Gullah Geechee Heritage Festival

Celebrate the rich legacy of St. Augustine's early Black settlers and their descendants at the Gullah Geechee Heritage Festival, on Friday and Saturday, December 6 - 7, 2024. This vibrant event features live performances by Little Jake & The Soul Searchers, Amy Alysia, and The Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, along with educational demonstrations that explore the area's multicultural history. Highlights include a Lowcountry cooking demo and engaging discussions on the Gullah Geechee culture.

The festival kicks off on Friday afternoon with the Gullah Geechee Fun Day at Hastings Recreation Center Park, where families can enjoy traditional games like hopscotch, stickball, and kickball. The day ends with a screening of an African Gullah Geechee film from the Mende Film collection at the Hastings Library. 

On Saturday morning, the North Florida Bicycle Club will lead the Rails to Trails Bike Tour along the scenic Palatka to St. Augustine State Trail. When the tour wraps up, festival activities will be in full swing at Armstrong Park, featuring interactive exhibits, Gullah Geechee food and craft booths, and live music performances.

Proceeds from food and drink sales support the SEA (Spuds, Elkton, Armstrong) Community Help Resource Center, a nonprofit committed to fighting homelessness and hunger in local communities.

Registration: Admission is free for everyone.

When: Friday and Saturday, December 6 - 7, 2024. Times vary, see schedule of events below.

Where: Armstrong Park, at 4950 Harvey Avenue, Elkton, Florida 32033. 

Parking: A free shuttle bus will take attendees from the St. Johns County Fairgrounds to Armstrong Park, departing from the fairgrounds every 15 minutes. The St. Johns County Fairgrounds are at 5840 State Road 207, Elkton, Florida 32033.

About the Gullah Geechee: Descendants of enslaved Africans, the Gullah Geechee developed a unique Creole culture and dialect on the isolated islands of the Southeastern United States. The Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor, established in 2006, spans from North Carolina to Florida and works to preserve this group's history and traditions.

About Rails to Trails Bike Tour: The Rails to Trails Bike Tour takes cycling and walking groups through parts of the Palatka to St. Augustine State Trail to experience Northeast Florida's natural beauty and to learn more about the area's rich history. 

Find out more about the Rails to Trails Bike Tour. 

About SEA: SEA (Spuds, Elkton, and Armstrong) was established to support the rural communities west of St. Augustine, where descendants of West Africans, known as the Gullah Geechee, settled in the late 17th century. These communities, along with others in coastal areas of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, form part of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Local organizations are working to preserve and share the rich history of the Gullah Geechee culture. The annual SEA Rails to Trails Festival is the organization’s primary fundraising event. It showcases historical booths with Gullah Geechee artifacts, displays, DVDs, traditional Gullah home-cooked meals, and signage that highlights the area's rich cultural heritage.