Great Food, Great Music and Great Times at the Lowcountry Fish and Grits Music Festival

Watterson Brands presents the Lowcountry Fish and Grits Music Festival in association with BurnBush Entertainment, Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice and the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor. On Oct. 1, join the community at Celebration Park, 90 Pope Avenue, from 1 – 6 p.m. for the festival of the year! 

The goal of the Lowcountry Fish and Grits Music Festival is to bring awareness of the diverse Gullah Geechee culture and its connection to the vast African diaspora. By curating international and local musical talent, unique crafts, and indigenous cuisine not easily accessible outside of the Lowcountry, the festival provides a unique cultural experience for everyone.

This family-friendly event features easy access from the festival grounds to the adjacent Adventure Playground and to The Sandbox Children’s Museum. There will be live performances by recording artists Latrese Bush, Votte Hall, Gwen Yvette, Angela Bonaparte, Latin percussionist Frankie Quinone֘s, and newly added McIntosh County Shouters, spoken word presentations by Louise Cohen, Vascola Stoney and more. Numerous local artisans, food trucks and craft beer venues will be featured throughout the park.

Festival organizers are proud to announce our partnership with the Holiday Inn Express Hilton Head Island located at 2 Tanglewood Drive. The package offers a great nightly rate that includes two (2) festival tickets! Follow this link or call 877-424-2449 and ask for Group Code: FGR the Fish and Grits Music Festival package.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice. Festival also sponsored by Native Island Business and Community Affairs Association.

What To Know Before Opening a Brewery

The number of breweries in the United States has increased dramatically in the past ten years. People have steered away from the standard pilsners and are more interested in craft beers. If you've been experimenting with home brewing, you might find yourself looking to expand and open a brewery of your own. Here are some things you'll want to consider before you get started though.

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Choose a Location

It can be challenging to find the perfect location for your brewery. You need to find a place where people will feel comfortable and can relax and enjoy a beer together. However, your location also needs to be suitable to actually brewing the beer. The place you choose will set the tone for your brewery, so you want somewhere that gives off the right vibes for what you're going for. There are some really unique locations out there, such as an abandoned warehouse, an old high school, an empty factory, or you can always decide to build something more modern.

Know the Laws

Alcohol laws can get a little bit tricky, so it's important that you do your research in advance. Some places don't actually allow breweries to open in the county, so check before you make any big decisions. You'll want to look at whether you need a TABC permit or what other sorts of liquor license you might require. Some states allow people to buy cans from the breweries, while others only allow consumption on site. Check the laws in your area to find out more information.

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Find Your Focus

There are many different styles of beer out there. You'll need to figure out if you want to make a batch of each kind or whether you want to focus more on a particular style. For instance, some breweries are known for their sour beers, while others mostly put out India Pale Ales. While having a few different styles available is always a good idea, having a focus can help you master a particular style.

It may seem like a lot of work, but if beer is your passion, it can be well worth it to get to share your love of beer with others. Take your time and be sure you're doing everything the right way. Talk to other brewery owners and get help along the way. Once your brewery is open, you'll find that all of your hard work has paid off.

7 Festivals In The Columbia Area This September That You Won't Want To Miss

There are so many events going on in the Midlands for the upcoming fall and I want to share some of the happenings going on this September.

DOKO FEST 2017

September 16, 2017
Presented By: Blythewood Lions Club
Location: Doko Meadows Park
Address: 171 Langford Road, Blythewood, SC 29016
Phone: (803) 315-0236
Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Price: Free admission

39TH ANNUAL JUBILEE: FESTIVAL OF BLACK HISTORY & CULTURE

September 16, 2017
Location: Mann-Simons Site
Address: 1403 Richland St., Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-252-1770 x 23
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Price: Free & Open to the public

44TH ANNUAL IRMO OKRA STRUT FESTIVAL

September 29, 2017
Recurrence: 0
Address: 7507 Eastview Dr, Irmo, SC 29063
Phone: 803-781-7050
Time: All Day
Price: Free admission

COLUMBIA'S GREEK FESTIVAL

September 14, 2017 - September 17, 2017
Recurrence: Recurring daily
Location: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Address: 1931 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 461-0248
Time: Thursday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM | Sunday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Price: Free admission

SODA CITY OKTOBERFEST

September 30, 2017
Location: Soda City Market
Address: 1400 & 1500 block of Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Price: Free admission

CITY ROOTS FALL KICK OFF FARMER'S MARKET!

September 14, 2017
Presented By: City Roots - Your In-Town Sustainable Farm
Location: City Roots - Your In-Town Sustainable Farm
Address: 1005 Airport Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29205
Phone: (803) 254-2302
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Price: Free admission

RIVER RAT OKTOBERFEST

September 9, 2017
Location: River Rat Brewery
Address: 1231 Shop Road, Columbia, SC 29201
Time: 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM

I hope if you live in the Columbia area that you can make it out to some of these events!

Beauty and the Bees Real Beer Shampoo & Conditioner Bar Review

I received products samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own as always. 

For most of my life, my hair has been very healthy and pretty. I have noticed that in the last 2 years or so, something changed. My guess is it has something to do with hormones and getting older. ((SIGH)) I was very curious about the Real Beer shampoo and conditioner bars from Beauty and the Bees. They claim they will give your hair natural gloss and shine. Also, I confess, they had me at beer! I couldn't wait to put it to the test. 

I received some instructions and tips to learn how to properly use these products. Having shampoo and conditioner in a bar form is really different from traditional bottles of the liquid type. One bit of advice that stuck out to me was to be careful not to use too much of the conditioner since it is very concentrated. I wet my hair as usual and applied the shampoo bar evenly. It had a very minimal fragrance and lathered fairly well. It rinsed out really well and I then carefully applied the conditioner. I concentrated more in the ends of my hair since my hair is not overly dry. I was afraid of over-conditioning my roots which would make my hair appear greasy. I could feel how rich the conditioner was and it was a good thing to go easy! After rinsing it out, towel drying, blow drying and curling, my hair was luxuriously soft and shiny. I am so pleased with the results and have used the products three times so far. You should have a better understanding of how much to use by your third use according to the tip sheet. 

About the Beer Shampoo + Conditioner Bars:
Beauty & the Bees handmade, solid beer shampoo and beer conditioner bars are rich in plant and nut oils, hops and beer. Beer has been famed for generations for its ability to leave hair bouncy, shiny and full of body, and these bars are chockablock with it - brewed naturally by small, local breweries in Tasmania. The bars follow an entirely sulfate and chemical-free recipe that has been traditionally handmade for centuries, using the finest natural conditioning plant oils such as castor, olive and coconut.

Where to purchase:
Beauty & the Bees handmade skin and hair care products are as special as the island they come from: Tasmania, Australia. The pioneer of all-natural beauty line from Tasmania has launched its U.S. division now available on Etsy, BeautyandtheBees.net and Amazon.

My overall opinion:
I love that there is nothing to throw away once the bars are used up. No waste and no harm to our earth. My husband keeps commenting on how gorgeous my hair has been looking. I recommend giving these products a try if you are looking for a natural alternative. I am very satisfied! Be sure to connect with Beauty and the Bees on Facebook for product updates and promotions.