Tenth Annual March Forth
story and photos courtesy of PAT CONROY LITERARY CENTER
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center’s annual March Forth commemorates the anniversary of Pat Conroy’s passing on March 4, 2016, with programs on the major themes of his writing and teaching life, including social justice, inclusivity, conservation, education, and storytelling. Celebrating 10 years of marching forth, this year’s calendar of special events spans the week of Monday, March 2, to Sunday, March 8—including programs in Beaufort, Charleston, Daufuskie Island, Okatie, Port Royal, and St. Helena Island.
Advance registration required for all March Forth ticketed events. Learn more and sign up at: https://marchforth2026.eventbrite.com.
MONDAY, MARCH 2
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Pat Conroy, Introduction to a Lowcountry Legend, presented at the Beaufort Branch Library (311 Scott St.). Free.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A Taste of the Lowcountry Crawl with Lynn and Cele Seldon, author of 100 Things to Do in the Lowcountry Before You Die, in downtown Beaufort. $90/person, limited to 20 people. Tour stops to be announced.
Noon to 4:00 p.m. Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) open for docent-led tours. Free.
5:00 to 6:30 p.m. March Forth Poetry Reading at Witness Tree Park (across King St. from the Conroy Center). Free. Featuring poets Tim Conroy, Susan Madison, Jacquelyn Markham, Ellen Malphrus, Quitman Marshall, and Brea Parker.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pat Conroy Citadel Tour, guided by Conroy’s Citadel classmate and fellow author John Warley; traveling by bus from the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). $125/person, limited to 30 people. Early lunch on your own before the trip.
Noon to 4:00 p.m. Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) open for docent-led tours. Free.
5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Robert Smalls’ Legacy for Young Readers: A public conversation at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy (43 W.K. Alston Dr. Beaufort) between Robert Smalls descendant Michael B. Moore, author of the children’s book Freedom on the Sea, and Disney/Marvel screenwriter Rob Edwards, author of the graphic novel Defiant. Free. Books available for sale and signing through the Storybook Shoppe.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Daufuskie Island tour led by Pat Conroy’s student turned celebrity chef Sallie Ann Robinson, with special guest, retired Daufuskie Island teacher Jim Alberto, author of Daufuskie Daze. Departs from Bluffton by boat. $195/person, limited to 12 people. Late lunch on your own before the return trip.
Noon to 4:00 p.m. Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) open for docent-led tours. Free.
5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Award-winning musician, educator, and novelist Brendan Slocumb, author of Dark Maestro, in conversation at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (711 Bladen St.). $10/person. Books available for sale and signing through NeverMore Books.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
10 to 11am. Read with a Ranger, featuring National Park Service Ranger Sam Mischke at the Port Royal Farmers Market (1615 Ribaut Rd). Free.
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Kayaking and Nature Writing with Katherine Brown at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center (310 Okatie Hwy). $70/person, limited to 12 people.
Noon to 4:00 p.m. Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) open for docent-led tours. Free.
2:00 to 4:30 p.m. The Great Santini film screening and discussion, honoring the 50th anniversary of the novel’s publication in 1976, at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (Bldg 12, 104 Reynolds St., Beaufort). $25/person.
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March Forth at Penn Center (16 Penn Circle West, St. Helena Island), featuring a nature walk led by naturalist Jake Zadik (10:00 to 11:30); lunch catered by Debbi Covington (11:30 to 12:30); a conversation with high school educators and advocates Patricia A. Jackson and Ben Hodge, authors of Ban This! (12:30 to 2:00); and a talk by Gullah celebrity chef Sallie Ann Robinson (2:00 to 3:30). $55/person with lunch, $35 without. Books available for sale and signing through NeverMore Books.
Noon to 4:00 p.m. Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) open for docent-led tours. Free.
The Conroy Center’s tenth annual March Forth is a collaboration between the Conroy Center, the Penn Center, the National Park Service, the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, the Beaufort County Library System, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, the Technical College of the Lowcountry, the DAYLO student book club, NeverMore Books, and the Storybook Shoppe—with grant support from Beaufort County and South Carolina Humanities, a not-for-profit organization; inspiring, engaging and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture and heritage.
Learn more about how you can support the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
