Friday, April 22, 2022

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 33)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition … (Part Seven)

The Big Finish!!

This was going to be a lazy day for me. I wanted to be fresh for tonight’s soiree and then the long drive home. I arrived back in Charleston a little before noon. Before finding a place to park, I decided to drive around the downtown streets to get a better look at this beautiful city. If you have never been to Charleston, this is a city that should go on your "to go to" list. The quaint streets, the amazing architecture and the historic ambiance all combine in harmony. After a great lunch at one of the many downtown restaurants, I was off for another and final tour of the original’s art show. I took my time, just wandering through the rows of art, talking to the artists and enjoying the leisurely pace I had set for myself. Eventually the evening arrived and with some friends I had met in Charleston, we were off to the soiree. We followed the long line of people going to the event. Even though people had told me about the soiree, I relay had no idea what to expect. Finally, we reached the venue… it was located in the “Charleston Visitor Bus Shed”! The “Shed” was enormous. Of course, it should be. When not hosting a fabulous party, it was acting as a busy bus depot for incoming and outgoing buses. As we walked into the Shed, we were hit with a wall of music. There was a live band was playing on stage at one end of the Shed. As we entered the main hall, we could look down on the crowds of people milling around on the floor below. The outside walls of the Shed were lined food stations. BBQs with whole pigs being roasted; chickens and alligators on the grill; rolls, salads, drinks and deserts were there in abundance. The sights, sounds and smells all added to the excitement of the evening. The most amazing sight was when the roasted pigs were being delivered to the serving tables. People crowded around the servers waiting to rip off pieces of meat. It was a feeding frenzy. It reminded me of the trading floor scene in the movie “Trading Places” when they were buying and selling orange futures. On that high note, I took leave of my friends and headed for my car for the long ride home. I had decided to leave that evening as the weather reports were predicting freezing ran in the mountains. Fortunately, I saw very little bad weather on my trip home. It was a great experience; one I would certainly like to do again. The next time, however, I will take Judi… I know she would love it as much as I did.

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