This exhibition will mainly cover agricultural practices and beliefs in Burkina Faso and Mali, which are within the savanna and forest areas of the Western Sudan region (South Saharan). Most of these lands can be difficult to cultivate, to control, so the farmers in these regions have to continuously strike a bargain with the spirits of the uncultivated terrain. This happens through unique festivals, ceremonies, and agricultural societies, which will be the topic of this exhibition.

The wilderness is significant in many African cosmologies because it is the inverse of culture – so by describing its characteristics, the ideal characteristics of African society can be defined. Many communities are organized into three realms, the spiritual, the physical, and the in-between. The physical realm is the controllable realm – it is orderly, governed by laws, and includes cultivated fields and domesticated animals. The wilderness is beyond human control so it is unpredictable, potentially dangerous, but there are powers to be harnessed as it can also be a source of medicine, sustenance, and wisdom. This exhibition will present a brief overview of the beliefs associated with the wilderness and the agricultural practices that follow, to show how these concepts translated into social experiences and visible form through selected artifacts from the Savannah African Art Museum.

Silver Torah scrolls once smuggled past pirates glint in the heart of Savannah’s moss-lined streets. This self-guided audio tour unlocks secret stories and hidden corners that most travelers never find.

What bold act inside Congregation Mickve Israel rattled Savannah’s elite? Who left behind a cryptic message in the Juliette Gordon Low Historic District that still stirs unrest? Why did art students at Savannah College of Art and Design suddenly vanish after midnight in 1996?

Move through shady squares and sunlit facades as whispered scandals, lost rebellions, and eccentric legacies unfold at your every stop. Each turn brings a new clue or lingering question, revealing Savannah not as an old postcard but as a restless crossroads pulsing with intrigue.

Ready to hunt for the glint beneath the Spanish moss? Press play and let Savannah’s secrets pull you in.

Le Labo on Wheels takes up a month‑long residency this April in Forsyth Park, directly across from Hotel Bardo. The residency creates a natural synergy between the park and its surroundings. Inside the truck, enjoy freshly compounded perfume alongside the Classic, Home, Body–Hair–Face, and Grooming collections.

Inspired by Hotel Bardo’s ethos of bringing people together, the partnership invites visitors to move seamlessly between the park and hotel, discovering Savannah through spontaneous moments of scent, culture, and connection.

Le Labo on Wheels is an itinerant project that travels to different US cities, sharing our craft of slow perfumery wherever we go. This stop in Savannah marks our 11th LLOW in the United States.

Store Hours:
April 2nd through May 3rd
Monday – Saturday: 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm

A popular sign of spring in coastal Georgia is underway as the annual Rivers of Iris bloom returns to the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm. Featuring hundreds of vibrant irises flowing through the landscape, the display is one of the largest public displays of iris in the world and is expected to continue through early May, with peak color arriving in mid to late April.

The Rivers of Iris includes not only more than 220 Louisiana iris cultivars but also features an array of tall bearded iris, spuria iris, Japanese iris, and multiple iris species, many of which are part of important preservation and research efforts.

Visitors can experience a constantly changing palette of color throughout the bloom season while learning about the Gardens’ ongoing research into which iris varieties perform best in the Lowcountry’s unique climate. The collection also supports education, sustainability, and public inspiration for incorporating iris into residential and public landscapes.

In addition to its visual appeal, the collection serves as a living laboratory. More than 700 tall bearded iris, 150 spuria iris, and 275 Louisiana iris cultivars have been tested over the years to identify the strongest performers for the coastal Georgia environment.

Guests are encouraged to visit multiple times to experience the evolving display, as the different iris cultivars bloom well into May, and to take advantage of photography opportunities, educational experiences, and a memorable spring outing.

Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday (10 AM – 4 PM)
Sunday (12-4 PM)

Registration is now open for Camp Aloha, an annual children’s grief camp hosted by Hospice Savannah and sponsored by Southern Motors. This year’s camp will take place May 1st – 3rd at New Ebenezer Retreat Center in Rincon. The camp provides a compassionate and supportive environment for children and teens ages 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one within the past two years.

