MOJA Arts Festival 

• Thursday, Sept. 26
• Friday, Sept. 27
• Saturday, Sept. 28
• Sunday, Sept. 29
• Monday, Sept. 30
• Tuesday, Oct. 1

• Wednesday, Oct. 2
• Thursday, Oct. 3
• Friday, Oct. 4
• Saturday, Oct. 5
• Sunday, Oct. 6

Sept. 26
12:00 PM

Juried Art Exhibition on View • The 2024 MOJA Arts Festival Juried Art Exhibition will be held at City Gallery, on view September 25 through October 13. Artists from South Carolina, as well as those based in communities proximate to the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor in the adjacent states of Georgia and North Carolina, will have their art work on display. Gallery Hours: Open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 12pm until 5pm

Sept. 26
6:00 PM

MOJA Opening Day Street Parade • Our traditional kickoff to the MOJA Arts Festival begins at 6:00 pm. The parade features various organizations from the Lowcountry including student groups and bands. The parade starts at Marion Square, and will progress down King and Market Streets to the US Custom House.

Sept. 26
6:00 PM

MOJA Arts Festival Opening Reception • The Opening reception at the Dock Street Theatre offers the public a chance to talk with organizers and volunteers about this year’s event.

Sept. 26
8:00 PM

"Septima" - Special Performance • A special performance of “Septima” by PURE Theatre – a play about the life of Charleston native Septima Clark. It’s the day of Septima Clark’s 125th birthday. As the City of Charleston prepares to celebrate, Septima, with the help of some old friends, reflects not only on her work as a Civil Rights leader and educator, but the moments of her life that shaped her into one of the most important figures in American history, and inspired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to name her the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” Septima is directed by Sharon Graci, co-founder and Artistic Director of PURE Theatre.

Sept. 27
6:00 PM

MOJA Reggae Block Dance • The MOJA Reggae Block Dance promises to be a transcendent, soul stirring performance! This family friendly event will feature top Jamaican Reggae artist Iba MaHr, backed by the Lowcountry’s own Operation Irie. Reggae recording artist Ragga Lox will open the show.  The legendary Lowcountry reggae band Da’Gullah Rootz will also perform. Bring your folding chairs and blankets to set up a picnic or enjoy fare from a variety of Lowcountry and Caribbean food vendors.  Enjoy this MOJA tradition next to the Ashley River at Brittlebank Park!

Sept. 27
7:00 PM

Jazz at the Dock Street Theatre • An evening of Jazz featuring Hank Bilal and Willie Bradley. Come listen to the smooth sounds of two Grammy-nominated musicians, chart-topping contemporary jazz artists from right here in South Carolina. Legendary and internationally renowned trumpeter Willie Bradley and up-and-coming trombonist Hank Bilal will grace the stage of the historic Dock Street Theatre for an evening of soul-stirring jazz and soul.

Sept. 27
7:30 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Sept. 27
7:30 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Sept. 28
12:00 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Sept. 28
12:00 PM

Gullah Showcase • Bring chairs, drums, ancestral tribute items and the entire family for this Gullah/Geechee intergenerational gathering of Arts, Education, Music, Dance and Culture.

Sept. 28
7:00 PM

When I First Remember • The historical play “When I First Remember” uses songs, dialogue, and African drumming to tell the stories of the Lowcountry’s Gullah-Geechee People.

Sept. 28
7:00 PM

Gospel at the Gaillard • Gospel at the Gaillard will celebrate community and the rich tradition of gospel music in the South. Deeply rooted in Charleston’s musical heritage, gospel music has long provided solace and strength for Black communities. Gospel at the Gaillard honors this legacy and highlights the enduring significance and transformative power of gospel music as it echoes throughout the Gaillard Center.

Sept. 28
7:30 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Sept. 28
8:00 PM

Lalah Hathaway - The VANTABLACK Tour • Five-time Grammy Award winner Lalah Hathaway releases her seventh solo studio album, VANTABLACK, her most empowered and impressive effort to date, June 14th via Hathaway Entertainment/SRG Records. In Hathaway’s words, ‘VANTABLACK takes its name from a pigment, the darkest shade of black ever created. It felt so right for me and this project right now because I set out to make the blackest record EVER! And I did. This album represents the multiplicity of what being black means to me. And I love it!’

Sept. 29
2:00 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Sept. 29
4:00 PM

Good Old Fashion Gospel • “Good Old Fashion Gospel” – Showcasing the Lowcountry’s finest talents, featuring Reverend Randolph Miller & United Harmony, Javetta Palmer Campbell, Mario Desasaurre, and The Tony Washington Singers.

