PIFMA History

After a long year recovering from Covid in 2020….Tavares, Atlanta Rhythm Section & Best of the Eagles brought large numbers of guests for 2021 and sell out crowds. It was the Festival’s 30th Anniversary and by all accounts by ticket sales and crowds, PIFMA is becoming one of the most popular events in South Carolina during the month of October.

The 21st Annual Pawleys Island Wine & Food Gala, held under the big tent at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, offered hors d’oeuvres and over 75 wines to wine enthusiasts, and the Reverse Drawing was a hit with guests.

In addition to the Grammy Award winning entertainers mentioned above, the 2021 Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art also featured The Miracles, The Texas Tenors, Lao Tizer, Orlando Transit Authority and Black Market Trust. PIFMA ended the season with the now infamous Tabled Event and presented Destination Motown. Ticket holders, Members, Sponsors and the public was all a buzz during PIFMA, touting it as the most desired ticket in town for many of our entertainers. Once again, ticket sales and crowd attendance continue to grow each year.

Also in 2021, PIFMA began a new fundraiser, The Low Country Sunday Supper, held at Litchfield Plantation on April 24, 2021. A delectable 6 course meal was prepared by six local chefs along with award winning wines from Cathedral Ridge Winery. A beautiful Sunday afternoon along the banks of the Waccamaw River made this fundraiser one we will continue for years to come.

Blood, Sweat & Tears, Pablo Cruise, Marshall Tucker Band set the tone for 2019 and the sell out crowds. It was the Festival’s 29^th Anniversary and by all accounts by ticket sells and crowds, PIFMA is becoming one of the most popular events in South Carolina during the month of October.

The 20th Annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala, held under the big tent at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, offered hors d’oeuvres and over 75 wines to wine enthusiasts, and the Reverse Drawing was a hit with guests.

In addition to the Grammy Award winning entertainers mentioned above, the Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art also featured Decades Rewind, We’ve Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered and Next Generation Leahy. The final weekend PIFMA presented legendary Lords of 52^nd Street: Legends of the Billy Joel Band and many said it was one of the best shows ever performed under the tent. Followed by the smooth harmonizing sounds of Shades of Buble’: a Three Man Tribute to Michael Buble, PIFMA ended the season with the now infamous Tabled Event and presented Soultown. Ticket holders, Members, Sponsors and the public was all a buzz during PIFMA touting it as the most desired ticket in town for many of our entertainers. Once again, ticket sales and crowd attendance was the largest in PIFMA history.

The fifth annual Seaside Palette kicked off Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art’s 27th year. This year’s event, which included the Chalk Walk, was held in downtown Georgetown, and ended with a Wet Paint Sale and reception on the lawn at Francis Marion Square. Entertainment was provided throughout the day by Litchfield Dance Arts Academy, Lana Guy and Dan & Sallylu. The 18th Annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala, held under the big tent at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, offered hors d’oeuvres and over 95 wines to wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and guests and this year’s Reverse Drawing was a hit with guests. This year we had Miss South Carolina has our emcee for the Reverse Drawing. A troupe of artists, musicians, singers and dancers appropriately named ARTRAGEOUS sang, danced and produce masterpieces of art for our adoring audience. It was an extravaganza for the senses, a visual journey of wild inspiration, creativity and fun! The headliner this year was the one and only Delbert McClinton. Delbert was a sold out concert with many of his fans experiencing the Festival for the very first time. The second weekend started with a tribute to Carole King & James Taylor- “You’ve Got a Friend” that had the audience singing along to each and every tune. Our second headliner of the year was the incomparable Melissa Manchester, Grammy award winning performer and songwriter. The third weekend kicked off with the awesome talents of Bluegrass group, Balsam Range, Joe Gransden and his Big Band, with the finale tabled event by Motown sensation, Masters of Soul.

