Time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s time to wish the Charleston Gaillard Center a very happy 5th birthday! It’s hard to believe it’s been half a decade since the Gaillard Center had its grand opening. I guess I should say, grand reopening, since the Gaillard Center had been around for decades. However, it had seen better days. With Charleston attracting more and bigger events of all kinds, the Gaillard Center needed an upgrade. Thankfully the City of Charleston, Mayor Riley, some high powered donors and dedicated visionaries stepped up, joining forces to bring about a radical transformation. October 9th, 2015 was the official dedication and open house of the newly finished and downright magnificent Charleston Gaillard Center. It opened as the main performing arts venue downtown, and the entire region. The massive renovation transformed it into a truly world-class venue. In the years since, they’ve hosted a constellation of the world’s brightest stars. They’ve been the site of a presidential debate as well as a grand production of “Porgy and Bess” as a part of Spoleto. The Gaillard was the locale for a profound evening of racial healing after the Mother Emanuel tragedy, cohosted by Henry Louis Gates and Ken Burns, who gave a world sneak preview of his program on Jackie Robinson. The Gaillard Center is actually a nonprofit dedicated to the cultural enrichment of the Charleston area. To this end, they offer a wonderful program where they will bring approximately 30,000 area school children from area schools in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties to see a live theater performance during the year.
Charleston Gaillard Center 5th Anniversary Celebration
In honor of its birthday/anniversary, they’re hosting a special celebration evening at 7:00 p.m. on October 18th, 2020. They’re offering both in-person and virtual tickets, so you can take part wherever you are. The evening will feature a string quartet from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Artist-in-Residence and Charleston’s first Poet Laureate Marcus Amaker, along with the Artist-in-Residence Emeritus and Grammy Award-winning musician Charlton Singleton. The celebration will take place in the Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall. They’ll have numerous safety protocols in place. They include socially distanced seating, face coverings, enhanced sanitation and cleaning procedures, and temperature checks. Read more about the evening and performers here. In person tickets are $25 (plus fees) while virtual tickets are just $10. You can purchase them online or by contacting the box office at (843) 242-3099. The Gaillard Center is located at 95 Calhoun Street on the downtown peninsula. Also, be sure to check out their free virtual music series Lowcountry Listens, happening each Wednesday evening in September, which I covered in that last blog. And when you are ready to book one of our Isle of Palms luxury rentals, just give us a call at EP. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger