Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., who helped establish the internationally known Spoleto Festival USA in South Carolina nearly four decades ago, took a final bow Friday as he opened his last festival.<\/p>\n
It was Riley who helped persuade the late composer Gian Carlo Menotti to establish the performing arts festival in Charleston as a companion to the composer\u2019s Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.<\/p>\n
Riley has opened every festival now for 39 years. Friday\u2019s was his last because Riley, who has served as mayor longer than anyone else in Charleston\u2019s 345-year history, retires at the end of the year. This year\u2019s festival continues through June 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is nothing like the Spoleto Festival USA in the world, and for everyone who participates, when the festival is over, they are changed,\u201d\u009d Riley told the hundreds gathered in front of Charleston City Hal<\/p>\n