The third annual Seaside Palette kicked off Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art’s 25th year. This year’s event was held exclusively in downtown Georgetown, and ended with a Wet Paint Sale and reception on the lawn of the Kaminski House Museum. The Chalk Walk was held in a new location for 2015 on Front Street in Georgetown, in conjunction with a performance by Squonk Opera, with a huge crowd attending. Squonk Opera’s Pneumatica was an event about air, made of air and powered by air. The Sqonkers filled the streets of Georgetown with live original music that permeated the air, while the inflatables pumped up and immersed the audience. The Festival outreach program involved reaching over 2500 Georgetown County students with concerts by Squonk Opera. The 16th Annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala, held under the big tent at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, offered hors d’oeuvres and over 100 wines to wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and guests and this year’s Reverse Drawing was a hit with guests. Aaron Neville headlined this year’s festival and the sold out crowd was not disappointed, even though it was moved to Waccamaw High School due to heavy flooding. The second week kicked off with Mike Farris and The Roseland Rhythm Revue showcasing his blues and rock extravaganza, followed by Natalie Douglas’ Jazz Party. The second headliner of the Festival was the return of Grammy Award winner, Steve Tyrell. The third week kicked off with the amazing talent and return of Ken Lavigne. His show, An Evening with Ken Lavigne, was a highlight of this year’s festival. The 2015 Festival was rounded out without the Bigband sound of Jeremy Davis and the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra. So Good For the Soul provided the Festival guests with the feel good sounds of Motown and set the tone for a wonderful finale and sold-out tabled event.

This year’s event was kicked off with the 14th Annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala, held under the big tent at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, offering hors d’oeuvres and over 100 wines to wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and guests. The first Seaside Palette, En Plein Air, was held in locations in downtown Georgetown and Pawleys Island, with much success. The very popular Chalk Under the Oaks event was moved to Huntington Beach State Park, in conjunction with Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival with a record number of artists participating. Headliners Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. rocked a sold out crowd with an electrifying performance of songs we all know by heart. Local musician and American Idol finalist, Elise Testone, gave the crowds a rocking Sunday afternoon performance. Her song with the children of Teach My People brought a standing ovation. Pianist Emile Pandolfi’s lush arrangements of time-honored popular standards and Broadway hits had concert-goers singing along and tapping their toes. The next night, the pop-classical singers, Vivace, wowed audiences with the beauty and skill of their performance. A fun Friday night was had by all who attended the blue great Mac Arnold’s concert. Along with his band, A Plate Full O’ Blue, this concert was a night to remember. Closing the 2013 Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art, The Movin’ Out Band performed at the annual tabled event. A sold out crowd enjoyed elegant picnic dinners while this band’s rendition of Billy Joel tunes soon had them dancing in the aisles.

The 21st season of Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art (PIFMA) was held at beautiful Brookgreen Gardens this year, but PIFMA also hosted several other events in various locations from Georgetown to Myrtle Beach. The first annual Wearable Art Luncheon kicked off the two-week long affair, featuring unique pieces crafted and donated by local artists to benefit the Kathy B. Metts Visual Arts Scholarship and the Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art. The event included a strolling fashion show and was held at Tommy Bahama Restaurant at The Market Common. The Gallery Crawl was held that first Sunday afternoon, with various art galleries from Murrells Inlet to Georgetown showcasing their best pieces. Following success from last year, Tara Theatre was the location for PIFMA’s second independent film series. Four movies spanned two nights, ranging from an exploration of Gullah heritage to an appreciation of South Carolina artists. The 12th Annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala gathered at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, presenting over 66 wines from a diverse group of wineries across the nation. Headliner Spyro Gyra, an American jazz fusion band, rocked audiences with funky instrumentals, and the next day’s audiences were captivated by bluegrass group Kickin Grass Band. Charleston Chamber Opera gave a performance at Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, offering a fresh approach to opera, with a theatrical fusion of music and art. A Capella group Ball in the House led show choir workshops at Waccamaw and Carolina Forest High Schools, and then performed with each choir at Brookgreen Gardens. David Osborne Trio graced Brookgreen Gardens as well with a range of piano tunes. The Hit Men rocked the tabled event, with guests decorating tables for the competition and enjoying complimentary dessert while being entertained by a blast from the past rendition of songs from Frankie Valli’s Original Four Seasons. Family Day was the final day of PIFMA, including the Chalk Walk featuring the talents of Lee Jones, and the Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre performing The Musical Tale of Peter Rabbit.

