Port Wentworth Today, July 2026: Anchor Park Update, the VyStar Pavilion’s First Event and Habitat for Humanity
The VyStar Pavilion is almost ready, its very first event is on the calendar, and downtown Port Wentworth is growing in more ways than one.
In the July 2026 episode of Port Wentworth Today, hosts Lorallye Robertson and Dora Jenkins head out to Anchor Park for a progress update, announce the first event ever booked at the pavilion, check in on the downtown community garden and sit down with Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity about a project that could change lives downtown.
Anchor Park and the VyStar Pavilion Take Shape
We start where we always start, out at Anchor Park, and there is real progress to show. The seating is in at the VyStar Pavilion and the electrical work is in place.
Oak View Group, the team that manages the venue, hosted a walkthrough of the pavilion, and Port Wentworth Today was there. Standing inside the amphitheater, you start to feel the scale of what is coming to the city. We will keep documenting every step until the ribbon is cut.
The First Event at the VyStar Pavilion
Here is the moment the city has been waiting for. On Saturday, August 1, the Sunset Jazz Festival at Savannah becomes the very first event ever held at the VyStar Pavilion.
The lineup is stacked: Brian Culbertson, Will Downing, Norman Brown and Avery Sunshine. It is the first time the community gets to gather in this brand new space, and it is a chance to be part of Port Wentworth history.
July With the Recreation Department
You do not have to wait until August to get out, because the Port Wentworth Recreation Department has a full lineup all month long. The team stopped by to walk us through it.
- Summer Sports Series, all of July. Games and activities for kids all month.
- Skate Night, Friday, July 24. A back to school luau, so wear your Hawaiian outfits. Admission is $5. Details on the Skate Night event page.
Registration for Recreation programs is open now at PortWentworthToday.com.
The Downtown Community Garden Is Thriving
Downtown, the community garden is full this season. The beds are growing okra, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers and even Thai chili, with word that fruit trees may be on the way.
There is a full herb garden with basil and thyme, plus rows of sunflowers and native flowers to bring in pollinators. It started as a promise to the community, and now neighbors are building it together. Want to get your hands in the soil? Reach out through PortWentworthToday.com and we will connect you.
Habitat for Humanity Brings Homeownership Downtown
While we were downtown, we sat down with the CEO of Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity to talk about a partnership between the City of Port Wentworth, Chatham County and Habitat for Humanity.
The plan looks at using 10 acres in downtown Port Wentworth for affordable homeownership, for residents of Port Wentworth and the greater Savannah area. With the Georgia Ports Authority, the Hyundai plant and the warehouses around the city, a lot of people work here and drive in. Homes close to those jobs matter.
As he put it, Habitat for Humanity is a hand up, not a handout. Homes are not given away. Families buy them with a mortgage. More neighbors downtown also means more reasons for a grocery store and a pharmacy to come back to that side of the city.
Watch the Full Episode
Every story above is in the July episode below. Missed the premiere? Start with Episode 1 from June. To see how the pavilion’s opening turned out, watch the August episode and the September episode.
For more things to do around town, see every upcoming event at livelikelocals.tv/events. See you out and about in Port Wentworth.
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