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The Great Ogeechee Music and Seafood Festival, a beloved event in Bryan County for the past 25 years, is cancelled for the upcoming year. The Richmond Hill Bryan County Chamber of Commerce (RHBCCH) announced a shift in focus toward business programs, reflecting the rapid growth in the area.

"We have decided to prioritize new initiatives over the festival in our 2025 Program of Work. Our primary objectives will be advocacy, connection, and fostering growth within our business community," said the Chamber of Commerce in a statement.

“We are disappointed to learn that the Bryan County Chamber of Commerce will not be hosting the Great Ogeechee Music & Seafood Festival this year. Nevertheless, we recognize their decision to realign with the Chamber's mission and fully support their commitment to developing a new program of work. The Chamber serves as the backbone of our local businesses, and we continue to support the Bryan County Chamber and its unwavering commitment to serving our business community,” said Mayor Russ Carpenter.

The festival, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last fall, will not take place this year. Plans for an alternate event are underway, and will be announced in the coming weeks, according to RHBCCH President and CEO Summer Beal.

Just down the road from the site of the seafood festival, JF Gregory Park, is Ricky Bodaford, owner of Bodaford Realty. While he expressed disappointment over the cancellation, he highlighted the festival's deep roots within Richmond Hill.

"The very first seafood festival may have even been at the Fisherman’s Co-Op. But this community has a deep tie to commercial fishing. A long, long history of the commercial fishing industry right here in Richmond Hill. And it, in many ways, celebrates that and harkens back to those days," said Bodaford.

Stay tuned to WJCL 22 as we learn new details on the replacement event happening in 2025.