A Taste of Beaufort festival: Two days of food, fun, dancing...and food (With Event Schedule)
By Hannah Morris | With the Soft Shell Crab Festival in Port Royal under our belts (and in our bellys too), festival season is back in the Lowcountry, and the first of the downtown Beaufort festivals is almost here to start us off…the beloved two-day ‘A Taste of Beaufort’. This local tradition features fifteen local restaurants over two days of food and fun at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Historic Downtown Beaufort May 4th & 5th.
Friday night from 6 to 10pm, treat yourself to ‘Shaggin With a Taste’ in the park, and bring all for your friends! In the evening, between 7 and 7:30pm, the Beaufort Shag Club will be giving lessons on the art of Shagging with live music provided by The Headliners – a famed Southeastern band who mixes a little bit of every genre, proving they how to get down!
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Schedule of Events
Friday, May 4, 2012 – 6-10 pm it’s “Shaggin’ with A Taste”
Shag in the park by the river, located in historic downtown Beaufort, South Carolina. Open to the public, with beginner shag lessons and demonstrations from the Beaufort Shag Club. Live music by the Headliners. The Headliners are possibly the most requested band in the Southeast. Performing over 200 nights a year, keeps this six piece horn band fresh and in demand. Whether your preference is Big Band, the Classic 50′s and 60′s Rock and Roll, Beach Music, Motown, Disco Hits from the 70′s to Hits from the 90′s, get ready to dance!
Friday, May 4th also brings an expanded Arts and Crafts Market from 12pm until 5pm, though vendors are welcome to remain open later to take advantage of the crowd for the concert. The Market will be open Saturday, May 5. 2012, from 11:00am until 5:00pm.
Activities and the main event fun, food, music for the whole family on Saturday, May 5, 2011 from 11:00 am-5:00 pm.
Saturday May 5th, the festivities continue with a 5K Run/Walk and Popcorn race for children under 7 years old at 8:00 am on Bay Street. Registrations available at http://www.active.com/running/beaufort-sc/a-taste-of-beaufort-5k-run-walk-2012
Bring the family downtown to enjoy traditional and innovative food choices being offered by our local restaurants. Sample the many different ‘tastes’ of Beaufort! From local seafood to international food offerings, you are sure to find a new favorite dish! Beer, wine, and soft drinks will be available. Food and drink vendors will accept tickets that you can purchase at the ticket booths for $1 each. Items will be sold for 2-7 tickets. Live music will be provided on the Pavilion Stage and children’s activities, which include Jumpers and slides, will be located near the playground area..
Saturday’s Music Line-up
11am – 12:30pm – Donnie Polk
1pm – 3pm – Shark Rodeo
3pm – 5pm – Broke Locals
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Also starting Friday May 4th the festival is adding new flavor with an Arts and Crafts section. Vendors from all over the Southeast will be present to display and sell some of their many special arts and crafts.
Saturday morning begins bright and early with a 5k Run/Walk for adults as well as a kids race at 8am. If you are interested in participating, you can register online at www.atasteofbeaufort.com …all the way up until 7:30am on race day.
After working up an appetite at the race, feel free to treat yourself to all the goodies Beaufort has to offer as fifteen 
local and well known Beaufort restaurants set up booths with samples and favorites straight off their menus.
The main event on Saturday runs from 11am to 5pm. Attendees will be able to purchase tickets to trade for food and drink for $1 each. Each item at the booth will range between 2-7 tickets, so the cost is kept reasonably low for the quality of food you will be able to enjoy. In addition to the food, the Arts
and Crafts festival will remain through Saturday evening, and the stage will house more live music with performances by local favorites Broke Locals, Shark Rodeo, and Donnie Polk. The playground area of the park will also provide multiple activities for the children in attendance, including jumpers and slides.
Main Street Beaufort USA, downtown’s revitalization association, is organizing the event. If you are interested, and would like to lend a helping hand for this or any other event, please contact the Main Street Beaufort volunteer services at volunteer@downtownbeaufort.com. Not only will you be lending a much needed assistance, but for this particular event you will receive a free t-shirt as well as 5 tickets for your enjoyment.
A Taste of Beaufort is free to everyone, so if you find yourself in the market to hang out with friends and have a great time eating some amazing food, listening to music, and meeting new people; everyone is welcome.
– Mark your calendars for A Taste of Beaufort, May 4th and 5th …today.