Camp Aloha provides a safe space for participants to share their experiences, build connections with peers, and develop healthy coping skills. Through a blend of therapeutic activities and traditional camp experiences, children learn they are not alone in their grief journey.

Camp Aloha is offered through Hospice Savannah’s Full Circle Grief and Loss Center which provides comprehensive bereavement services to families and individual adults and children throughout the region. Trained bereavement counselors and dedicated volunteers guide campers through structured group sessions, expressive arts activities, outdoor recreation, and opportunities for remembrance.

“Camp Aloha gives children permission to grieve in their own way while surrounded by others who truly understand,” said Terri Collins, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Hospice Savannah. While a nominal registration fee applies, scholarships are available to ensure that all eligible children can participate regardless of financial circumstances. For more information about Camp Aloha, including eligibility and registration details, please visit hospicesavannah.org/campaloha.

Doughnuts for a great cause!! Step Up Savannah is giving you the best reason to indulge in a dozen (or two) Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Until May 31, 2026, 50% of your order will be donated back to Step Up Savannah when you purchase via our fundraising sales page!

Simply buy online, visit your local store & redeem using your code.

Treat yourself or even gift them to friends and family here:

grouprai.se/krispykreme77141m

Join us for a night of fun that gives back! 50% of your purchase at Dave & Buster’s will support Step Up Savannah and help local families access jobs, resources, and stability. Eat. Play. Make an impact. Get your Dave & Buster’s Power Card to support Step Up & Play It Forward for $20.00 per card! Power Card comes loaded with 100 chips and can be Redeemed at any one of 150 Dave & Buster’s locations.

Get Your Power Cards!

Visit any Dave & Buster’s location to pick up your Power Card and start playing! Bonus: Encourage your community to do the same!

Tybee Wellness Retreats invites you to experience a rejuvenating escape on Tybee Island, a tranquil sanctuary where self-exploration and personal growth unfold naturally. Each retreat is thoughtfully curated to nurture holistic well-being through a harmonious blend of mindful movement, soul-nourishing meals, and transformative workshops.

Your immersive retreat experience includes luxurious accommodations, four yoga classes, an intention-setting ceremony, sound bath, art workshop, energy workshop, coaching workshop, and a heartfelt closing ceremony along with all meals and non-alcoholic beverages.

For deeper relaxation, guests may enhance their stay with private services such as massage or Reiki, available for an additional cost.

Bank of America’s Museums on Us program offers Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank credit and debit cardholders FREE general admission to 225 cultural attractions the first full weekend of every month.

For the past 25 years, Bank of America has provided access to some of our nation’s greatest cultural experiences and brought new visitors to partner museums. Use the Bank of America Museums on Us Location Finder tool to search for participating cultural institutions. With more than 225 Museums on Us partners in cities across the United States, there is an option for everyone.

Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 (the first full weekend of each month)

Savannah
• Georgia State Railroad Museum
• Old Fort Jackson
• Pin Point Heritage Museum (Saturdays only)
• SCAD Museum of Art
• Savannah Children’s Museum
• Savannah History Museum

Georgia State Railroad Museum:
All aboard! It’s train ride season at the Georgia State Railroad Museum! Train rides run on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Guests can hop on board Wednesdays through Sundays now through the end of July. Please visit https://chsgeorgia.org/georgia-state-railroad-museum/ for the yearly schedule.

Old Fort Jackson:
Old Fort Jackson is a National Historic Landmark in Savannah offering daily cannon firings and interactive programs for adults, kids, and families. It features historical weapons demonstrations and interactive programming for families. Daily cannon firings occur at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Pin Point Heritage Museum:
At the Pin Point Heritage Museum, located in the former A.S. Varn & Son Oyster and Crab Factory in Savannah, visitors can experience the Gullah/Geechee culture first hand. For nearly 100 years, the community of Pin Point was quietly isolated on the banks of the Moon River just south of Savannah. Now, you can explore the refurbished museum complex and experience multimedia presentations, exciting exhibits, and unparalleled views of the marsh.

