The sun begins to peel away behind the trees and bonfires begin to illuminate the area. Soon the crackle of a bonfire is no longer the sound rippling through the audience’s ears. Instead, it is replaced by sounds of musicians playing their hearts out and attendees beginning to bond.

Tucked away off of Highway 17, behind The Sewee Outpost and through the forest, lies Awendaw’s hidden gem; the live music venue “Awendaw Green”. An outdoor area characterized by fire pits and string lights with an old barn as the stage to top it all off, Awendaw Green is the best place to spend a Wednesday night. Established in 2007 by Eddie White after what would be a spontaneous affair, Awendaw Green became something that White would have never imagined.

Although White was not a musician himself, he could not help but become engrossed in the magnificent world of music. When his son started a band in the fourth grade he had no choice but to begin to love music. He quickly became involved, trying his best to help put on concerts and eventually he purchased land in Awendaw, South Carolina.

After putting on a few shows at this new property, a spontaneous performance in a red barn would soon change his life.

“I ended up buying a piece of property in Awendaw with two other guys… and there was an artist that was going to have a show in the harbor at a party and he got rained out, and we had done a few small shows out at this new property in Awendaw, and I said, ‘Why don’t you come do a show up in Awendaw?’, White said.

That’s how it all started, after that one unprompted performance in a little red barn, the phenomenon that would be named “Wednesday Night Barn Jams” began. Barn Jams feature an array of original musicians hoping to gain some exposure; the Barn Jams also provide an escape from day-to-day life. Right in the middle of the work week on a Wednesday night, Awendaw green is a safe place to relax, enjoy local music, and eat delicious food.

While weekly Barn Jams provide that escape from life, at the heart of this venue is its sentimental purpose; the artists and the music, that is what it is all about. White strives to create a place where musicians, big or small, can do what they love: perform. That is what makes it special, the never-ending sentiment that original music deserves a space to prosper.

“We try to let everyone play and we have Grammy winners playing on the same stage as people who have never played before, and that’s the cool thing about it. It’s just a safe home for original music,” White said.

Awendaw Green captivates all sorts of people from all different walks of life. Whether people are avid listeners of music or not, or whether they’re just coming to find a safe haven, barn jams are for everyone, and that is what continues to charm attendees like junior Lauren Zallo, who very recently started going to Awendaw Green.

“It’s a really chill place, you just sit there and get some food and listen to music. It’s a good place to hangout with your friends,” Zallo said.

Awendaw Green is a place to hangout with old friends and develop new ones. It serves as an opportunity to listen to music and learn more about yourself and others. That is the best part about it, the community that is built from it.

“It brings people together and helps them find new interests,” Zallo said.

Similarly to Zallo, Diane Krishon, a science teacher who has been going to Awendaw Green for 18 years, agrees that it is what White is doing for the artists and because of the people she meets that entices her to keep showing up.

“The space that Eddie White has created is just like open and welcoming and you meet people that you never would have met, and you become friends with people that are attracted to that energy so it’s a really good mix of people, ” Krishon said.

White has developed Awendaw Green into a place where music can thrive but he has also taken great care into making it a place where you can create lasting friendship and bond with others of similar interests. The most important thing in life is the relationships created, and when a spot like Awendaw Green exists, it is easy to accomplish.

“It really feeds my soul is what I tell other people, it feeds my soul,” Krishon said.

Only time will tell what will become of Awendaw Green, but White hopes that it continues to be a place where people can come together and also allow it to be a place where musicians can shine.

“I think what I am going to focus on is… just to make sure that the artists, you now have an exceptional time and as importantly as all of it, just a memorable experience, kind of a transformative experience, for both the artists and the people out there,” White said. “I hope that there are people out there that one day wish they could perform, and maybe they see how it’s done here and it’s a stimulus to pick up the guitar and start playing.