Things to do across the Midlands: Don't miss the Multicultural Festival in downtown Sumter on Friday, then check out the Jubilee celebration on Saturday in Columbia
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SUMTER COUNTY
See Terence Lonon and Jim Quick and Coastline on Friday, Sept. 20, during the Multicultural Festival downtown. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the concert beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the grounds of Patriot Hall, 135 Haynsworth St. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the music. Food trucks will be on site. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children, available at Patriot Hall, (803) 436-2260.
Summer is coming to a close, and with it is the final concert for the Fourth Fridays summer series on Friday, Sept. 27, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Too Much Sylvia is on the schedule to perform. There will be ample food and drinks available for sale. Food truck vendors include Lisa Ann's Kitchen, Rollin in Da Dough, Bessie's Bites & Sweet Delights and SO Cool Italian Icee. Sertoma will also have plenty of cold brews for sale, and Palmetto Optimist Club will be back with free books for kids as well as popcorn for sale. If you're looking for more good eats, downtown restaurants will be open for dine in and take out. No coolers allowed. The music will be at Sumter County Courthouse, 141 N. Main St.
Cruise In to Breakfast on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 8 to 11 a.m. at Sumter Cut Rate Drug Store and Coffee. According to the restaurant, the fountain is going to open back up on Saturdays and starts with a cruise in and traditional breakfast favorites. The employee lot on the side of the building will be for classic cars, or you can park on Main Street in front of the store. In October, the restaurant is holding 13th Annual Sumter Original Brewery Caffeine & Gasoline by Charlie Fossett Realtor in Sumter on Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. Don't miss the fall events at Sumter's classic soda fountain.
Love to play golf with your other half? You're in luck with the Couples 9 & Dine at Carolina Lakes Golf Course on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. on Shaw Air Force Base. Enjoy a round of nine holes on the golf course with a special in-round game for a fun twist, followed by a meal and drinks. Come out to meet new couples and maybe a new golf partner. The event is $60 per couple. If you miss it, don't worry - it'll come back around next month on Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. Get your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/5eu6v42j.
Food truck lovers, your ideal weekend arrives Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6, when the Foodees Food and Culture Festival sets up at the American Legion Fairgrounds. A flyer for the event promises that it's "the Southeast's number one touring food truck festival," so don't miss it. There will be more than 60 food trucks and dozens of artisans and crafters for these three days of community fun. Admission is free. Hours will be: Friday, 1 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Need a good laugh? Get your tickets for the Saturday, Nov. 9, night of laughter with Texas native William Lee Martin, hailed as the "King of Cowtown." Martin's career spans over 27 years in the world of stand-up comedy. His one-of-a-kind humor captivates audiences through heartwarming family centered tales and uplifting spirits, particularly during life's toughest moments. Known for his down-home charm and laugh-out-loud stories, Cowboy Bill delivers humor that resonates with folks who appreciate the simple joys of Southern living. With a style that's as warm and welcoming as our own Sumter hospitality, Martin will take you on a comedic journey, venturing deep into Texan culture and touching upon vibrant themes such as Tejano music and the iconic figure, Selena. Martin has two Amazon Prime comedy specials and over 10+million likes on TikTok. Get your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/43vjdtun.
Porches of Sumter, hosted by Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce and presented by FTC and Tandem Health, returns Thursday, Oct. 3, blending mouthwatering local cuisine, live music and a vibrant community vibe, all happening in the heart of Sumter's historic district. Stroll through the heart of Sumter, enjoying delicious samples from local chefs, caterers and culinary artisans who will feature savory bites and sweet treats - a menu that has something for everyone. Porches of Sumter will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on West Calhoun Street. To purchase tickets, visit sumterchamber.com/porchesofsumter2024.
Kids and their families can have a blast learning about local careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and math through the annual eSTEAM Festival in downtown Sumter on Saturday, Oct. 5. The free family fun all starts with a parade at 10 a.m., followed by mobile STEM exhibits, new exhibitors, stage shows and more near the Hyatt downtown.
Meet farm animals and choose your fall pumpkins at the 15th-annual Old McCaskill Farm Fall Family Farm Day on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit a working farm and this year enjoy new activities at the event. There will be a corn pool, pumpkin patch, hayrides, hay maze, games, barrel train, horseback rides, bluegrass music, farm animals, inflatables, working sawmill and gristmill, woodworking and blacksmith demonstrations, sugar cane mill, Labrador retriever demonstrations, ag simulator and more. Tickets can be bought for activities. Each ticket is $1 or 50 tickets for $40. Hayrides (3), horseback rides (5) and barrel train (3) will be taking tickets, but there is more to do and see for free. Pumpkins and concessions are all a separate fee. No pets, coolers or picnics. The farm recommends bringing a chair and cash. Admission is $8 per person, and children under 2 are free.
Find your lederhosen, braid your hair and then get your beer and pretzels at Sumter's annual Oktoberfest on Main on Oct. 12 at Sumter Original Brewery, 2 S. Main St. in downtown Sumter. According to the event website, this is Sumter's largest street party of the year, and it's the biggest fundraiser for Sumter United Ministries, so come out for a great local cause. Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door, and kids get in for free. The event starts at 5 p.m. with German music playing on Main Street until 8:30 p.m. DJ Howie D's Entertainment DJs will continue the party in La Piazza. Get your tickets now at https://tinyurl.com/yyrwt34a.
