2014 North Charleston Arts Festival Gala Set for May 2

The spring festival season is in full swing and the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival is just around the corner. In honor of the annual event, the City of North Charleston invites the public to don their Lowcountry best and head to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center Entrance Hall on Friday, May 2, from 7:00pm to 11:00pm for the Sweetgrass Soirée, a gala celebration. Tickets for the premier event are $50 and can be purchased by calling Sheri Pearson at 843-740-2538.

The soirée begins with a steel drum serenade compliments of Charleston’s most prominent steel drum band, The Island Trio. While enjoying a menu of Lowcountry favorites and the evening’s signature cocktail, the Sweetgrass Sipper, patrons will have an opportunity to meet this year’s Arts Festival design artist, Amiri Gueka Farris. Farris will be auctioning off an original piece and signing posters featuring his winning design, Gullah Islander Toss. Entertainment during dinner service includes a lively performance by Adande African Drum & Dance Company and a shoe tapping, hand clapping program full of traditional Gullah songs, spirituals, and gospel tunes by renowned a cappella singing group, The Plantation Singers. Following the performances, guests can dance the night away to music by Plane Jane. The band is built to keep the crowd on its feet with an extensive catalog of exciting hits from the sixties to the present. The evening’s line-up is sure to entertain and makes for an exciting kick off to the nine days of arts and cultural programs and activities offered during the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 2-10.

The North Charleston Performing Arts Center Entrance Hall is located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Ticket price includes parking. The Sweetgrass Soirée is co-sponsored by North Charleston Magazine. For more information about the event or the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, including the full schedule of events, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

Montague Terrace at North Charleston Coliseum to open Fall 2011

The North Charleston Coliseum’s latest expansion, the Montague Terrace, will open this fall. Montague Terrace expands the North Charleston Coliseum by 7,400 square feet and will provide a new experience for patrons, as it will be used as a food court for Coliseum events, a special event space for private receptions, and also as an entertainment venue for small concerts, theater performances, and comedy shows.

For private gatherings, such as corporate receptions and weddings, Montague Terrace provides a state-of-the-art venue with LED lighting, full production capabilities, and accents of modern décor.  The space can host up to 740 people for a reception and up to 340 people for a seated banquet.

Montague Terrace is also a unique venue for entertainment events, as shows will be presented in a cabaret theatre setting that will include seating at round tables for four guests with full food and beverage service.

During large concerts and hockey games at the Coliseum, Montague Terrace will serve as a gathering area for patrons.  All concessions will be offered out of Montague Terrace, and various bands will be featured on the Montague Terrace stage before Coliseum shows and during intermissions.

“We are all anxiously awaiting the opening of Montague Terrace,” says North Charleston Coliseum General Manager, Dave Holscher, “as it will enable us to deliver a superior experience for our patrons on a number of levels.  Not only does Montague Terrace allow us to host smaller entertainment show, such as Glorious Gershwin, which will be Montague Terrace’s premiere performance this September, but it also allows us to host private functions, therefore serving the community in a way we have not been able to in the past.”

With the addition of Montague Terrace, the North Charleston Coliseum’s exclusive caterer, Centerplate Catering, will expand its catering menu to offer a wider variety of high-quality food and beverage items.

Montague Terrace is being built for LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, making it one of the largest eco-friendly event venues in the Charleston Area.  Once completed, Montague Terrace, as well as Centerplate Catering, will continue to operate in an eco-friendly manner.