Experience Charleston’s First Flush Fes’tea’val: Live Music, Unlimited Tea, and Heritage

The Camellia sinensis plants will be rocking when The Avett Brothers take the stage during the 8th Annual First Flush Fes’tea’val at the Charleston Tea Plantation on Saturday, May 24, 2014. The day‑long musical festival features three stages and more than a dozen acts, all set against the 127‑acre plantation that hosts the only working tea factory in the United States.

The Charleston Tea Plantation produces a range of varieties, including the American Classic Tea, Charleston Breakfast, Governor Grey, Plantation Peach, Rockville Raspberry, and Island Green Tea. The term “first flush” refers to harvesting the fresh spring leaves—once a royal delicacy now celebrated by tea lovers worldwide.

Tea has long been a staple of Charleston culture, a tradition imported from England by early colonists. While the form has evolved—from formal china to mason jars filled with ice and a touch of sugar—the ritual remains deeply rooted in the region’s heritage.

Attendees of the Fes’tea’val will enjoy unlimited tea alongside the music, making it a perfect celebration of both the craft of tea and the spirit of community. {read more}