Heritage Days
Held in November, Penn Center’s Heritage Days Celebration is a three-day cultural event celebrating Penn School/Penn Center, and the Gullah Geechee history, folk arts, food, music, crafts, and West and Central African cultural legacy of the region.
42nd Annual Penn Center Heritage Days Celebration
November 12-14, 2026
2026 Heritage Days Symposium
This year, Historic Penn Center is bringing those stories forward. The 2026 Penn Center Heritage Days Symposium, People, Places and Promises of the American Revolution in the Lowcountry and Beyond, is a free, day-long gathering celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
There are two ways to join us! RSVP for your ticket (Space is limited) or tune in on the County Channel
Heritage Days participants will experience the West African connections to Gullah/Geechee traditions through:
Presentations by Gullah/Geechee artisans and re-enactors
Center Stage performances
An educational symposium
Fish fry
Artists and Authors Row
Vendors Market
Parade
Youth & Family Day, in particular, features lots of educational fun for the children and family!
Schedule of Events
Thursday, Nov. 13 (9 AM to 9 PM)
9 AM to 3 PM: Heritage Symposium honoring the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Researchers, scholars, and teachers share stories of the diverse communities and individuals who shaped the Revolutionary War and American history.
Free and open to the public; RSVP encouraged. (Frissell Community House)
10 AM: Opening ceremony and performances featuring students from Beaufort County School District (Center Stage)
All day: Artists and Authors Row, Vendors Market, the Gullah Roots Village, face-painting, crochet and crafting, bateau building, scavenger hunt, and educational activities for children and families (Penn Center grounds)
5 PM: The Lowcountry Supper. Ticketed, $25 at the door or via Eventbrite (Emory S. Campbell Dining Hall)
6 PM: Youth theatrical play (Frissell Community House)
7 PM: Old-Fashioned Praise House Service (Brick Baptist Church)
10 AM: Opening festivities, live performances, and entertainment featuring Daa Geeche Gal, Poetic Storyteller, saxophonist Gregory Whitaker, Soul Line Dancing, and more (Center Stage)
11 AM: Daughters of the Dust film screening (Frissell Community House)
1:30 to 3 PM: "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" with Ron Daise.
The St. Helena Island native, author, and former star of Nick Jr.'s "Gullah Gullah Island" presents a reader's theater piece on the life of Gullah Reconstruction-era figure Prince Rivers, woven with poetry, spirituals, and Civil War-era songs (Frissell Community House)
All day: Artists and Authors Row and Vendors Market (Penn Center grounds)
5 PM: Evening fish fry and music (Penn Center grounds)
Friday, Nov. 13 (9 AM to 9 PM
Saturday, Nov. 14 (8 AM to 4 PM)
8 AM: Heritage Days Parade.
Lineup begins at 8 AM; the parade starts at 9 AM (Parade route to Penn Center)
10 AM to 12 PM: Museum open with free admission, featuring the Bruce Ingram art exhibit (York W. Bailey Museum)
10:15 AM: Opening festivities (Center Stage)
All day: Vendors Market, Artists and Authors Row, food, and Center Stage entertainment (Penn Center grounds)
Saturday Center Stage performers: Whale Branch Middle School Choir, GyeNyame Dance Ensemble, Natasha Robinson, Gullah Geechee Spirituals Project, Darryl Anderson, Sydney Passmore, Claflin University Concert Chorus, Dani's Dance Dynamic, Keondra Grant, Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters, Kelly Burns, Bruce Ingram, and Michael Broddie.
Donate to Support Heritage Days
We need friends like you to support Heritage Days!
For sponsorship opportunities, call (843) 838-8566, or email heritagefestival@penncenter.com with "Heritage Days Sponsorship" in the subject line.
The application period for the 2026 Heritage Days Celebration is now closed.
Questions? Contact us: HeritageFestival@penncenter.com