Savannah Children’s Museum:
Located within the Central of Georgia Railway Carpentry Shop, Savannah Children’s Museum features over a dozen exhibits designed to expand the imaginations of children including an exploration maze, a reading nook, and a sensory garden.

Savannah History Museum:
Located in the former Central of Georgia Railway Passenger Depot, Savannah History Museum takes you on a journey through time from Savannah’s earliest days to the present, with unique exhibits and interactive experiences for the family. Exhibits include an early 20th century steam locomotive, archaeological finds from Savannah’s Revolutionary War history, and much more.

SCAD Museum of Art:
Mona Bozorgi ‘Strain and Strand’
Mona Bozorgi (SCAD M.F.A., photography, 2018) uses experimental photographic processes to examine the intersections of representation, objecthood, and gender. Bridging photography, sculpture, and fiber arts, her latest body of work expands on her ongoing series Threads of Freedom, which explores the role of imagery in Iranian women’s self-representation and performance of gender amid broader sociopolitical movements in the country. Printing photographs on silk then unraveling and reassembling them, Bozorgi overlays “selfie” images originally shared on social media of women participating in protests against government mandates enforcing the hijab, or headscarf. On display now through May 17.

Bank of America believes the arts have a unique ability to connect people and communities and help local economies thrive. Through Museums on Us, Bank of America provides its cardholders with free access to artistic and cultural experiences across the United States at celebrated institutions ranging from art, children’s and history museums to aquariums, botanical gardens and science centers.

Those interested can use the Bank of America Museums on Us location finder tool to search for participating cultural attractions, understand any applicable Museums on Us admission protocols, and check with museums directly for their operating hours.

Present your Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general admission to any participating institution during the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each month. Cardholders only; guests are not eligible for free admission. Program excludes fundraising events, special exhibitions and ticketed shows. Not to be combined with other offers. Museum participation varies.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum in Savannah, Ga. dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Drawn to the Sea: Maritime Stories From Savannah,” an exciting new sequential art exhibition and comic book featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by four contemporary artists. The exhibit will run through January 31, 2027, showcasing original art designed to interpret the historic voyages of the iconic Savannah ships Anne, SS Savannah, Pulaski and Wanderer.

Featured “Drawn to the Sea” artists include Lucy Bellwood, Avery Hick, Rich King and Sharon Norwood.

Lucy Bellwood, a professional adventure cartoonist based in Ojai, Calif., focuses on the Anne, the legendary vessel that carried James Edward Oglethorpe and the first group of English colonists to Georgia in 1733.

Avery Hick, a SCAD graduate and Level Ground Comics Executive Editor, explores life aboard the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, marking a bold turning point in maritime history.

Rich King—who has published five books about the ocean, including Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick, Ocean Bestiary and Sailing Alone—drew inspiration from the Pulaski, a luxury steamship that suffered a catastrophic boiler explosion off the coast of North Carolina in 1838, killing approximately 130 people. He is an accomplished author and illustrator who is based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Sharon Norwood, a Jamaican-born interdisciplinary artist who lives in Savannah, Ga., takes a deep dive into life aboard the Wanderer, one of the last ships to illegally transport enslaved Africans to the United States. In 1858, more than 50 years after the transatlantic slave trade had been outlawed, the vessel secretly carried more than 400 captive Africans across the Atlantic, landing near the coast of Georgia and sparking international outrage.

In addition to the exhibition, there is a special “Drawn to the Sea” comic book available for purchase at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Gift Shop. The comic book was designed and published by Lee Heidel, owner and managing partner of Neighborhood Comics in Savannah, and Tania June Sammons, curator at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.). Tickets are $17.50 for adults; $14.50 for students, seniors 65 , active-duty military and veterans; and free for children ages 5 and under. Discounted family and group tickets are also available. Additional information is available at shipsofthesea.org.

