wait? Tigers? 🐯
The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (aka SEWE) has made Charleston its home since 1982, with the first exposition taking flight in February of 1983. Back then, tickets were only $5 for the three-day event, with 100 exhibits + about 5,000 attendees.
Today, for $50, you can attend all three days of the event along with over 40,000 attendees + experience more than 500 artists, exhibitors, + wildlife experts from around the world. (Or you can pay by day– $25 for Friday, Saturday + $15 for Sunday, kids 10 + under free).
So what do you need to know about the expo? What has changed over the years, + what can you expect if you happen to be a new attendee? We’ve got the breakdown.
By the Numbers
- Ticket Prices (General Admission three-day pass)
- 1983: $5
- 2018: $50
- Attendees
- 1983: 5,000
- 2017: 43,000
- Countries represented: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, + the United States
- All 50 states represented, with attendance from all states, except Idaho
- Exhibitions
- 1983:100
- 2018: 500+
- Economic Impact
- Regional: $50 million
- Local/State governments: $2.8 million net tax impact
Years of Note
1990: Live tiger in a fenced area of Marion Square 🐯
1995: Live tigers, lions, + bears in a fenced area of Marion Square 🐯 🦁 🐻 (Oh my! Sorry, not this year.)
1996: SEWE officially becomes a not for profit 501 c.3
2008: First year of DockDogs® at Brittlebank Park
The Crowd Pleasers
DockDogs® - the ‘World’s Premier Canine Aquatics Competition’ 🐶 💦 (Friday + Saturday 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Brittlebank Park)
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Broken into three categories: Big Air (long jump), Speed Retrieve (timed), + Extreme Vertical (high jump).
Current record holders:
Big Air: 25 feet– Doni, Yellow Labrador Retriever from James Island
Speed Retrieve: 4.694 seconds– Spitfire, Whippet from Olympia, WA
Extreme Vertical: 8 ft. 4 in.– Bo, Mixed Breed from Cape Coral, FL
Birds of Prey Flight Demos (Friday 11 a.m. + 3 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m., Sunday 1 p.m., Marion Square)
Watch raptors, including falcons, eagles, owls + hawks, take flight and learn about the important role they play in our ecosystem. 🦅
Jack Hanna (Friday 2 p.m. , Saturday 12:30 p.m. + 3:30 p.m., Gaillard Center)
A SEWE staple, whose last appearance was back in 2016, Jack Hanna brings a hand-on approach to wildlife conservation as “America’s favorite Zookeeper.”
What’s New?
Sheep + Duck Herding Demo (Friday + Saturday, 11 a.m. + 3 p.m. , Sunday 1 p.m., Brittlebank Park)
‘Bahh Ram Ewe” - Windy Knolls Farm owner and master trainer Bill Coburn will be showcasing his Border Collies’ herding + obstacle skills, all with only a whistle + a few verbal commands. 🦆
Jeff Foxworthy (Friday 4 p.m., Gaillard Center)
While you may know him from his “You might be a Redneck if…” stick, see another side of Jeff Foxworthy as he channels his talents to the arts. A Q&A session to delves into where Foxworthy gains inspiration + how his sketches take on life. You can also view his pieces in the SEWE Marketplace.
ACE - Award for Conservation Excellence
The inaugural event, held this past Wednesday at The Gaillard Center, works to recognize ‘the men and women who have dedicated their lives to conservation and the sustainability of the world’s remaining wild places and species.’ This year’s winners were coral reef ecologists + conservationists Dr. Tim McClanahan + Dr. Nyawira Muthiga. They have received a cash prize of $100,000, as well as $5,000 Cabela’s gift certificate.
2018 Featured Artist- Kathryn Mapes Turner
Inspired by the wild mustangs of her native Wyoming, Unbridled, depicts the freedom of the wild horses that live in the open spaces of the American West.
The painting is both the 36th Featured Painting and subject of the official 2018 SEWE poster. You can get a 22” x 29” unframed poster for $40.
See the full SEWE schedule here.
This weekend, get out there Charleston + be one with nature. And be sure to check out our Instagram stories + posts this weekend, for our glimpse into the wild.
-Nicole, Engagement Editor