October 4, 2025 Hilton Head Island, SC
Fish and Grits Music Festival
The Bank and Island Legacy Fund present:
Music Festival
- 4 October, 2025
- Hilton Head Island, SC
We Be Gullah Geechee
Before shrimp and grits became a culinary favorite, it was a staple in Gullah Geechee kitchens! Before the world knew about blues, rock, and jazz, their rhythmic and melodic structures were heard in the fields and praise houses throughout the congressionally legislated Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor.
The Gullah Geechee culture is a unique African American culture spanning from Wilmington, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida. Due to the nature of their enslavement on isolated coastal plantations and sea islands, the Gullah people were able to retain many of their indigenous West African traditions. These traditions are reflected in their foodways, music, arts and crafts, spiritual traditions, and their Gullah creole language.
De (The) Mission & Vision
The Fish and Grits Music Festival (FGMF) is a family friendly one-day event, on picturesque Hilton Head Island, SC. FGMF‘s mission is to continue the awareness of the Gullah Geechee culture, highlight its evolution, and its connection to the African diaspora through entertainment, visual and performing arts and community engagement.
De (The) Show
The Fish and Grits Music Festival (FGMF) gives attendees a taste of Gullah Geechee with a mix of international and local musical talent, unique crafts, and indigenous cuisine - not easily accessible outside of the Lowcountry. Fish and Grits Music Festival has become the place where diversity is celebrated, unity is cherished, and the soul of the Lowcountry comes alive!
De (The) Market
Most of our vendors will showcase the vibrant Gullah Geechee culture through art, food, clothing and more.
De Food
Fish and Grits, Hoppin John, Oystas, Red Rice, Sweet Potata Pie and more!
De Market
Lowcountry Gullah Geechee vendors that showcase the vibrant culture through art, clothes and more.
De Show
The festival will include a diverse mix of acts from the African American, Gullah Geechee and diaspora including Folk, Funk, Jazz, Spoken Word, Afro La, R&B and more!
Friends & Sponsors
Thank you to all the amazing support for this year's Fish and Grits Music Festival!
Oh yeah! You can bring your kids
- FAMILIES – The Lowcountry Fish & Grits Music festival will be family friendly for all ages.
- FESTIVAL LOVERS – A mix of Benyahs and Cumyahs that share a love for community, food and music.
- TOURISTS – The Lowcountry Fish & Grits Music Festival will provide historical context of the Gullah Geechee people living up and down the NC, SC, GA and FL coastline.
De (The) Show
Step into the heart of the Lowcountry at the Fish and Grits Music Festival (FGMF) — a vibrant celebration of Gullah Geechee culture with a flavorful twist! This FGMF brings together soulful sounds with performances ranging from R&B and jazz to funk, folk, and spoken word. Paired with authentic cuisine and handcrafted treasures, FGMF is a joyful mashup of culture, creativity, and community you won’t want to miss!
Latrese Bush
Recording Artist
Latrese Bush
Recording Artist
Latrese Bush is an internationally acclaimed performing and recording artist whose original music has topped the UK Soul Chart and ranked high on the Jazz Billboard Charts. Her smooth, melodic range has also supported music legends including Grammy Award-winning Disco Queen Gloria Gaynor, Jazz icon Roy Ayers, and global pop star Justin Bieber. A proud native of Bluffton, SC, and a Gullah Geechee woman, Latrese is the founder of the Fish and Grits Music Festival (FGMF), which since its debut in 2023 has drawn thousands from across the country for an authentic taste of Gullah culture. Her sound is a rich blend of gospel, soul, jazz, and R&B—rooted deeply in the traditional Gullah Geechee gospel that shaped her. Get ready for a Gullah Geechee good time!
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LatreseBush
IG: https://www.instagram.com/latresebush/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/LatreseBushMusic/
Votte Hall
Recording Artist
Angela Bonaparte and Company
Recording Artists
Latrese Bush
Recording Artist
Latrese Bush
Recording Artist
Latrese Bush is an internationally acclaimed performing and recording artist whose original music has topped the UK Soul Chart and ranked high on the Jazz Billboard Charts. Her smooth, melodic range has also supported music legends including Grammy Award-winning Disco Queen Gloria Gaynor, Jazz icon Roy Ayers, and global pop star Justin Bieber. A proud native of Bluffton, SC, and a Gullah Geechee woman, Latrese is the founder of the Fish and Grits Music Festival (FGMF), which since its debut in 2023 has drawn thousands from across the country for an authentic taste of Gullah culture. Her sound is a rich blend of gospel, soul, jazz, and R&B—rooted deeply in the traditional Gullah Geechee gospel that shaped her. Get ready for a Gullah Geechee good time!
