SEA ISLAND TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS SOUTHERN AT ITS SOUTHERN GROWN FESTIVAL

In addition to distinctive cuisines and a headline concert by Grammy®-nominated NEEDTOBREATHE, the festival features workshops and demonstrations during its “How to be a Southerner” sessions. Attendees can learn how to tie a bow tie from Sea Island’s resident historian, how to shuck an oyster in “Mind Over Mollusk,” and how to pour the perfect Bloody Mary while elevating your home bar.  Throughout the weekend, guests can taste, sip, learn and experience the unique cuisines and traditions that define the country’s most special region.

Festivities begin on Friday night with Garden & Gun magazine’s Kick-Off Dinner and a show hosted by guest chef Kenny Gilbert, who recently competed in Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” season seven.  Set along Black Banks River and overlooking the marsh, the evening will be steeped in Southern tradition, culinary delights, prohibition-style libations and live music by Nashville-based Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors. Saturday morning, guests can enjoy the Southern Grown Marketplace presented by the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, a demonstration of wildlife and nature through fine art, conservation seminars and sporting presentations, in addition to food and drink.

Saturday evening, American rock band NEEDTOBREATHE takes center stage. Guests are invited to a pre-concert shindig with local island food purveyors Certified Burgers & Beverage, Southern Soul BBQ Food Truck, Molly MacPherson Fish & Chips, the oldest operating Savannah food truck.

The weekend concludes Sunday with an ocean-side brunch. Participants can ease into departure with one last round of live music and Southern culinary staples, complete with delicious seafood, casual bites, and Bloody Marys. For information and access to the festival: southerngrown.com.

For those not yet aware of this southern treasure, Sea Island features five miles of private beach, a beach club, tennis center, yacht club, shooting school and children’s programs, as well as three championship golf courses, including Seaside and Plantation, home of the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic.  Broadfield, a Sea Island Sporting Club and Lodge, offers seasonal hunting and fishing opportunities.

Since 1928, Sea Island has been known as an exceptional destination, appealing to those who appreciate gracious service and heartfelt hospitality. With four Forbes Five-Star experiences — The Cloister at Sea Island, The Lodge at Sea Island, The Spa at Sea Island, and the Georgian Room restaurant – Sea Island entices families, outdoor enthusiasts and those simply wanting to refresh. It is the only resort in the world to have received four Forbes Five-Star awards for ten consecutive years.  As the only U.S. resort to host a G-8 Summit of world leaders, Sea Island provides exceptional settings and service for conferences and executive retreats.