Sept. 30
8:30 AM

Writer's Workshop • A three-day writer’s workshop for pre-selected middle school students running Monday, September 30th to Wednesday, October 2nd will be facilitated by Bev Prince-Muhammad. Formerly of Omaha, Nebraska who now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Prince-Muhammad has coordinated the MOJA Arts Festival Writer’s Workshop for the past 24 years. From 2004 – 2006 she also created and facilitated a writer’s workshop entitled “Let’s Get It Write” for young adults at Skinner Magnet Center in Omaha, Nebraska. This event is for school students only.

Sept. 30
6:00 PM

Storytelling with Minerva King • Join us for a very special evening of storytelling with Miss Minerva King. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Minerva T. King has been performing as a multicultural storyteller since 1992. She delights in engaging her listeners with her programs that are often augmented with music. She specializes in African, African American, Jewish, Native American and West Indian stories.

Sept. 30
7:00 PM

Conversations in Black and White with Deborah Roberts • Join the conversation! New York Times bestselling authors Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict team up with award-winning ABC News journalist and 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts to kick off a brand-new discussion series, Conversations in Black & White. Inspired and informed by the readers, Victoria and Marie met while on tour discussing their novels. The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies, this event will offer a wide-ranging conversation on race and friendship, and provide a safe space where attendees from different backgrounds can listen, share, and ask questions. To help facilitate the conversation, the authors will provide access to written guides and other materials focused on productive communication and looking at challenging subjects through the lens of fiction.

Sept. 30
7:30 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Oct. 1
8:30 AM

Writer's Workshop • A three-day writer’s workshop for pre-selected middle school students running Monday, September 30th to Wednesday, October 2nd will be facilitated by Bev Prince-Muhammad. Formerly of Omaha, Nebraska who now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Prince-Muhammad has coordinated the MOJA Arts Festival Writer’s Workshop for the past 24 years. From 2004 – 2006 she also created and facilitated a writer’s workshop entitled “Let’s Get It Write” for young adults at Skinner Magnet Center in Omaha, Nebraska. This event is for school students only.

Oct. 1
6:00 PM

Establishing Roots - Osei Chandler with Charlton Singleton • In partnership with MOJA Arts Festival, the Charleston Library Society is honored to present radio host, producer and Lowcountry legend Osei Chandler of Roots Musik Karamu – the beloved and longest running Caribbean music programs on SC Public Radio, first broadcast in 1979. Hosted in conversation with MOJA Arts Festival Director Charlton Singleton, Brooklyn-born Chandler will speak to his early experiences establishing roots in Charleston, the process of building his cornerstone radio program and the importance of this foundation in more than 30 years of creating opportunities to give back to his adopted Lowcountry community. Over the course of the conversation we will learn from his deep well of knowledge on Reggae and Roots Afro Pop and perhaps even hear excerpts from his expansive signature catalogue of music.

Oct. 2
8:30 AM

Writer's Workshop • A three-day writer’s workshop for pre-selected middle school students running Monday, September 30th to Wednesday, October 2nd will be facilitated by Bev Prince-Muhammad. Formerly of Omaha, Nebraska who now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Prince-Muhammad has coordinated the MOJA Arts Festival Writer’s Workshop for the past 24 years. From 2004 – 2006 she also created and facilitated a writer’s workshop entitled “Let’s Get It Write” for young adults at Skinner Magnet Center in Omaha, Nebraska. This event is for school students only.

Oct. 2
6:00 PM

Storytelling with Damon Fordham • Join us for a very special evening of storytelling with Damon Fordham. Damon L. Fordham is an author, tour guide, and Adjunct Professor of History at The Citadel and Charleston Southern University.  He will perform an evening of “Tales of a People – From Africa to South Carolina”. His presentation will be a combination of tales, folklore, and historical stories he has gathered from his forays to West Africa along with the research he has done for local publications and speaking engagements for the past 30 years.

Oct. 2
6:00 PM

MOJA on King • Join us for a family-friendly block party celebrating the announcement of the MOJA Arts Festival’s 40th Anniversary season. Outdoor dining, live music, dancing, and artisan and crafts vendors.

Oct. 2
7:30 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Oct. 2
8:00 PM

Gangstagrass in Concert • Gangstagrass is a multi-racial collective of musicians who demolish every preconception you have about country music and hip-hop music. These string pickers and MCs create a shared cultural space for dialogue and connection between folks that usually never intersect.

Oct. 3
10:00 AM

Dancing on the Air Crew: The Elements • Join us for this family-friendly free event, where kids learn more about four elements that make up the cultural phenomenon known as hip-hop: Graffiti, MCing, DJing and Breakin’.

