Southeastern Wildlife Expo begins with annual gala at Charleston Place
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – An annual festival that celebrates the outdoors through wildlife, art, performances, and animal demonstrations officially began Thursday with its annual gala.
Held each year at Charleston Place, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition’s signature gala is a grand event to welcome in the longtime festival. Guests will don their best attire and mingle with others while browsing fine art, checking out exotic animals, and partaking in wild fare and a live auction.
But after the gala is when the fun for everyone officially begins at multiple locations across the peninsula. Known to many simply as “SEWE,” the weekend festival promotes wildlife, art, and nature conservation.
It began in February 1983 with about 100 artists and exhibitors and 5,000 attendees and has since grown into one of Charleston’s most anticipated festivals, which serves as a kickoff to the tourism season.
Organizers say SEWE now welcomes an approximated 500 artists, exhibitors, and wildlife experts. It also sees more than 40,000 attendees, generating an estimated $50 million in economic impact each year.
While promoting wildlife art and nature conservation, SEWE aims to protect the natural environment. The goal of the annual festival is to make “positive contributions, through entertainment, to the genre of wildlife art, conservation, education, and the local, regional and state economies,” according to the organization.
Handcrafted goods by artisans, craftsmen, and tastemakers from around the country are put on display during the annual event, along with wildlife and nature paintings, carvings, and sculptures.
Top events include live demonstrations and a sporting village. Popular DockDogs is always a main draw for those attending the festival along with sheep herding and retriever demonstrations, and fly-fishing demos at Brittlebank Park.
If you’re bringing the whole family the most child-friendly SEWE venues will be at Brittlebank Park where kid activities and games can be found in the “Kids Zone.” You’ll also find camel rides, an exotic petting zoo, educational programs, and more.
Head over to Marion Square for cooking and chef demos. Everything you need to know, plus tickets to the festival, can be found by clicking here.
