I heard from the folks at Jekyll Island this morning. Seems they were debating the Shrimp and Grits festival in light of Hurricane Florence. Well, as our outlook has continued to brighten, so has the attitude towards holding the Shrimp and Grits festival as planned. The festival IS ON for this weekend! So glad to hear this after their having to cancel it last year. Here are some numbers on the difference Shrimp and Grits makes on this community:
Shrimp & Grits by the Numbers:
193 – number of artists, musicians, restaurants, food trucks, and vendors participating in festival
32 acres – total footprint of the festival grounds
799 – event shifts to be worked by volunteers and JIA staff
935 – meals to be prepared for event staff
20,000 – hand fan programs to be given to guests
42 – Glynn County school buses shuttling guests over three days
45,000 – total event attendance last time event was held in 2016
$40.5 million – economic impact of festival for Glynn County
Welcome back, Shrimp and Grits!