The 20th anniversary of the Fall Feast presented by FTC is this year on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. All proceeds go to Sumter Green each year, which beautifies areas across Sumter. Adults only are invited, 18 and up, and there will be live music by HeyBo and special guest Tom Mullikin of the SC7 Expedition. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Buy yours at www.sumteroperahouse.com/the-fall-feast. Enjoy some great food from local chefs for a great cause.
CLARENDON COUNTY
Grab your fishing gear and get ready to hit the tournaments out of John C. Land III Landing, 4404 Greenall Road, Summerton.
In September: 9/21 - ABA Couples SC Division; 09/28, Fall Open Team Bass Tournament (Compete for a $5,000 first-place prize as part of the annual Duckfest events leading up to the festival. Entry fee is $170, which includes Big Fish. There will be a $25 optional side pot at the ramp, and there is a $25 late fee if you sign up after Sept. 20.)
Stroll Main Street Manning during Arts Walk from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3. Attendees will be able to enjoy art featuring an array of different mediums while strolling through downtown businesses. Main Street Manning is also looking for both artists and businesses to participate in this event. Musicians, dancers, painters, sculptors, fiber artists, poets and other artists are invited to be part of the festivities. If you're interested, contact Carrie Trebil at (803) 433-5132 or email her at ctrebil@cityofmanning.org.
Clarendon County Fire Rescue's annual Community Safety Day will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at J.C. Britton Park, 3057 Raccoon Road, Manning. The free event will include "Trunk or Treat," food, candy and lots of other fun activities. Children can even wear their costumes. Fire trucks, ambulances, a medical helicopter, law enforcement vehicles, tractors and more cool stuff will be there.
The 10th-annual Duckfest will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, throughout downtown Summerton with many events held in the weeks and days leading up to the main day. The Duckfest Fall Open Team Bass Tournament will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, at John C. Land III Landing. The Miss Duckfest pageant will be held on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Weldon Auditorium. On Saturday, Nov. 2, dozens of events will be held throughout downtown Summerton, including a cornhole tournament, dog retrieving demonstration, Duckfest Cook-Off, car show, Clarendon County Fire Rescue demonstration, lots of delicious food and many more games and fun activities. For more information or if you'd like to become a vendor, log onto duckfestfun.com or email duckfestfun@gmail.com.
COLUMBIA AREA
Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture, presented by Ambetter from Absolute Total Care and hosted by Historic Columbia, will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Mann-Simons Site, 1403 Richland St., Columbia. Jubilee is a celebration everyone can enjoy and features live music and entertainment, artist demonstrations and marketplace vendors selling a variety of wares, products and art. There will also be vendors selling food, non-alcoholic beverages, and beer and wine. The Kids Zone will be available with educational and family friendly activities, presented in partnership with the Columbia (SC) Chapter of the Links, Inc. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/5yzzxmaw.
The Irmo Okra Strut 50th Celebration will be held Friday-Saturday, Sept. 27-29, at Moore Park (formerly Irmo Community Park), 7473 Church St., Irmo. Festivities include more than 100 arts and crafts exhibitors, Okryland's kids' area, okra-eating and -growing contests, and a full day of musical entertainment. For additional information, visit https://okrastrut.com/ or call (803) 781-7050
The Palmetto Peanut Boil, now in its 16th year, will highlight the best-of-the-best cooks and recipes in South Carolina. The competition features teams vying for the honor of the championship trophy and bragging rights for another year. Along with the competition, there is live music, food and kids' entertainment. This year's event will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, from noon to 6 p.m., in the 2900 block of Devine Street in Columbia. Admission is free, and all proceeds from the sale of food and beverages benefit Animal Mission. For additional information, visit https://animalmission.org/palmettopeanutboil.php.
Ready to pull out those fall colors? Get ready at the Midlands Fall Plant and Flower Festival Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6, at the South Carolina State Farmers Market's Fall Plant and Flower Festival, 3483 Charleston Highway, West Columbia. Visitors can shop for fall plants and flowers, pumpkins, and an array of home, yard and garden décor and crafts from a variety of vendors. The market also has plenty of Certified SC Grown fall produce. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions regarding fall planting. Admission and parking are free. Wagons will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, but visitors are encouraged to bring their own due to a limited quantity. For more information about the Fall Plant and Flower Festival and the South Carolina State Farmers Market, contact Market Manager Brad Boozer at bboozer@scda.sc.gov or (803) 737-4664, or visit scstatefarmersmarket.com. Find the market on Facebook at @SCFarmersMarket.
The 12-day run of the South Carolina State Fair will be Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 20, at the S.C. State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Drive, Columbia. The fair will include live performances, racing pigs, free daily Circus at the Fair, thrilling rides, mouth-watering foods and three new attractions: the South Carolina Grown Marketplace, the 46 Reasons to Celebrate South Carolina exhibit and the Rocket Plaza. In the South Carolina Grown Marketplace, located in Rosewoods Ballroom, attendees can explore an array of handcrafted goods, farm-fresh produce and unique treasures, all created, grown or made in South Carolina.
