Sample the 'Taste of Gullah' Saturday

The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina is serving up A Taste of Gullah on Saturday with a side of native islander arts, crafts and culture.

A Taste of Gullah is one of the signature events of the 12th Annual Gullah Celebration, a month-long festival that showcases the music, food, history, arts and crafts of the Gullah culture.

Part of the 12th Annual Gullah Celebration, the free outdoor festival will feature local Gullah cooks preparing a menu of Lowcountry specialties, including conch stew, shrimp and grits, and shrimp and okra gumbo.

Complementing the culinary offerings is a diverse lineup of entertainment highlighted by Charleston's award-winning ADANDE, an authentic group of West African drummers and dancers known for their colorful, high-energy shows. In conjunction with the performance, members of ADANDE will teach a dance workshop at 3 p.m. in the arts center's Black Box Theatre. The cost of the class is $10.

Also performing Saturday are the gospel group Voices of El Shaddai and Gullah storyteller Louise Cohen.

On the visual arts front, the exhibition De Aarts Ob We People XI will be open in the Walter Greer Gallery. The show, which runs through Feb. 24, features new artwork created by 18 established and emerging artists specializing in the Gullah tradition.

Children will be invited to make their own artistic creations at several craft stations set up on the festival grounds. Among the planned projects are pine needle heart weavings, Gullah dolls and puppets and indigo rattan figures.

For more information on the festival or to register for the ADANDE dance class, call the arts center at 843-686-3945.