May 2023

Welcome to the City of Beaufort's monthly newsletter. Any feedback? Please send to Kathleen Williams, kwilliams@cityofbeaufort.org.

Almost time for Taste of Beaufort!

Get ready, foodies! The annual Taste of Beaufort Culture, Music and Food Festival will be held on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Admission is free.

You can listen to great music while sampling dishes from the best of Beaufort’s restaurants. There will be a Kids Corner and arts and craft vendors as well. There is a full array of music on both Friday and Saturday.

Press release with music schedule for Taste of Beaufort

$7.M grant for Downtown/The Point Stormwater Project

Some great news ... the City of Beaufort is on tap for a $7.5 million grant to address stormwater infrastructure improvements in the Charles/Craven streets and Port Republic/Carteret streets drainage areas. The grant, from the South Carolina Office of Resilience, will fund long-term drainage improvements that are part of the City’s current Downtown/The Point Stormwater Drainage Project.

“This grant is significant and goes a long way toward meeting several of the needs of this important drainage project,” said Mayor Stephen Murray. “The Downtown and Point neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable to flooding, and the improvements will make a huge difference.”

Press release on the grant

Don't blow yard debris into street or ditch

It’s that time of year!

You’re cleaning up yard debris – leaves, grass clippings, etc., – and instead of bagging them for pickup, you’re blowing them, or sweeping them, into the street or the stormwater ditch next to your home.

Please don’t do that!

PD embraces

Playoff with Patrol

Beaufort police officers are carrying a few new things in the trunk of their patrol cars. And it’s all in the spirit of fun and play.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Exchange Club of Beaufort, Beaufort Police Department patrol cars are carrying various kinds of sports balls in the trunk of each cruiser. If officers come across kids playing outside while they are patrolling, they might decide to stop for a few minutes, toss the ball around, and then leave it with the kids.

We're hiring!

The City of Beaufort currently has several job openings. Please check our listings here, and share with friends and family who might be interested!

We offer an excellent benefits package, and a supportive and caring work environment. Come work for us!

Whitehall Park now open to public

The City of Beaufort and Beaufort County celebrated the grand opening of the beautiful Whitehall Park on April 21. The passive park is located just across the Woods Memorial Bridge at 120 Whitehall Drive.

Here is some info if you are planning a visit:

Open Hours (Pedestrians): Dawn to dusk

Gate Opening Hours (Vehicles): 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Standard Time); 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (Daylight Savings Time)

Activities: Picnicking, walking, wildlife viewing

Amenities: Parking, restrooms, water fountain, pavilion, picnic tables, benches, pathway

Disability Access: Disability accessible parking spaces, sidewalk, restrooms, water fountain, pavilion, picnic tables, pathway and boardwalk; contact the Passive Parks Manager at 843-255-2152 to reserve a trail wheelchair.

Fort Fremont

expands hours

Visitors can now explore the history of Fort Fremont Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The history center is also open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Friends of Fort Fremont volunteers are available to answer questions, explain the role Fort Fremont played during the Spanish-American War, and to lead guided tours.

The Fort Fremont Preserve is located at 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island and is open daily from dawn to dusk to the public free of charge.

More information as well as a self-guided walking tour app is available at www.fortfremont.org.

BMH to hold

Career Fair May 3

Whether you’ve thought about a career in healthcare or not, you’ll find Beaufort Memorial is a great place to work, grow and find success. Meet hiring managers at an RSVP-only career fair on May 3 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Southern Barrel Brewing Co. in Bluffton.

In addition to clinical positions in both Beaufort and Okatie, learn about openings in hospitality, housekeeping, clerical support, customer service, transportation and more. Many positions require no previous healthcare experience.

Visit BeaufortMemorial.org/JobFair for more details and to register.

Survey seeks information

on internet access

The state of South Carolina has recently enacted Get Connected SC, a campaign to deliver reliable, high-speed internet access to all South Carolinians.

The SC Broadband Office has partnered with the Lowcountry Council of Governments (LOCOG) on this initiative.

LOCOG is asking people to complete a short survey to help identify the areas of greatest need and understand the barriers to internet access. Information gathered from the surveys will shape a 5-year broadband plan from the state.

Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey: https://cx.ravencsi.com/m8BvN. The survey is available through May 31.

Historical Society to hold

annual meeting May 18

The Beaufort County Historical Society will hold its annual meeting from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursday, May 18, at First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

Bill Davies, the SC 250th Revolutionary War Committee and president of the South Carolina Historical Society, will discuss history related to our impending celebration of and contribution to that war. BCHS members will also vote on new officers for the coming two years.

