BrownSuga's Sweet Spot: Those Hazy Lazy Crazy Days of Summer

The Memorial Day week has, for as long as I can remember, been an unofficial sign of the start of summer, especially in the south. Not only because schools let out at least a week before Memorial Day, but the heat shows up in April (it's 95° today with the heat index pushing it up to 100°).

Memorial Day has also become a great weekend to hold festivals. There are numerous ones throughout the United States. This year I got the chance to attend the 21^st annual Gullah Festival in Beaufort, South Carolina. The purpose of this festival and most around the country is to teach. Those promoting and setting up the festival hope that we, the consumers, will learn a bit about another culture, food, event or location.

Gullah, or Geechee for those on the Georgia coast, is all of the above. This festival is in celebration of a group of people, who though brought to the Americas under horrible circumstances still held on to their traditions and way of life. The Gullah people are descendents of slaves brought from the Winward Coast of West Africa and sold to plantation owners along the Sea Islands of South Carolina, Georgia and Northern Florida. Plantation owners lived on the mainland.

There, slaves cooked, cleaned and harvested their crop. To keep slaves out of the way, plantation owners allowed slaves full run of the Sea Islands thus allowing them to live the way they were raised. On the islands they could speak their own language, cook traditional foods in traditional ways, and pass down history through song and story. Their culture survived and today we, as Americans, have a chance to learn and appreciate a history. In the midst of oppression, hatred and neglect this group of people kept what was important. For those of you who have been to the south its probably a safe bet to say you’ve come across something related to the Gullah/Geechee people and more than likely its the food. They have unique ways of cooking vegetables and meats in a variety of spices that have evolved to be known as southern cooking.

Now I ask you faithful MGF readers, what can you learn this summer? Where can you go? What can you see? It may surprise you at the vast number of festivals that go on each year throughout the United States. You can learn about the history of garlic in Gilroy, California or attend the world’s largest Blue Crab Festival in Crisfield, Maryland or maybe you have an interest in art and would like to attend the Pageant of the Masters, where actors, props and lovers of art become famous paintings in Laguna Beach, California. Chicago, Illinois hosts numerous festivals including but certainly not limited to Taste of Chicago where patrons enjoy food, entertainment and fireworks. Portland, Oregon takes time to celebrate the rose with the annual Portland Rose Festival.

There is so much to do. If you find the time to spend a day outside enjoying life, check out areas closest to you. Take a Saturday or Sunday and drive a few hours to your neighboring city or state and attend one of the many festivals or events going on this summer.

One day when I get a chance, I’m going to travel all over the country attending all the festivals that interest me Georgia Onions, Maine Lobsters, Kentucky Chicken, Alabama Shrimp, Potato Days , Tribeca Film Festival and of course all the ones I mentioned above. A few minutes on the internet can connect you to any and all the events happening right outside your door. Will you go see?

Links:

Gullah History

MSN's Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events by city

***Last Week's Answers***

1.Z- zone I- improvement P – plan

2. 635 times

3. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

4. 10 he won 7

5. 25 years old

6. Arkansas

7. Marilyn Monroe

8. a gigantic statue of Buddah

9. a black eye

10. Ethel Merman

11. Madagascar

12. Cross Country run, swimming, pistol shooting, horseback riding, foil fencing

13. 42 days

14. at the daisy hill puppy farm

15. the monkey wrench

16. India

Final: Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield and Benjamin Harrison

How did you do????