The tenth annual Pawleys Island Wine Gala kicked off this year’s two-weekend event with record breaking attendance at the Carriage House in moss-draped Litchfield Plantation. The next night, a full house enjoyed Grammy Award-winning vocalist Steve Tyrell’s entertaining performance under the big tent in Brookgreen Gardens. The smooth jazz sounds of Ann Caldwell and Enrique Haneine at Jazz Under the Oaks in Litchfield Plantation on Sunday afternoon brought the first weekend to a successful conclusion. The second weekend began with the much-loved table event, featuring Long Bay Chamber Orchestra, led by Dr. Charles Evans Jones. Dallas Brass captured the hearts of the audience on Saturday night with a fun-filled mix of Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music. The audience gave a standing ovation to our own Georgetown High School Band, who skillfully performed a number with this entertaining musical ensemble. A treat for the little ones closed the 2009 Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art. Bits ‘N’ Pieces Puppet Theatre’s brought squeals of delight from the crowd during their performance of Alice in Wonderland on Sunday afternoon; a perfect ending to another successful year.

Four themed weekends brought musical pleasure to thousands during the 2007 Festival. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra highlighted the Classical weekend, with the College of Charleston Choir and Cellist, Colin Carr performed with Pianist, Thomas Sauer. The Pops and Dance Music weekend was dominated by the amazing, high-energy performance of Barrage, and the well-loved music of The Kadillacs. A special performance of Peter and the Wolf was a special treat for our younger art lovers. Bélla Fleck and The Flecktones kicked off the Jazz and Blues weekend with a sold out Friday night performance. The melodic sounds of Tinsley Ellis and Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience and an afternoon of Jazz Under the Oaks rounded out the weekend. Our Tribute Weekend began with Jim Witter performing the music of Lennon and McCartney. A Tribute to the Piano, played by local favorite, Rocky Fretz, delighted the audience and brought the Festival to a successful close.

This year marked two significant changes in the Festival: a new location and new dates. We moved to beautiful Brookgreen Gardens for the month of October, which worked well on both fronts. Many say it was the most successful Festival yet, with Music of the Generations as our theme, highlighting the music from the 40’s (In the Mood Live), the 50’s (Let the Good Times Roll – Dance Sounds from the 50’s) and the 70’s (The Piano Men). World-renowned jazz with Branford Marsalis, the Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company, Bluegrass at Brookgreen, the Long Bay Chamber Orchestra, our first Children’s Theater featuring Pinocchio, the Miami String Quartet, and our annual Pawleys Island Wine Festival rounded out Festival 2005.

The 2003 festival was a landmark season with the festival moving to its 11,000 square foot performance venue. A sell-out performance by Grammy award-winning jazz legend Chuck Mangione headlined the year, along with Grammy award-winner, The Nashville Bluegrass Band. The nationally acclaimed Richmond Ballet and the Long Bay Chamber Orchestra added dramatic classical programs to the month-long festival.

The Sound of Music: With the debut of our own Pops Orchestra, a Caberet, a Choral performance, a diverse African-American program and Musical Theatre, we launch the second program of the new millennium.

The 1999 Festival, “Celebrating the Century,” offered eight musical programs that provided a retrospective look at the top musicians of the twentieth century.

1997 saw the beginning of Pawleys Island Pizazz, a series of free musical programs. Overall, seven programs were offered during the 1997 Festival, two of which were held at Brookgreen Gardens.