2023 Inspire! Festival

Hellofriends and neighbors. Thank you for your interest in the 2023 INSPIRE! Festival. We are excited about this yearʼs festival, which will be held March 23 – April 2. We have a great lineup of diverse events in an attempt to provide opportunities for everyone in our community and increase our impact on the arts, music and culture of Sumter. As we move from one season to the next and things begin to blossom and life begins anew, we hope you will experience a rebirth of interest and find much enjoyment in the wonderful musical, artistic and theatrical talent that we are blessed to have in our community.

Our outdoor musical event this year is the BAND OF OZ at beautiful Swan Lake Iris Gardens on Friday, March 24. The Band of Oz is an award-winning beach band that has played all over the Southeast to the delight of beach music lovers and shaggers for many years. Recently they have “modernized” their sound, having earned the reputation as one of the most exciting “party bands” in our area. There will be several food trucks on hand, and Sumter Original Brewery will be providing refreshments. Come on out to Swan Lake on March 24. Music will begin at 6 p.m., so bring your dancing shoes, and get ready to party the night away!

One of our most popular events, which always draws a huge crowd, is the WALK OF ART, held in downtown Sumter. This yearʼs “Walk” will be on Saturday, March 25. Artwork by Sumter artists will be installed at about 20 stops in historic downtown Sumter for the public to enjoy. Artists will be on site, painting, sculpting, drawing and more, showcasing their work. A selection of beer, wine and food will be available at each stop. The event starts at 4 p.m. at Sumter Original Brewery. Check-in is at the same location. We look forward to seeing you in our thriving downtown Sumter.

A much-anticipated and joyous musical opportunity coming our way is the PRAISE FEST GOSPEL CELEBRATION to be held at Patriot Hall on Friday, March 31. Bringing together people of faith to celebrate and enjoy the uplifting sounds of gospel music promises to be a joyous time. The performers are a whoʼs who of well-known and beloved artists from around this area, including Doc McKenzie and the Hi-Lites, Roy and Revelation, and Sonny Brown and the Xperience. Other performers adding to the excitement and enjoyment will be The Fabulous Singing Angels, Lee Burgess and Resurrection, Justified, The New Boyz and Elija Bradford. Concessions will be available. The celebration begins at 7 p.m. We hope to see you there for an evening of praise and worship.

This year, for the first time, we are bringing a theatrical performance by some of our high school students under the INSPIRE! umbrella. The Sumter High Theater Department will be presenting the musical FIREBRINGER: ALL AGES VERSION on March 23, 24 and 25. Firebringer is a new Stone Age-era musical by Starkid Productions about a primitive tribe discovering fire and transforming their lives for good and bad. In the end, they must come together to survive. The musical is directed by Kelly Melton. We are delighted that INSPIRE! can encourage and promote the arts among our young people.

The Sumter County Museum is presenting a special exhibit, THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. ARTHENIA J. BATES MILLICAN. A grand-opening reception will be held on Sunday, March 26 featuring Nikky Finney as the keynote speaker. Millican was a Sumter native and accomplished author, poet, humanitarian and teacher who was internationally acclaimed for her writings and depictions of the lives of African Americans in the rural South.. Millican received numerous accolades both during her lifetime and after, including a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and the 2017 induction into the S.C. Academy of Authors. The program begins at 2 p.m.

As always, the Sumter Little Theatre will be providing a delightful theatrical experience as part of the INSPIRE! Festival. This yearʼs offering is a musical titled INTO THE WOODS. The play is based on the intertwined plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including characters taken from “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel” and “Cinderella.” The musical has won three Tony awards and had numerous very successful runs both on Broadway and on tour across the country. Not suitable for children under 10 years of age. Performances are March 23, 24 and 25 at 7 p.m.; March 26 at 3 p.m.; March 30, 31 and April 1 at 7 p.m.; and April 2 at 3 p.m. This production directed by Todd Warrick promises to be a real hit for our adults that are young at heart!

The Sumter County Gallery of Art will be providing some great jazz on Thursday, March 30, during its GALLERY AFTER HOURS event featuring Nicci Canada and Dapper Street Jazz Band. Attendees will also be able to enjoy the galleryʼs current exhibit “Sumter Collects III,” which features art from the personal collections of over 30 Sumter individuals and families. Light refreshments will be served. It will be an unforgettable evening.

An EXHIBIT FROM THE ANNE FRANK CENTER will be on display at the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center. This exhibit is based on three collections from the archives of the Anne Frank Center, including eight original lithographs by Henri Pieck drawn during his internment in Buchenwald concentration camp, 12 linoleum and woodcut prints by Marie de Zaaijer depicting the remembrances, suffering and hardship endured by Holland, and eight original propaganda posters distributed by the Nazi-controlled Dutch government. The exhibit will be open Thursday and Friday, March 23-24, 1-4 p.m., and Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and again on Thursday and Friday, March 30-31, 1-4 p.m., and Saturday, April 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Again, we thank you for your interest and support of the INSPIRE! Festival. Our goal is to promote art, music and theater in Sumter and to honor the memory and legacy of our friend and mentor Roger Ackerman. Proceeds from the INSPIRE! Festival, go to the Ackerman Legacy Foundation whose mission is to support the Sumter County Museum, Sumter County Gallery of Art, Sumter Little Theatre, The CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimerʼs Research Trust), and the fine arts programs in our local schools.

FOR TICKET INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO WWW.SUMTERINSPIREFESTIVAL.ORG

INSPIRE! Executive Committee

Elizabeth Britton

Johnny Hilton

Jay Schwartz