Art, crafts, microbrews, wine, Earth Day, kites and more are among the many things to enjoy in Sumter and towns close by

SUMTER COUNTY

The third Made in Sumter Craft Fair will be held at Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St., on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring local vendors with handmade merchandise, local food trucks and a CommUNITY Connect Space for nonprofits. Admission is free, and parking will be available in the field next to the museum on North Washington Street with a special handicap parking section inside the front gate. Parking attendants will help direct guests to a space. The Backcountry parking lot will be closed during the event.

The 14th-Annual Daffodil Arts and Craft Show, sponsored by K.A.T.S Special Kneads Small Animal Shelter, will be held April 6-7 at Fair Memorial and American Legion Building, 30 Artillery Drive. Shop from among dozens of local vendors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Children can take photos with the Easter Bunny starting Sunday at noon until 4 p.m. for $10 for digital copies by C&C Photography. There is free parking and free admission. If you bring three nonperishable food items for Sumter United Ministries, your name will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card. Supporting charities for the event are K.A.T.S, Toys for Tots and Cub Scouts Pack 339. Concessions will also be available at the show.

The Heart of Sumter Neighborhood Association returns for its annual Art in the Park outdoor art show on Saturday, April 20. Arts and craft vendors, live entertainment from Johnny Hilton, Family & Friends as well as food, drinks and free kid-friendly arts and crafts activities will be available throughout the day. Palmetto Optimist Club will also host its Reading in the Park and Book Drive the same day. Art in the Park will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sumter Memorial Park, 419 W. Hampton Ave. Visit HSNASumterSC.com for more information.

Celebrate the Earth with Dorr Farms' Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees can enjoy a garden tour, pet barnyard animals, play on the playground, have a picnic, decorate a beehive, learn about honeybees and flex your green thumb by planting your own veggies. The fun-filled day will take place at 5225 Dorr Acres Road in Gable.

If you're looking for a unique, free outdoor experience for kite beginners and experts, the Inaugural Kite Festival will soar high in the sky in April. Aside from mesmerizing kites, there will be various activities to enjoy, including kite-making workshops, indulging in delicious foods and listening to live music throughout the day. The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at Patriot Park, 380 General Drive, Field 6.

The 20th-annual Birdfest Music Festival will be held Friday-Saturday, May 3-4, at the South Carolina Waterfowl Association Education Center at 8444 Old River Road in Pinewood. The musical lineup will include Steep Canyon Rangers, Chatham County Line, Jon Stickley Trio, The Big Daddy Bluegrass Trio and much more. Visit birdfestmusic.com for more details and to purchase tickets.

Get ready for Sumter Microbrew's Hippie Fest on Friday, May 10. Palmetto Optimist Club will bring you peace, love and brews throughout downtown Sumter from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Follow Palmetto Optimist Club on Facebook for more information and ticket sales information.

Sumter County Ag + Art Tour - The free, self-guided tour of farms and markets features local artisans at every stop and will take place Saturday-Sunday, May 11-12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Six stops will be on the tour, taking attendees to a farmers market, a farm store, a boutique and, of course, farms. For a list of locations, visit agandarttour.com/sumter.

The famous three-day Iris Festival surrounding the blooming of the irises at Swan Lake Iris Gardens will include concerts, arts and crafts, plants and flowers, antique and classic car shows, various contests and many children's activities. The festival will be held Thursday-Sunday, May 23-26, at Swan Lake Iris Gardens, 822 W. Liberty St.

The legacy of African American cowboys and frontiersmen will be celebrated at the annual Black Cowboy Festival and Rodeo. Education, recreation and cultural appreciation can be expected throughout the three-day affair. The festival will be held Thursday-Sunday, May 23-26, at Greenfield Farms, 4585 Spencer Road in Rembert.

CLARENDON COUNTY

Clarendon Club will host an Easter Egg Hunt at 1219 Dingle Pond Road, Summerton, on Saturday, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is $5, and the event will include food trucks, live entertainment and local vendors. Call (803) 478-2010 for more information.

Get comfortable with new car technology by taking the free AARP Smart DriverTek course to become familiar with all the latest car tech features. This 90-minute course is followed by the AARP free CarFit program to improve your safety and comfort and reduce your risk of injury during a crash by making the proper adjustments to ensure your car "fits" you properly. You do not have to be an AARP member to attend the classes on Saturday, April 20, at Southern Methodist Church of Summerton, 1107 Felton Road. Please call (830) 308-9241 for information and registration.

Clarendon County Striped Bass Festival returns for its 43rd year on Friday-Saturday, April 26-27, from a Friday night out at a downtown concert to Super Saturday, which kicks off with the Striped Bass Festival Parade at 10 a.m. Vendors, car and art shows and food trucks will be on site for the whole family to enjoy. The two-day festival will begin Friday at 6 p.m. in downtown Manning.

Germany's Great Bavarian Circus makes its Columbia debut at the S.C. State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, April 5-21. Tickets are on sale now at https://bavariancircus.com/city/columbia-sc/ for this extravaganza that melds the essence of Oktoberfest with the allure of the circus. Producers and brothers Benjamin and David Spindler, the ninth generation of one of Germany's most illustrious circus dynasties, infuse the show with authentic details from their home country. Visit bavariancircus.com for more information and the show schedule.

Designed to showcase the Midlands' growing culinary scene, the food-filled Columbia Food and Wine Festival includes 26 events presented by 150 culinary partners. The event will be held Wednesday-Friday, April 24-26. For locations and tickets, visit columbiafoodandwinefestival.com.

The Lower Richland Sweet Potato Festival is designed to bring family and friends together through live bands, arts and crafts, games, carnival rides, praise dances, a parade and more. The event will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, at 6940 Lower Richland Blvd., Hopkins.

FLORENCE COUNTY

Get ready to indulge at Florence Food Truck Festival from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 12, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, in the parking lot of Florence Center, 3300 W. Radio Drive, Florence. Enjoy tasty foods, craft brews, domestic beers, live entertainment and more. Visit www.florencecenter.com/events/2024/florence-food-truck-festival.

ArtFields, Lake City's epic nine-day Southern art festival, returns Friday-Saturday, April 26-May 4, with live concerts, celebrated chefs, artist workshops, a farmers market, crafts, dancing and more. The South's most engaging art competition and festival will feature artists from 12 Southeastern states with 400-plus works, all competing for $140,000 in cash prizes. General admission is free, and special event tickets are sold separately. For more information, visit artfieldssc.org.

Take a stroll through downtown Hartsville and support local art and shops while enjoying a sip of your favorite wine during the Spring Art and Wine Stroll. Tickets can be purchased by visiting hartsvillemuseum.org. The event will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 26.

ORANGEBURG COUNTY

Orangeburg's annual Festival of Roses returns, marking the arrival of spring. The event will take place Saturday-Sunday, May 4-5, at Edisto Memorial Gardens, 200 Riverside Drive, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. This free event features vendors from across the Southeast, food trucks and family friendly events of all kinds - from musical performances to bingo. For additional information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2vrkwjb9.