Your typical fanfare, of course. Speeches, brass bands and lots of excitement leap off the steps of Charleston City Hall. Then all arts break loose. If you think Day 2 comes next, think again. But here are some of this year's highlights.
Fancy feet grace the festival as well.
The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago makes its festival debut. And international dance groups will include Bal Folcl rico da Bahia from Brazil and Compania Nacional de Danza from Spain. Words spotlight a humorous evening with satirist David Sedaris with David Rakoff. Music to the ears will be the many concerts. There's a musical collaboration between American composer Philip Blass and Foday Musa Suso, West African kora virtuoso, composer and Griot.