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LatreseBush
IG: https://www.instagram.com/latresebush/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/LatreseBushMusic/
Alvin Garrett
Recording Artist
Alvin Garrett
Recording Artist
Alvin Garrett is a rare talent who seamlessly blends masterful musicianship, electrifying performance—evoking legends like Sam Cooke and Al Green—and exceptional songwriting. A Grammy-nominated, Dove and Stellar Award-winning artist, he has penned hits for Joe, Kelly Rowland, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Deitrick Haddon, Trin-i-tee 5:7, and more. In 2023, Garrett earned national acclaim with his soulful single “’Til I Get Back To You,” which climbed to #15 on the Billboard Adult R&B chart, cementing his place as a powerful voice in contemporary soul. If you love great music and unforgettable performances, come see AG!
Web: https://www.alvingarrett.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thealvingarrett
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thealvingarrett
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlvinGarrett
The Live in the Flesh Experience
Recording Artist
The Live in the Flesh Experience
Recording Artist
Having toured throughout the South, Midwest, and even internationally, Live in the Flesh Experience is a dynamic band of young singers and musicians you don’t want to miss. With their signature sound—quartet soul, a vibrant fusion of gospel and R&B—they deliver high-energy performances that span top 40 hits, old and new school R&B, country, pop, and more. They’ve shared the stage with stars like King George, Dru Hill, Doug E. Fresh, and Tucka, and are sure to get you moving and grooving with the unmistakable flair of one of the Carolinas’ finest.
FB : https://www.facebook.com/share/1BJHKsmohe/?mibextid=wwXIfr
IG : https://www.instagram.com/liveinthefleshexperienceband?igsh=MWx4bDk2bTdmaTIz&utm_source=qr
Tik tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@liveinthefleshexperience?_t=ZT-8trUh5VVelK&_r=1FB:
McIntosh County Shouters
Ring Shouters
McIntosh County Shouters
Ring Shouters
The Gullah ring shout is a powerful and deeply spiritual ancestral ritual birthed among enslaved Africans that traces its roots to 18th-century West and Central Africa. The ring shout is one of the oldest known surviving African traditions in North America and laid the foundation for nearly every major genre of American popular music—from gospel and blues to jazz, soul, rock, hip-hop, and even modern dance. The McIntosh County Shouters are one of the nation’s leading practitioners of this sacred tradition. Since 1980, they have performed across the U.S. and internationally, preserving this vital piece of American history. In recognition of their cultural importance, they were awarded the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1993. When you witness the McIntosh County Shouters, you’re not just watching a performance—you’re experiencing a living, breathing thread of African American history and its transformative influence on the rhythm and soul of American music and dance.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/mcintoshcountyshouters
Website: https://mcintoshcountyshouters.com/
Henri Robert
Founder, Cards
Henri Robert
Founder, Cards
World is committed to making participation in the event a harass ment free experience for everyone, regardless of level experience gender, gender identity and expression
Laura Bryant
Developer Expert
Laura Bryant
Developer Expert
World is committed to making participation in the event a harass ment free experience for everyone, regardless of level experience gender, gender identity and expression
De (The) Food & Market
Most of our vendors will showcase the vibrant Gullah Geechee culture through art, food, clothing and more.
De Food
This category includes all vendors selling hot/cold food products, including dessert items such as cakes, cobblers, etc.
De Market
This category includes vendors selling culturally relevant handmade crafts, natural products, specialty items (e.g. jarred preserves, etc), authors, artists, and merchandise that can be worn or hung.
De Food
Fish and Grits, Hoppin John, Oystas, Red Rice, Sweet Potata Pie and more!
Let's Connect on Social!
The festival will include a diverse mix of acts including folk, funk, jazz, spoken word, R&B and more!
Partners and Sponsors
Thank you to all the amazing support for this year's Fish and Grits Music Festival!
Partners and Sponsors
Thank you to all the amazing support for this year's Fish and Grits Music Festival!
Healy & Foreit Law
Patron Level
Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor
Gold Level Sponsor
Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor
Gold Level Sponsor
Official Website: https://gullahgeecheecorridor.org/
Mikkelson Law
Patron Level
Seed In The Ground
Bronze Level Sponsor
Platinum Level
Silver Level
Premiere Level
Program
Tama and Brad Bernstein
Patrons & Friends
Silver Level
Festival Gallery
This year, the Exhibz International Food Festival will be upgraded with lots of activities and sub-programs
De Location
Where:
Lowcountry Celebration Park
94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
United States
When:
Saturday, October 4th, 2025
12:00 – 6:00pm EST (Doors open at 11am)
Where:
Lowcountry Celebration Park
94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
United States
When:
Saturday, October 7th, 2023
1:00 – 7:00pm EST (Doors open at 12pm)
