The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. While very grateful for the change of seasons and the beautiful autumn décor, unfortunately for me, I'm totally solar powered. Sun-charged Vitamin D is my best friend. I'm all-over-the-place busy when the sun is up, and I need an afternoon nap on rainy days. I'm close to worthless when it's completely dark outside. That's why I'm so sad to see the summer come to an end.

When I moved to the South Carolina Lowcountry nearly 13 years ago, I was already deeply in love with its luscious expanses of water, diverse species of wildlife and waterfowl, marsh that reflected an ever-changing palette akin to that of Vincent Van Gogh, and an amazingly wide sky so often lit by daily sunshine and cluttered with fat, puffy clouds that would’ve probably inspired Georgia O’Keefe to set up an easel on the Beaufort River Bluff to capture their glory.

The 25^thAnnual Beaufort Shrimp Festival, celebrating SC Wild Caught Shrimp and local food and fun here in the Lowcountry, is coming up on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5 at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort. One of Beaufort’s larger and most popular events, the festival kicks off at 6 pm on Friday and includes live music along with several area restaurants previewing their shrimp dishes for Saturday’s competitions. All restaurants will be using SC Wild Caught Shrimp.

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until 6 pm for the fun to begin because you can browse and shop the festival’s Arts & Crafts Market starting at Noon.

The festival’s popular Run Forrest Run 5K (USATF certified course) will begin at 8 am on Saturday morning. The Popcorn Shrimp Run for ages 7 and under will begin at 8:30 am. All require advanced registration. Visit this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/Beaufort/2019RunForrestRun5k

The event continues on Saturday at 11 am with local restaurants putting their unique spins on fresh local shrimp to compete for the “Best Shrimp Dish” and “Best Booth Decoration” voted by a panel of judges, and the “People’s Choice,” chosen by festival attendees. The overall winner will be awarded the prestigious “Silver Cup.”

Adults can participate in a shrimp heading competition and children in a shrimp peeling competition for various prizes. Don’t miss the children’s games and activities, and arts and crafts vendors too. Be sure not to miss the Annual Sea Island Rotary Club’s Charity Shrimp Race and witness 5,000 rubber floating shrimp racing down the Beaufort River adjacent to Waterfront Park at 3 pm. The first 10 shrimp to cross the finish line share $5,000 in cash prizes and the first 100 shrimp have a chance to win a car or boat!

Art League Gallery will host Eloquent Light, a collection of landscape photography by local artist Bill Bogle, Jr., this October. The exhibit includes familiar Lowcountry scenes of Spanish moss-draped live oaks and oceanfront dunes, the vibrant red rock formations of the American west, and solemn views along the New England coast. Bogle's passion and success lie in recording moments when the light reveals his subjects at their most meaningful.