Celebrating its fourth year, the Georgetown Art & Wine Walk takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 12th and 13th.

South Carolina’s third-oldest city (established 1729) has long been known for its rich history and culture, and the historic downtown area provides the perfect setting for this event, which has been compared to a smaller, more intimate version of Lake City’s ArtFields.

The GAWW is an annual project of the Georgetown Business Association, with the festival centered around a juried art competition open to artists of the Carolinas and the southeastern U.S.,  all vying for $5,000 in prize money. Collaborators include The Village Group's "Summer Academy", and Coastal Carolina University.

Last year, 97 works were entered into competition by the jury panel from over 170 entries, with works chosen from such categories as 2D Painting/ Multi Media, Photography/Digital Art, 3D Sculpture/Ceramics, and People’s Choice.

On Saturday, from 4-7:30 p.m., visitors are invited to sample a variety of wines while ambling among the various art venues on Front Street, notes Deb Smith, coordinator of the GAWW and owner of downtown’s Art Harbor Gallery. 

“We encourage local arts and theatre groups to put on special events during the festival and to "host" competition artwork,” she explains. “Along with the juried art competition, the weekend includes Plein Air and Sidewalk Chalk contests, "walking" paintings, theatre vignettes, craft classes, and, our favorite, as many kids' art projects, paint-ins, and colorful installations as we can fit in.” Some activities are planned for Maritime Park, Parasol Park, and Francis Marion Park.

On Sunday, there will be a closing reception and awards ceremony with music and by the Village Group Kids’ Choir. The Village Group is a nonprofit that supports kids’ after-school arts/cultural programs in rural Georgetown County. 

Georgetown Art & Wine Walk

Sept. 12-13 | Various locations
Saturday, 10 am-5 pm, Sun 11 am-3 pm.
Free to attend | www.artwinewalk.com