CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – An annual festival that celebrates the outdoors through wildlife, art, performances, and animal demonstrations officially began Thursday with its annual gala.
Held each year at Charleston Place, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition’s signature gala is a grand event to welcome in the longtime festival. Guests will don their best attire and mingle with others while browsing fine art, checking out exotic animals, and partaking in wild fare and a live auction.
But after the gala is when the fun for everyone officially begins at multiple locations across the peninsula. Known to many simply as “SEWE,” the weekend festival promotes wildlife, art, and nature conservation.
What’s new at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in 2024
It began in February 1983 with about 100 artists and exhibitors and 5,000 attendees and has since grown into one of Charleston’s most anticipated festivals, which serves as a kickoff to the tourism season.
Organizers say SEWE now welcomes an approximated 500 artists, exhibitors, and wildlife experts. It also sees more than 40,000 attendees, generating an estimated $50 million in economic impact each year.