Sweetgrass Festival
Date: Jul 25, 2026
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Memorial Waterfront Park
There’s only one place in the country where you can experience this tradition like this, and it happens right here in Mount Pleasant! Founded in 2004 and held each summer at Memorial Waterfront Park, the Sweetgrass Festival is a vibrant, family-friendly celebration that honors the rich heritage of the Gullah Geechee people and the centuries-old art of sweetgrass basket weaving, an art form born in Mount Pleasant and still seen today. Informative and interesting educational sessions will enlighten and entertain participants of all ages!
The annual Sweetgrass Festival isn’t just a celebration; it’s a rare gathering of master artisans, bringing together one of the largest collections of sweetgrass basket weavers you’ll find anywhere at one time. That matters because sweetgrass basket weaving isn’t mass-produced. It’s not widely distributed. It’s a deeply rooted, generational art form passed down through Gullah Geechee families for centuries, right here in the Lowcountry. This is your chance to experience it all in one place!
Offering free admission, live music, entertainment, and activities, attendees can meet dozens of basket makers, find an unmatched selection of sweetgrass baskets and art, and hear stories behind the craft that have been preserved for generations. This is the most authentic and focused celebration of sweetgrass culture anywhere in the country!
Follow the Mount Pleasant Recreation Facebook page to stay up-to-date on event information and join the discussion.
Parking & Shuttles
Parking will be quite limited at Memorial Waterfront Park. Free shuttle buses will run continually from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Riders are welcome to bring chairs and festival gear on the buses! The last buses leave the park at 3:00 p.m.
- Bus 1: Mount Pleasant Town Hall, 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464. Parking at Town Hall is Free. The bus will stop in front of Town Hall near the CARTA Route 40 stop. Ride CARTA & skip driving entirely!
- Bus 2: Cheryll Woods-Flowers Soccer Complex, 85 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464. Omar Shrine Temple, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464. These offsite parking locations are a short walk to the park if you prefer not to wait for the bus!
- Bus 3: Wheelchair accessible bus will loop to all three stops: Town Hall, Cheryll Woods-Flowers Soccer Complex, and Omar Shrine Temple.
- Paid Parking: Ferry Wharf garage located next to the park. There is a walkway from the garage to the park.
Sweetgrass History & Mount Pleasant
In 2006, Governor Jim Hodges designated the Sweetgrass Basket-making art form as the SC Official Art Craft. With the largest percentage of the original sweetgrass basket makers living within Mount Pleasant and surrounding communities, Mount Pleasant is also known as the home of the Original Sweetgrass Basket Makers. A significant portion of Mount Pleasant Highway 17 has been designated by SCDOT as the Sweetgrass Basket Makers Highway. These are all bona fide claims that can be made nowhere else in our country.
Sweetgrass Basket & Craft Show
Stroll through the Sweetgrass Basket & Craft Show, where you will find an amazing assortment of incredible basketry along with a wide variety of hand-made arts, crafts, and jewelry. You’re sure to find plenty of unique Lowcountry creations that make great gifts for yourself and your loved ones!
A Taste Of Sweetgrass Culture Dinner Experience
Returning once again, the night before the festival, the Taste of Sweetgrass Culture dinner event will be hosted by the African American Settlement Community Historic Commission in the Cooper River Room at Memorial Waterfront Park. For information on tickets for the Taste of Sweetgrass Culture Dinner Experience or how to get involved, please email Freddie Jenkins ffirstsergeant@knology.net.
Sponsors, exhibitors, basket weavers, artisans & performers, please email events@tompsc.com for information.
Memorial Waterfront Park, Harry M. Hallman Junior Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC, USA
