On Saturday, May 21st, Georgetown will celebrate the Annual Harborwalk Festival. Events range from harbor boat tours, to a bass fishing tournament and is topped off by a street dance until midnight with live music.
The festival was originally designed to help defray the cost of the downtown redevelopment. This included building the 12 foot wide Harborwalk along the shoreline of the Sampit River. Today the Harborwalk runs from the Rice Museum west to the Kaminski House Museum and provides access to restaurants, shops, and apartments that lie on the south side of Front Street.
The festival consists of the traditional siege of Georgetown by pirates, a pirate ship battle, arts, crafts, and tons of good food. And this year the festival is held on Armed Forces Day, so it is being dedicated to those currently serving in the military and veterans.
But the Harborwalk Festival isn’t the only thing to do in Georgetown. You can visit the Rice Museum for a fascinating look at how rice and plantations shaped the Lowcounty and made the Carolinas one of the most profitable areas in the world. Another popular spot is the waterfront River Room, a unique and cozy Lowcountry restaurant that features outstanding appetizers, shrimp and grits and a great wine list. There’s also the charming Humble Crumb café, delicious Italian at Portofinos on the Wharf, and truly amazing fare at Kudzu Bakery.
Take in a show by the Swamp Fox Players, a group of local thespians who boast some lovely talent in the beautiful old Strand Theater. Go for a boat ride or drive through the historic district and look at the houses boasting architecture that has been around since the Civil War. But whatever you do, take the time to go visit historic Georgetown!
