The North Carolina Rice Festival's 2022 Gullah Geechee Heritage Dinner Gala

The 's annual Gullah Geechee Heritage Dinner Gala signals a much-anticipated return to in-person cultural celebrations in Brunswick County.* The organizers are delighted to once again re-ignite the interest of diverse audiences in the intertwining agricultural, cultural, and historical forces that made our local area one of the richest rice-growing regions of coastal North Carolina and the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor.

Featuring a Cash Bar, exciting Live Entertainment, Sumptuous Gullah Geechee-inspired fare by award-winning Catch Restaurant Chef/Owner and Festival Culinarian Keith Rhodes , and a Silent Auction--the evening will be packed with enjoyment and activities providing our guests with "Education Through Celebration" -- the Festival's overarching theme. The dinner will also premiere another of the Festival organizers' exciting and informative short video presentations about the area's unique rice-growing history and culture.

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* The NC Rice Festival requires that all guests wear protective face masks upon entering the Gala venue and while attending the event except while eating or drinking.

THE NIGHT'S GALA "EDU-TAINMENT": Back by popular demand!! This year's Gala headline performers will be , two educators, authors, TV personalities, and singers/songwriters who are tireless and creative advocates and celebrants of Gullah Geechee culture. As the hosts of the Nickelodeon TV show “Gullah Gullah Island,” the Daises have long been ambassadors of Black history along the coastal Carolina corridor, and the NC Rice Festival is pleased they have agreed to return this year to share once again their lively and insightful cultural performance with our Gala and Festival attendees.

This year's NC Rice Festival events are graced with the images and insights of renowned Gullah artist, printmaker, and author, , considered one of the most important contemporary painters of the American South. Raised in South Carolina by his grandmother, who taught him the Gullah dialect, Green has been described as a "narrative realist" whose works are heavily influenced by the Gullah tradition. His art often incorporates vivid colors to depict traditional Gullah scenes from everyday life. He will be one of the featured speakers at the event. His work is in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including The Morris Museum in Augusta, GA; The Afro-American Museum in Philadelphia, PA; The Naples Museum of Art in Naples, FL; and The IFCC Cultural Center in Portland, OR. Green has received numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate from the University of South Carolina and a Key of Life Award from the NAACP.

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OUR 2022 GALA SPONSORS:

The Leland (NC) Tourist Development Authority | The Town of Leland | The Brunswick County Arts Council | NC Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources | The Orton Foundation | The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission | (additional sponsors to come)

Host or Publisher North Carolina Rice Festival, Inc.