Spoleto Festival USA – Charleston, South Carolina Events

No matter where you live in the United States, if there’s a sizable population in your town there’s a good chance you have at least one sister city. But do you know which it is? According to Wikipedia, we have eight here in the Big D, ranging every where from Mexico to Latvia to the Czech Republic. Would your average, everyday, walk-up-and-ask-them-on-the-street Dallasite know that? Of course not!

(So much for fostering international cooperation and community)

In Charleston, South Carolina, however, not only do they know who their sister city is, they celebrate it in the most appropriate way: adopting one of their festivals. Once an abandoned tradition from the 70’s and 80’s, the Spoleto Festival USA will host its third annual event this May in celebration of Charleston’s sister city, Spoleto, Italy. Dedicated to art, music and the power of performance, this is surely one of the east coast’s most exciting cultural events.

A little bit of history: in 1958, the relatively small town of Spoleto, located near Rome, was selected as the host of the Festival of the Two Worlds, an event for young, up-and-coming artists to share the stage with renowned master. In 1977, the founder of the Festival of the Two Worlds worked together with acclaimed American conductor Christopher Keene to found a sister event in the U.S. The spot was Charleston, South Carolina, and the event was the Spoleto Festival USA. All was good for 15 years or so when a fallout among the organizers lead to a lengthy hiatus. Not until 2007 did the North America-based version finally see light of day once again. And it’s back stronger the ever!

From May 22 to June 7, the Spoleto Festival USA will take over the Charleston, South Carolina events calendar for a whirlwind of dance, contemporary music, theatre, jazz, festival gatherings, talks and even opera. As in Italy, the USA festival nurtures the talent of newer artists, celebrates innovative presentations and expands appreciation of the arts. With more than 80,000 attendees expected throughout the festival, you can bet there’s plenty worth seeing.

Like a film festival, the Spoleto Festival USA charges admission by presentation, so you’ll want to scrutinize their Web site to find the best time to visit, and with limited seating a consistent problem, be sure to start looking at those tickets right away.

Hotels in Charleston, South Carolina? What else but the Mills House Hotel? This historical property is renowned for its luxury and location, and as a fun aside, the Mills House has even hosted the mayor of Spoleto, Italy, Massimo Brunini, during his visits to the festival.

So go on, inject some culture into your summer with a trip to Charleston and the Spoleto Festival USA.

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