Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum’s new North Garden debuted last July as Savannah’s hot new outdoor venue for weddings, parties and plenty of live music. But 2013 means the expanded space is now on two of the hottest music tickets in town: Savannah Stopover and the Savannah Music Festival.
I recently checked in with museum director Tony Pizzo and events manager Michelle Riley to find out more about what’s in store for this beautiful space over the next 12 months.
DO: How have people reacted to the new North Garden and increased overall garden space?
Pizzo:“Very positively, as you might imagine. We want both Savannah residents as well as guests to make use of the garden regularly and are working to make it as welcoming as possible. ... The new North Garden is open to the public for free, seven days a week, as is our Scarbrough Garden. Together, they are by far the largest open-to-the-public private gardens in the historic district, and we’ve installed free WiFi access there as well. It’s a great place to read, work on your laptop, observe people or plant life or just contemplate.”
DO: Why are you so excited to host Savannah Stopover events again this year, but now in the North Garden?
Pizzo:“We applaud Savannah Stopover’s mission to bring interesting and innovative independent musicians to Savannah, which is also in line with our goal to highlight innovative and accomplished local musicians in our own concert series. We were thrilled when the opportunity arose to provide a venue for some Stopover concerts last year. Unfortunately, the large concert space in the North Garden, the Assembly Room, was not completed in time for Stopover as we all had planned, so the founder of Stopover, Kayne Lanahan, graciously did some fancy footwork with us and we were able to stage the concerts in the smaller Scarborough Garden. This year, however, the concert will take place as originally envisioned, in the acoustic magnificence of the Assembly Room. We’re eager to hear The Last Bison and other bands!”
DO: Why will Savannah Music Festival shows be special at the North Garden?
Pizzo:“An important element in the planning for the North Garden was to hopefully provide an additional venue for Savannah Music Festival performances. We met with Rob Gibson very early in the design process to get his input regarding what he wanted to see in a performance venue. They have booked nine days in the North Garden, adding to their overall roster — that’s quite a vote of confidence in the new garden! So far, some concerts involve two performances on the same day. We’ll be the location for the Zydeco, Cajun and Latin Dance Parties, which are earth-shaking events. ... I’m quite confident that this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
DO: Why is the North Garden such a great area for live music events?
Pizzo:“The full North Garden space is large and permits entry from MLK Boulevard through the North Garden proper before the concert, into the Assembly Room for the concert itself, and exiting into the rear parking lot. People can enjoy the pathways and the plantings in the North Garden before sitting down for the concert. It’s a very enjoyable decompression space. ... The architectural design occupancy for the Assembly Room is about 600 in unfixed seating, 340 at round tables, and the North Garden as a whole can safely hold 1,000 people.”
HIT THE GARDEN
41 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, shipsofthesea.org
GET TICKETS
Savannah Stopover: savannahstopover.com
Savannah Music Festival: savannahmusicfestival.org