Oct. 3
5:00 PM

MOJA Community Pop-Up at Corrine Jones Park • Join us for a FREE community event featuring the Power of Rhythm, an all-skill level drum and percussion guided experience led by Nana Anim, an extraordinary master drummer and dancer from Ghana! Bring your own drum or percussion toys. The pop-up will also feature breakdancing and hip-hop history from the Dancing on Air Crew! We will also feature Abstract That Rapper & Soulful Sounds, providing original Lowcountry hip-hop and soul music. Tasty food will be for sale at the park.

Oct. 3
6:00 PM

MOJA Community Pop-Up at Hampstead Square • A free neighborhood celebration of Lowcountry Cultural Icons, featuring Oscar Rivers, Jr.

Oct. 3
7:30 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Oct. 3
7:30 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Oct. 4
2:00 PM

The Drama of King Shotaway • In a remote Greenwich Village in 1822, impresario William Brown and his all-African company defy local authorities to mount a play: a real insurrectionary drama about the indigenous Black Caribs of St. Vincent. This will be a Black dramatic first in the Americas, but Brown and his celestials haven’t a clue they are making history by staging someone else’s history. Recommended for all ages.

Oct. 4
6:00 PM

Storytelling with Veronic Gaillard • Join us for a very special evening of storytelling with Veronica Gaillard. Veronica Gaillard introduces the Gullah culture by becoming the dramatic characters and engaging the audience with participation.

Oct. 4
6:00 PM

All That Jazz: An Evening of Rhythm, Elegance, and Giving • Join us for All That Jazz: An Evening of Rhythm, Elegance, and Giving, in association with the Moja Arts Festival, where the legendary Harlem Blues & Jazz Band will light up the night with electrifying performances!

Oct. 4
7:30 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Oct. 4
7:30 PM

Home • Optimistic and strong, young Cephus Miles is content to work the land on the small North Carolina farm he inherited from his family. When his childhood sweetheart rejects him and goes off to college, he moves north, finding a new job and a new girlfriend. But soon the dream begins to fade. This brilliantly inventive, lyrically expressive play deals joyfully with the coming of age in the mid-20th century.

Oct. 4
7:30 PM

Marlon Wayans: Wild Child Tour • Actor, producer, comedian, writer and film director Marlon Wayans brings the Wild Child Tour to Charleston. Marlon’s latest comedy special “Good Grief,” which premiered in June 2024 on Amazon Prime Video, hit #1 on the streaming platform its first week. His other critically acclaimed #1 comedy specials include “Woke-ish” on Netflix and “God Loves Me,” “You Know What It Is” and “Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners” on HBO Max.

Oct. 5
11:00 AM

Cultural Cadences Overview • An interactive event, intertwining live dialogue between a Gullah Linguistics Expert, Shakespearean Scholar and 2 performers, exploring the resonances between two distinct linguistic expressions.

Oct. 5
12:00 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Oct. 5
1:00 PM

Cultural Cadences Overview • An interactive event, intertwining live dialogue between a Gullah Linguistics Expert, Shakespearean Scholar and 2 performers, exploring the resonances between two distinct linguistic expressions.

Oct. 5
2:00 PM

The Drama of King Shotaway • In a remote Greenwich Village in 1822, impresario William Brown and his all-African company defy local authorities to mount a play: a real insurrectionary drama about the indigenous Black Caribs of St. Vincent. This will be a Black dramatic first in the Americas, but Brown and his celestials haven’t a clue they are making history by staging someone else’s history. Recommended for all ages.

Oct. 5
2:00 PM

Storytelling with Theresa Hilliard • Join us for a very special evening of storytelling with Theresa Hilliard.

Oct. 5
6:00 PM

MOJA Dance Party • Gino Castillo and the Cuban Cowboys will headline this FREE concert and Dance Party with a special opening performance by The Dubplates.

Oct. 5
7:00 PM

When I First Remember • The historical play “When I First Remember” uses songs, dialogue and African drumming to tell the stories of the Lowcountry’s Gullah-Geechee People.

Oct. 5
7:30 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Oct. 6
10:00 AM

Family Day - As Any Means are Necessary • Join the Halsey Institute staff and tour guides for a fun-filled family-friendly celebration of the exhibition Demond Melancon: As Any Means Are Necessary. Enjoy guided tours for your family, art activities that explore the exhibition, kid-friendly snacks, and more!

Oct. 6
4:00 PM

Crowns • Art Forms & Theatre Concepts, Inc. presents “CROWNS” by Regina Taylor and directed by Art Gilliard. This gospel musical is set to lift your spirits as it tells a moving and celebratory story in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of Black history and identity, as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South to stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Oct. 6
4:00 PM

MOJA Festival Finale • Close out the Festival in style! Everyone in your family will enjoy this free-to-attend celebration of all that the MOJA Arts Festival has to offer. From fascinating vendors and fantastic food choices to an evening of live music, featuring Charlton Singleton and Friends playing the best of classic soul and R&B, this party is sure to entertain.