Club of Charleston has partnered with the Joseph Manigault House to present “Charleston’s Antebellum Charms,” a themed floral display. The Joseph Manigault House is an exquisite antebellum structure that reflects the lifestyle of wealthy urban rice planters in the early part of the 19th century. The Garden Club highlights the magnificent beauty of the Joseph Manigault House with creative holiday arrangements, using only live plant materials that would have been available in the Lowcountry during the first quarter of the 19th century. For more information, visit www.charlestonmuseum.org or call (843)722-2996.
The Historic Charleston Foundation presents Yuletide in the Lowcountry HolidayExhibitions, end of November 2014 – early January 2015
Visitors are invited to experience the feasts, decorations and local traditions of Historic Charleston Foundation’s two museum houses, the Nathaniel Russell House, constructed in 1808 and the circa 1820 Aiken-Rhett House. Guests will experience Christmases past and learn the evolution of holiday traditions in Charleston through the display Yuletide in the Lowcountry. Beginning at the Nathaniel Russell House Museum, guests will learn about elegant early 19thcentury family gatherings replete with holiday embellishments collected from local flora. Visitors will observe the time-honored Victorian trimmings of a Lowcountry Christmas dinner in 1860 at the Aiken-Rhett House Museum. House museums hours of operation are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon. through Sat.; 2 – 5 p.m., Sunday; last tour begins at 4:15 p.m. Closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Reservations are needed for groups of 12 or more. For more information, please visit www.historiccharleston.org or call (843) 724-8485.
The Library Society presents CSO Chamber Music: Brass Quintet, Thursday, December 4, 2014
The Charleston Library Society welcomes the Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet for its fifth annual Christmas Chamber music event. The Brass Quintet will fill the Library Society with the sound of beloved carols and traditional seasonal pieces. The event starts at 7 p.m. For more information, visitwww.charlestonlibrarysociety.org or call (843)723-9912.
Drayton Hall presents the 31st Annual Spirituals Concert, December 6 & 7, 2014
Ann Caldwell leads the a capella vocal ensemble, The Magnolia Singers, as they perform African-American spiritual music with two memorable performances. Taking place in the atmospheric raised English basement of Drayton Hall, these concerts are a rare opportunity to experience music commonly heard centuries ago in the surrounding fields and praise houses. Prior to the concerts, guests will enjoy a catered reception and informal tours of the house by Drayton Hall’s experienced museum guides. The two performances are on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 from 3 – 5 p.m. Group rates are available. For more information, visit www.draytonhall.org or call (843)769-2638.
South Carolina Historical Society presents the 7th Annual Winter Lecture Series, January 20 – March 10, 2014
The South Carolina Historical Society will host a series of lectures this winter highlighting “South Carolinians You Should Know.” A few highlights include Robert Mills, a Charlestonian who famously designed the Washington Monument, and Anne Pamela Cunningham, a South Carolinian who salvaged Mount Vernon through donations and the creation of “The Mount Vernon Ladies Association,” which continues to manage the property today. Lectures will be held on Tuesdayevenings from 6 – 7 p.m. at the historic First Baptist Church in downtown Charleston. Please join the SCHS each Tuesday to learn more about South Carolina and its contributions to our national history. For more information, visit www.southcarolinahistoricalsociety or call (843)723-3225.
About The Charleston Heritage Federation
The Charleston Heritage Federation is the united voice of numerous historic landmarks, museums, plantations and houses in the Charleston area. A mission driven organization focused on educating, preserving and telling the authentic story through experiences. The Charleston Heritage Federation prides itself on capturing the essence of the city’s rich history, while fostering a deeper understanding of the Lowcountry. Members of the Charleston Heritage Federation include The Gibbes Museum of Art, Middleton Place Foundation, Drayton Hall, Avery Research Center for African American History & Culture, The Charleston Museum, The South Carolina Historical Society, The Preservation Society, The Charleston Library Society and Historic Charleston Foundation.
About The Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
The mission of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is to unify and lead the local travel industry in marketing the Charleston area as an individual, meeting, incentive and group destination to both the domestic and international markets. For more information, visit explorecharleston.com.
###
Gillian Love
Lou Hammond & Associates
Maralyn D. Hill
Maralyn D. Hill, M.Ed., The Epicurean Explorer
Executive Editor, LuxeBeatMag.com
Luxe Beat Magazine Digital Editions now online at http://luxebeatmag.com/magazine/
Freelance Lifestyle Journalist
International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA)
Board Member, Co-Chair Conference & Media Trip Committee, Past President
Member: Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Member: Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Blogs: Where and What in the World & Success with Writing
https://authorcentral.amazon.
Follow me: @maralynhill
FB: http://www.facebook.com/The.Epicurean.Explorer,, http://www.facebook.com/WhereandWhat.intheWorld, http://www.facebook.com/Success.With.Writing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/maralynhill
We welcome press releases on the food, wine, travel, and items related to the hospitality industry. We receive emails with more than we can post to our service. If you would like to post a press release, please click the the submission tab to get the form to upload your release. You can also upload three photos. It will go in pending and be scheduled, unless it is unappropriate. This will enable more of you to have your releases up in a timely manner.
