Latest news with #CoastalDiscoveryMuseum
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meet the Lowcountry horse who became a living history exhibit
Comet was supposed to be common, but he wasn't. He was a marsh tacky horse from the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where his feral forebears had survived for centuries against the longest of odds after being left behind by Spanish explorers. The name 'tacky' came to this endangered breed long ago, to denote a horse of little value, one that was shabby, perhaps, or cheap. No one would have had the nerve to tell that to Comet. He was a strong-willed character described by those who knew him best as bossy, feisty, opinionated and pushy, but also loving. In the last 11 years of his life, Comet was a living history exhibit at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island. He was tended in the barn there by volunteers, and roamed a pasture as an ambassador, not only for his breed but for the value of freedom to objectively study, teach and preserve our history and unique cultures. We'll need more of Comet's traits to keep that freedom. Comet's breed is smaller than 'normal' horses, but larger in a lot of ways. They're crafty, sure-footed, smart, unafraid, and great in the marsh and on the hunt. They're task-oriented, competitive and sturdy as a bulldozer. Comet's kin helped 'Swamp Fox' Francis Marion in the Revolutionary War, and roamed beaches in search of German U-boats in World War II. And for the Gullah of isolated sea islands before bridges and electricity, Comet's folks served as the tractor, tilling fields; the pickup truck, hauling goods to market; and the family car, going to church, school or the post office. When Comet came to the Coastal Discovery Museum, he was in many ways coming home. He was owned by Landon K. Thorne III of Brays Island in northern Beaufort County. As a boy, Thorne visited Honey Horn regularly when his grandfather, Landon K. Thorne, and his grandfather's brother-in-law, Alfred Lee Loomis, owned some 20,000 acres on the island as a hunting preserve. Thorne kept a little marsh tacky there, named Nellie Bell. And when he moved his family to the Lowcountry as an adult, Thorne turned to marsh tacky breeder D.P. Lowther in Ridgeland to buy one that looked like Nellie Bell. Comet was a goofball from the beginning. Thorne's Labrador chased a ball, so Comet wanted a ball. Comet peered in the window when the dog went inside, like he too deserved a spot on the sofa. 'He was a devil,' Thorne said. 'A little imp.' Comet would play a trick on Thorne when he was getting saddled up for a ride. He'd puff up his chest as a strap was being fastened around his girth to make Thorne think it was tight. But it wasn't. And then Thorne would slip and slide around, and Comet would turn and stare, knowing he'd pulled a fast one. Comet was 16 when he came to Honey Horn to retire. His main tender was the volunteer in charge of the barn, Laura Badger. 'He didn't tolerate stupidity,' she said. 'He knew what was supposed to be done and he'd glare at you if it wasn't right. You had to be firm and be the alpha in the relationship. He wasn't for the faint-hearted.' One day a volunteer said Comet must not be feeling well because he hadn't bitten or kicked her yet. But, Badger said, 'He could be so loving. He thought I was his girlfriend or his mother, I was never sure which.' And she said, 'He made me laugh every day.' Comet's health failed at the end of 2023, and he is buried on the Honey Horn grounds. Recently, Thorne had a marble stone installed near the barn to honor Comet and the volunteers who cared for him. Thorne said his interest in Comet was very personal, but also a deliberate act of cultural preservation. He's going after it in another way now. Thorne has gotten a Master of Fine Arts degree in writing and his first novel has a Lowcountry theme. Thorne said we must preserve the spirit of the place. Maybe Comet showed us just what that looks like. David Lauderdale may be reached at lauderdalecolumn@
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Coastal Discovery Museum Hosts 24th Annual Art Market at Historic Honey Horn, April 26-27
You're invited to attend the Coastal Discovery Museum's most anticipated event of the this month, the 24th Annual Art Market returns to Historic Honey Greenberg is Director of Exhibitions at the sat down with WSAV's Kim Gusby on today's Community Corner to talk about the unique fundraiser. Click the arrow in the video box above to watch the interview. More about the event:Showcasing the works of more than 90 artists in a beautiful Lowcountry setting, the Art Market will be open Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, April 27, from 10 am to 4 pm. Visitors will find a diverse range of mediums, including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, wood, metal, painting, drawing, photography, and is $5, with free entry for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased onsite or online here. Ample free parking is the art, visitors can enjoy live music and a variety of food and beverage vendors, with shaded seating under the Mary Ann Peeples Pavilion and throughout the from the Art Market support the Museum's year-round programs, exhibitions, and events. For more information, visit 24th annual Art MarketApril 26, 10 am – 5 pmApril 27, 10 am – 4 pmHistoric Honey Horn70 Honey Horn Dr., Hilton Head IslandAdmission: $5, free entry for children 12 & under Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
HHI Seafood Festival 2025 tickets still for sale
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) — The 2025 Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival will come to a close on Sunday, but there's still the main event and others to check out before then! Friday will have three master classes, Flute & Caviar Chronicles for $59 at 11:30 p.m., Eat Your Bourbon for $59 at 1 p.m. and Secrets of a Pitmaster at 5:30 p.m. for $275. Your ticket to the Secrets of a Pitmaster also gives you first admission and a ticket to the roast. The Pig Pickin' & Oyster Roast will also take place on Friday at 6:30 p.m. for $175, but you must be 21 or older to attend. All tickets go towards the David M. Carmines Memorial Fund which benefits local charities in the HHI community. The main Seafood Festival will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1-5 p.m. at Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head. Tickets for Saturday are $20 per person. There will be live music and other family friendly activities, the website said. Saturday will also have a Saturday Tasting Tent, for those over 21, starting at 1 p.m. for $45 and a Hogfish AfterParty at 9 p.m. for $10. On Sunday there will be the Kegs + Eggs event at 1 p.m. for $90. You can buy tickets here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
