Interpreter portraying Benjamin Franklin to appear at multiple Beaufort County events June 30–July 1

A historical interpreter performing as Benjamin Franklin will appear at public and invitation-only events across Beaufort County and Hilton Head Island on Tuesday, June 30, and Wednesday, July 1, organizers said.

Kevin Libby, host of the Beaufort County news headlines on BCTV, listed a series of appearances including a 10:30 a.m. "Brunch with Ben" at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton campus (ticketed at $40), a 3:00 p.m. free conversation at the Bluffton Branch Library, an afternoon family program at the Heyward House Museum, and multiple Hilton Head Island stops on Tuesday. On Wednesday the schedule includes an 8:00 a.m. invitation-only Beaufort Breakfast Club appearance at Blackstone's Cafe, a 10:00 a.m. free presentation at the Beaufort Branch Library, a 2:00 p.m. Liberty Oak dedication at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, a 4:00 p.m. performance at the USC Beaufort Center for the Performing Arts, and a 6:15 p.m. ticketed conversation at Saint Helena Anglican Church with local historians Dr. John McCardell and Dr. Larry Rowland.

The events are presented as part of Beaufort County’s 250th anniversary programming. The host said some appearances are invitation-only while several library and park events are free to the public; ticketed appearances list prices of $30 or $40 depending on the venue. The segment also noted a $10 Harbour Town gate fee for a 9:00 a.m. "donuts at the Liberty Oak Tree" meet-and-greet on Hilton Head Island that organizers described as allowing a vehicle to attend the complimentary event.

Greg Robbins Smith is identified in the segment as the performer who will portray Franklin in first-person Chautauqua-style programs that mix historical scholarship, storytelling and audience interaction. The Wednesday waterfront ceremony will include the planting of a scion of the historic Liberty Tree in partnership with the city of Beaufort, the Historic Beaufort Foundation and the Beaufort County 250 Committee, and is described as free and open to all.

For the full schedule and RSVP details, the segment directed viewers to Beaufort250.com/ben-franklin. The broadcast closed with a signoff from Kevin Libby and an invitation to like and subscribe to BCTV's YouTube channel.