The public is invited to attend.

Beaufort County Historical Society website

Events in May

First Friday and

it's Downtown Derby!

Not only do we have Taste of Beaufort during the first weekend in May, but it's also First Friday. Our downtown merchants are open Friday, May 5, from 5-8 p.m. and the theme for May is Downtown Derby.

Check the Downtown Beaufort Facebook page for details.

Enjoy Lafayette Soiree

on May 6

Join the Historic Beaufort Foundation on May 6 beneath the oaks along the river on Spanish Point Drive for its annual Lafayette Soiree. The evening will include an array of activities from wonderful delicacies from more than 12 local restaurants, to a silent auction, to dancing the night away to live music from the East Coast Band beneath the oaks and along the banks of the Beaufort River.

Please email or phone the HBF Office for tickets.

info@historicbeaufort.org

843.379.3331

Original Gullah Festival last weekend in May

The Original Gullah Festival will take place from May 26-28 at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.

This family-oriented event celebrates all things Gullah -- food, arts and crafts, dance and song, and storytelling. It's a weekend for celebrating the African roots of the Gullah culture, in all its glory.

More information can be found at the Original Gullah Festival website.

Honoring all who served

at Memorial Day parade

A Memorial Day parade will be held in Beaufort on Monday, May 29. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and take the traditional route through downtown Beaufort, ending at the Beaufort National Cemetery.

The Parris Island Military Band will be participating as will other representatives from area military bases. Veterans organizations will also be marching.

Mark your calendars for June!

Black Moses Freedom Festival honors Harriet Tubman

The second annual Black Moses Freedom Festival, celebrating the legacy of Harriet Tubman on the 160th anniversary of her June 2, 1863, victory mission on the Combahee River in Beaufort County, will be held June 2-4.

The event is hosted by the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce.

The weekend will feature holistic health demonstrations, as well as financial literacy, and urban agriculture workshops to engage the community in activities that contribute to improving their quality of life. It will also feature kayak and bus tours along the Combahee River.

Professor Dale Green of Morgan State University will join the festival. His ancestry is intertwined with some of the most consequential individuals in American history, Black including his maternal line of Bishop

Alexander Wayman and Frederick Douglass, and his paternal line of the Rev. Samuel Green and

Harriet Tubman.

For more information about this event, including vending, performances, workshops and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.BlackMosesFreedomFestival.com. Tickets can be purchased here.

Visit Beaufort's gardens June 5-9

This year’s Garden a Day event, celebrating National Gardening week, is June 5 to June 9, and features several gardens. The Beaufort Garden Club invites the public to visit these gardens, free of charge, from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine.

The schedule:

Monday, June 5 – 2203 and 2009 Bay St.

Tuesday, June 6 – 1 Laurens St., The Point

Wednesday, June 7 – 2215 Wilson St. and 610 Bladen St.

Thursday, June 8 – 882 Broad River Drive

Friday, June 9 – 41 Sunset Bluff

“We continue our long history of demonstrating the many benefits of gardening in the Low Country and we are very appreciative of the dedicated gardeners who are making this possible,” said Lora Quincy, President, The Beaufort Garden Club.

Garden visitors are asked to not bring pets

HBF Summer Camp:

Building Detectives!

Historic Beaufort Foundation’s summer camp program -- Junior Building Detectives -- is taking place on June 26-28 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 PM.

This half-day camp will enlighten children on Beaufort’s unique architectural heritage and the significance of historic preservation. Through hands-on classroom activities and walking tours of downtown Beaufort, kids will be taught how to identify local architectural styles and infer meaning from key elements. Registration is open for children ages 8 to 12. Space is limited. Please call HBF at 843-379-3331 or email cknoppel@historicbeaufort.org for more information.

Meetings in May

City Council

5 p.m. May 9 Work Session

7 p.m. May 9 Regular Meeting

5 p.m. May 16 Work Session

5 p.m. May 23 Work Session

7 p.m. May 23 Regular Meeting

Meetings will be held via Zoom and streamed on the City's Facebook page. You can find agendas closer to the date of the meeting on our website's Agenda Center.

City calendar

City boards, task forces

Historic Review Board, 2 p.m. May 10

Metropolitan Planning Commission, 5 p.m. May 15

Cultural District Advisory Board, 2 p.m. May 17

Meetings are held in person and via Zoom and most are streamed on the City's Facebook page. You can find agendas closer to the date of the meeting on our website's Agenda Center.