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Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival starts Friday
GOSF poster

It’s “GO” time, according to Tim Proffitt, chairman of the Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival.

The 18th installment of the ever-increasingly popular event kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. in J.F. Gregory Park with the opening of the midway. See below for all the information you need, including entertainment, vendors, parking and ticket prices.

“The trucks are starting to roll in and it looks like we’ll be blessed with beautiful weather,” Proffitt said.

The forecast this weekend calls for high temperatures in the low 80s with low humidity. Lows will be in the high 50s.

The big draw, as always, will be Saturday evening’s entertainment, with headliner 38 Special taking the stage around 10 p.m. Also performing Saturday will be Jerrod Niemann with special guest Adam Wakefield.

Saturday evening, which will be hosted by Big Al Mack of the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, gets underway with opening ceremonies at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks are expected to start around 11 p.m.

Proffitt said there will be two stages this year, including one by the pavilion for special events and the main stage for Friday and Saturday night’s entertainment.

Gone is the amphitheater, replaced by a 10,400-square-foot cement pad where the main stage will be located.

“This year will be the biggest stage, the biggest lighting and the biggest fireworks we’ve ever had,” Proffitt said. “People are really going to enjoy it.”

Proffitt said the new set up actually will provide festival-goers an additional three acres on which to move around and watch the performances from.

The GOSF is the result of an all-volunteer committee of more than 250 people who work countless hours.

“We couldn’t do it without the volunteers,” Proffitt said. “As soon as we shut the gates on the event we start working on the next one.”

Entertainment

Friday

7 p.m. Esteban’s Hat

8 p.m. Guns4Hire

9 p.m. Justin Dukes

Saturday

10: 30 a.m. Richmond Hill Middle School Band

11:30 a.m. Off Broadway

Noon Line Dance Fever

12:30 p.m. Kelly and Company Irish Dance Academy

1:30 p.m. Off Broadway

3 p.m. Life Moves Dance Studio

5:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies

6:45 p.m. Adam Wakefield

8:10 p.m. Jerrod Niemann

9:40 p.m. 38 Special

11 p.m. Fireworks

Sunday

1 p.m. Men of Praise

2 p.m. FBC Richmond Hill Worship Band

3 p.m. At Sundown

Admission

Friday and Sunday: Adults (16 and older) $5 (no re-admission); Saturday: $10 (re-admission allowed). Children (6-15) $5 each day; 5 and under free. Cash, Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted. There also will be ATMs on site.

Vendors

Ben & Jerry’s

Bubba’s Bistro

Paradise Lemonade

Boy Scouts

Repicci’s/The Naked Dog

Carnahan Concessions

RHHS Chorus Boosters

Savannah Square Pops

It’s a Southern Thing

Seadaddy’s Catering

K&C Catering

Local on 17

Love’s Seafood

Shell House Restaurant

The Ice Cream Stop

Papa Murphy’s Pizza

Richmond Hill YMCA

Dickey’s BBQ

Smokin Pig

Fraternal Order of the Eagles

Beer is $5 for a 16-ounce cup. Must have a valid government-issued ID. No beer sales on Sunday.

Midway

Please be mindful of the times for wristbands on Saturday. The best value if you plan to be in the park all day is the $20 wristband which is valid for all day (10 a.m. to 11 p.m.) for *unlimited rides (excluding the Nemesis 360 which will require an additional two tickets to ride.)

Must be purchased before 3 p.m. One wrist band per customer and must be purchased in person.

Friday: 5:00-11:00 p.m. $20

Saturday: Early bird special $20 – purchase wristband between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and it’s valid for unlimited rides the entire day (10 a.m. to 11 p.m.) Must be present to purchase band.

After 3 p.m. wristband – $25.

Sunday: All day (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) $20 wristband.

Tickets for individual rides may be purchased; prices vary by ride and are $1.25 per ticket or 22 tickets for $25. In general rides will require 3-4 tickets per ride without purchase of a wristband.

*The Nemesis 360 will require two tickets, plus a wristband to ride or six tickets.

Parking

There is no on-site park parking; however, look for the “event parking” signs for designated festival parking lots. Complimentary shuttle buses will pick-up in each of the designated festival parking lots and shuttles begin 30 minutes prior to the opening of each day and will run throughout festival hours.

Please do not park in non-festival designated lots during festival hours. We don’t want your vehicle to be towed!

Some businesses/organizations do charge for parking and those prices vary – these are not monitored or sanctioned by the GOSF.

The Festival encompasses the entire Park and the only way to get around inside the park is by walking. Due to insurance liability, the Festival Committee may not provide transportation to festival goers via golf carts.

Handicap Parking: If you have a government issued handicapped sticker/tag, police officers will direct you to handicap parking area. Handicap parking is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis and fills-up quickly so plan accordingly.

Where to Park: 

Richmond Hill Pre-K Campus 120 Constitution Way

Richmond Hill Primary School 471 Frances Meeks Way

Richmond Hill Elementary School 473 Frances Meeks Way

Goodwill/Goody’s 9701 Ford Avenue

Richmond Hill First Baptist Church 9184 Ford Avenue

What not to bring: Pets (certified service animals allowed), skateboards/scooters/bikes, yard games, coolers, alcohol. No video recording allowed.

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