Helena Island native, Ardell Brown (nee Holmes) left her home for New York City in the late 1950’s during the latter half of the great migration with the hope of securing employment that would allow her to eventually return home and live comfortably on the land her family had inhabited for almost a century as subsistence farmers. Decades in NYC saw her secure passage for siblings, transition from
domestic worker to the corporate arena and start a family. Multiple road trips were a common necessity but proved expensive, time consuming and grueling for full time working parents. The advent of The Gullah Festival provided a unique opportunity to give a community of friends a glimpse of her rich culture while providing stress free travel for her family through bus chartering.
2007 marked her return to the island of her birth to enjoy retirement.
2014 marked the return of the Excursions as a family affair. Join us on our annual Memorial Day Weekend trip and experience the tastes, sights and sounds of this unique cultural corridor on a fun 3 day get away filled with some of the most breath taking scenes the low country has to offer.
