Gullah Geechee Heritage Festival

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 Saturday, December 6, 2025. This vibrant event features live music, dance performances, and educational demonstrations that explore the area's multicultural history. Highlights include a Lowcountry cooking demo, The Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters, and engaging discussions on the Gullah Geechee culture.

Schedule of Activities

Festival activities at Armstrong Park include interactive exhibits, Gullah Geechee food booths, arts and craft vendors, and live music performances.

On the festival stage:

• 11:30 - 11:55 a.m.—Opening Ceremonies
• 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.—El Shaddei Dance Ministry, St. Mary's Baptist Church, St. Augustine
• 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.—STR8UP (Straight Up)
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.—J.W. Gilmore & the Blues Authority
• 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.—Cellus
• 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.—Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters from Georgia

In the exhibit and vendor area:

• 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.—A cooking demo by Angela Coleman, head cook at St. Johns Technical High School

The Details

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: December 6, 2025, from noon to 5:00 p.m.

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

Parking: Ride a free shuttle bus from the St. Johns County Fairgrounds to Armstrong Park, departing from the fairgrounds every 15 minutes beginning at noon. The last bus from the event is at 5:30 p.m. The St. Johns County Fairgrounds is 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 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.