Join us for a special Juneteenth program honoring freedom, heritage, and resilience through the power of storytelling. Acclaimed Gullah storyteller Frank Murray will share rich oral traditions passed down through generations, offering insight into the lives, wisdom, and culture of the Gullah Geechee people. Frank's stories connect the past to the present, celebrating the strength and spirit of African American ancestors and their enduring legacy. 

This program invites audiences of all ages to listen, learn, and reflect on the significance of Juneteenth while honoring a living tradition rooted in community, survival, and pride. 

About the Performer:   

Frank Murray is a Gullah descendant from Wadmalaw, SC. He attended Haut Gap School and St. Johns High School. Frank is one of the founders of the movement to educate people on The Gullah Culture. Dating back to 1989, he confounded Gullah Ennapry (Enterprises) to spread the word. Frank has presented his Gullah stories locally at Boone Hall Plantation, Middleton Place, Drayton Hall, and numerous schools in the Low Country. He has also presented all over the Southeast, including The Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta, GA. Schools in NC, GA, AL, and TN have enjoyed his colorful and educational stories. Frank has been featured at The Penn Center in Beaufort, SC, Brookgreen Gardens near Garden City, SC, and at The College of Charleston Elder Hostel Program. 

*This event is full.

The Chanticleer from Clay to Bronze; How to Build a Public Sculpture with Bryan Rapp.

Bryan Rapp, Director of Master Sculpture Program at Brookgreen Gardens, will offer a presentation on how he constructed the Chanticleer sculpture for Coastal Carolina University, which will be installed soon. He will show images and videos of the process from clay to bronze.

Wall Lowcountry Center Auditorium and free with Garden admission. 

Celebrate World Poetry Day at Brookgreen Gardens!

I am a South Carolina poet whose chapbook, The Book of Myth (Stepping Stones Press, 2009) was one of six winners in the South Carolina Poetry Initiative chapbook contest. I am motivated to write about the questions I think of: A long life, what I read in the news, my coastal environment, and people who populate my circle. I am inspired by certain folk who bring questions, issues, and beauty to my life. What stirs in my inner self compels me to stay the course. It’s only through craft that I find meaning in words.

Free with Garden admission.

Join Jimmy Brandt, a Brookgreen Gardens horticulturist, for an overview of shade gardening, with recommendations for plant selection and usage. Jimmy will share his experience gardening in shad, highlight plants that perform well in our area, and provide suggestions on how you can transform your shady spaces into beautiful gardens at home!

Free with Garden admission.

A woman moved to Georgetown in 1936, bought a house three miles south of the town of Georgetown, and opened a brothel. She ingratiated herself to the town by having a single location for her business and by not embarrassing the residents. She made a lot of money and she spent a lot of money on Front Street. Her name can be found in the local newspaper as a donor to the March of Dimes and the Easter Seals. She was as generous to Georgetown charities each year as was International Paper. She owned her brothel 33 years, finally closing in 1969 and retiring in the same location. 

Free with Garden admission.

Celebrate World Wildlife Day with us! The Huntington’s are well known for their vast contributions of art and museums, but they also left behind a legacy of stewardship of our natural resources. Ranger Mike Walker will discuss how their love of nature and wildlife guided the development of Huntington Beach State Park, and how the park works with many partners (including Brookgreen Gardens) to keep this legacy alive by protecting threatened and endangered species such as sea turtles, shorebirds, seabirds, wading birds, seabeach amaranth, and more!

Free with Garden admission.

Join Ron Daise, Brookgreen’s Vice President for Creative Education, as he provides dynamic excerpts of quotations from and back stories about Brookgreen’s permanent outdoor exhibit, which features living history narratives of six Georgetown County Gullah Geechee changemakers

Free with Garden admission.

* This event is full

Phil Wilkinson is a noted Wildlife Biologist who has spent his young years growing up at Hopsewee Plantation on the North Santee River. He was the first biologist to manage the now Yawkey Wildlife Center while it was still owned by Tom Yawkey. Join Phil as he tells you of his life on the Santee Delta and the animals and people who live there. His book Seven Days on the Santee Delta co-authored with John Lane includes his growing up years on the Delta and later years of scientific studies.

Free with Garden admission.

The Grand Strand Shell Club has been around for 31 years. Join our panel of speakers, Vanessa Marion, Carolyn Sandi, Maribeth Gearhardt, and George Hummel, as they talk about the history of the club, our state shell, and the unique items found on the beach. Bring your own shells for identification.

Free with Garden admission.

This event is full.

Join Lucy Contreras, Assistant Manager of Plant Collections (and fellow transplant!), for a primer to gardening in coastal South Carolina. Lucy shares her experience as a New-Yorker-turned-South-Carolinian and how it translates to the garden. Learn what it means to garden in your zone, what plants work at your new home, and what to expect as you begin digging into your new, southern garden!

Free with Garden admission.