Monday, May 4

Small Business Week Kick-off

The City of Savannah, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Association, Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Development Center, Savannah’s Waterfront, StartUp Savannah, Buy Local, Savannah Master Calendar, and the Metropolitan Savannah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are celebrating the heartbeat of our community, Savannah’s small businesses.

Show your support, meet your neighbors, and make a commitment to Shop Small in Savannah all week long. Because when you shop small, you’re not just making a purchase, you’re investing in the people and places that make Savannah home.

Tuesday, May 5

2026 Savannah Business Summit

The 2026 Savannah Business Summit kicks off with a red-carpet welcome followed by a full day of connection, learning, and inspiration. Dive into sessions on leadership, financial analysis, recruiting and retention, digital marketing, and the habits that fuel resilience — all while building meaningful relationships with community leaders and professionals. At the Summit, success isn’t a solo journey – it’s a collective movement.

This year’s summit features powerful Keynote Sessions alongside a series of dynamic breakout workshops. Participants may choose from focused tracks in Finance, Marketing, or Human Resources, ensuring a tailored learning experience that meets their goals. Throughout the day, enjoy networking opportunities designed to help you build meaningful connections with fellow business owners, other career professionals, community leaders, and industry experts.

Whether you’re building a business or building your career, the Savannah Business Summit offers the strategies and connections that help you grow.

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Time: 8:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Savannah Convention Center |1 International Dr., Savannah, GA 31421
Registration: Savannah Business Summit Registration

Small Business Week Mixer

Celebrate Small Business Week at Savannah’s largest collaborative networking event. The Small Business Week Mixer brings together entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders for an evening of connection and conversation.

Hosted by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Business Association, the Hispanic Chamber, and Savannah’s Waterfront, this mixer reflects the strength and diversity of our local business community. Join us for open networking, new connections, and a shared celebration of the small businesses that drive Savannah’s economy.

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Park at Eastern Wharf | 101 Port St., Savannah, GA 31401
Registration: Savannah Business Mixer Registration

Wednesday, May 6

City of Savannah 2026 Mayor’s Small Business Conference

The Mayor’s Small Business Conference (MSBC) is a one‑day signature event hosted by the City of Savannah’s Economic Development Department in partnership with Mayor Van R. Johnson, II. This annual event brings together our community’s best local business leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, and advocates for a full day of informative workshops, presentations and networking — all designed to promote small business sustainability and growth opportunities in Savannah!

The conference also features a Reverse Trade Show, connecting small businesses directly with government agencies, corporations, and organizations seeking local vendors and partners.

MSBC is the signature event of the 2026 Savannah Small Business Week, which runs from May 4th through 8th.

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.| Reverse trade show 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: MLK Civic Center |301 W Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA 31401
Registration: www.savannahga.gov/msbc

Thursday, May 7

City of Savannah Purchasing: Business Opportunity Breakfast

This event, featuring breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and a 9 a.m. presentation, connects local, small, and minority businesses with City procurement opportunities, including networking and insights into upcoming projects.

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: MLK Civic Center |301 W Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA 31401
Registration: www.savannahga.gov/msbc

Start-Up Savannah: GRIT Pitch Event

15 entrepreneurs. 3 minutes each. $5000 total cash prizes.

You don’t want to miss out on the chance to witness these game-changing ideas pitched live on stage! Join Startup Savannah during Small Business Week 2026 on May 7th at The Clyde venue, to see the action for yourself! You’ll even get the chance to vote on the Audience Selection Prize, worth $500.

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 8:00 pm.
Location: The Clyde Venue | 223 Martin Luther King Blvd., Savannah, GA 31401
More Info: Purchase Tickets | Apply to participate

Friday, May 8

DBA Downtown Clean Up

Join the Savannah Small Business Week Downtown Clean Up Friday May 8 from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. by meeting at Chive, 4 West Broughton Street. All equipment will be provided on-site. including gloves, safety vest, and bags. Show your love for our downtown community by cleaning it up together.

Date: Friday, May 8, 2026
Time: 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Meet outside Chive | 4 West Broughton St., Savannah, GA 31401
More Info: Downtown Clean Up