The nostalgic rocket at the north gate now incorporates the Rocket Plaza, a new, go-to destination. This area will be packed with entertainment acts and plenty of spots to grab a bite to eat or refuel and relax. The 46 Reasons to Celebrate South Carolina exhibit in the Ruff Building will uncover the rich history, vibrant culture and natural beauty of every corner of the Palmetto State through displays dedicated to each of the 46 counties of South Carolina. Along with the opportunity to learn something new, fairgoers will have the chance to mark their county on a giant map of South Carolina. Special guests and entertainers will be scheduled to visit throughout the fair. The exhibit is included with fair admission.
Discount admission and ride tickets are officially on sale for the 155th South Carolina State Fair. Purchasing tickets in advance, now through Tuesday, Oct. 8, can save fairgoers up to 50% at a participating Circle K location or at SCStateFair.org. Discount admission tickets, now through Oct. 8, are $10 per person ($15-$20 during the fair) and discount ride vouchers are $32 per person ($40-$42 during the fair). Exchange a ride voucher for a Pay-One-Price (POP) wristband to enjoy unlimited rides or for 90 ride tickets on a reloadable card. The POP wristband or the tickets on the reloadable card are good for all rides any day of the fair, including weekends. For additional information, visit www.scstatefair.org or call (803) 799-3387.
Koger Center has brought back "Live Outside," a live free outdoor concert series at 5 p.m. Sundays at the Koger Center Plaza State in Columbia. The season is as follows: Sept. 22 - CammWess with an opening act by Death Ray Robin; Sept. 29 - Bones Hamilton with an opening act by Stress Fractures, co-presented with WUSC-FM; Oct. 6 - The Cool Table, co-presented with Black Nerd Mafia; and Oct. 13 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Each concert will have a local food truck on site. All of the concerts are free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to use on the Koger Center lawn in front of the Plaza Stage, 1051 Greene St. More information can be found about the season and other "Koger Center Presents" programming at KogerCenterForTheArts.com.
ORANGEBURG
Fall is almost here, and with it comes the fair. Join the Orangeburg County Fair at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds Tuesday-Sunday, Oct. 1-6. The fair will include carnival rides, a midway with games and food, crafts, livestock competitions, shows and live music. For information, visit https://www.orangeburgfair.com or call (803) 534-0358.
FLORENCE COUNTY
Love all things comics? Put the Power Comicon on your calendar for Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Florence Center, 3300 W. Radio Drive, Florence. The center will be packed with comics and collectibles, comic artists, writers and other comic-related guests. There will also be toys, art, statues, costumes and pop culture memorabilia for everyone. And don't miss the cosplay contest with more than $1,000 in cash and prizes. Tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the event.
The Reichenbach Ford Classic car, truck and bike show is headed to 600 N. Coit St. in Florence on Saturday, Sept. 21, with registration from 9 a.m. to noon for $25. There will be a 50/50 drawing, music, 50 trophies awarded, sponsor's choice award and two kids' awards. Trophies will be awarded for the top two in each class by 4 p.m. Club cars will not be judged - display only.
Find your fall mums and decorations at the Fall Plant and Flower Festival on Oct. 11-13 at Pee Dee State Farmers Market, 2513 W. Lucas St., Florence. You'll be able to choose from among seasonal plants, flowers, decor and more. This event is free and open to the public. The market will also have seasonal produce and a large selection of pumpkins, and food vendors will be there. Master Gardeners can answer questions about fall planting. Times are Friday, Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 12, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy live music while chowing down on some on wings and chili from local competitors at the Kickin' Chicken Wing and Chili Festival from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, in the 100 block of Dargan Street in downtown Florence. Craft and domestic beer selections will be available. For additional information, visit https://tinyurl.com/bp6vc3he, or call (843) 665-0515.
LAKE CITY
The 2nd annual Crossroads Music & Market, hosted by the Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the City of Lake City and the Darla Moore Foundation, returns on Saturday, Sept. 21, in downtown Lake City. Bigger and better than ever, the event will feature three live bands on Village Green, a vendor market, food trucks, dance performances in The Bean Market, kids activities and much more. Visit http://www.lakecitysc.org/crossroads-music-and-market.
KERSHAW COUNTY
Interested in pirate tales? There will be a special edition Folklore and Legends Lantern Tour which will highlight some of the infamous pirates who visited South Carolina's shores on Thursday, Sept. 19, with some possible pirate sightings during the tour. The tour will end at MaCaa's Tavern, with complementary grog for all (alcohol and non-alcohol versions available). Tickets in advance are $12 or $15 on the day of the tour through Historic Camden Foundation. Buy them at https://tinyurl.com/36h667j6. The tour starts at 222 Broad St., Camden, at 7:30 p.m. and lasts one hour and 30 minutes.
For even more pirate-related shenanigans, check out Eventide - Party with the Pirates the next day, on Friday, Sept. 20. Also hosted by Historic Camden Foundation, the 7 to 11 p.m. adults-only event includes pirate shanties, a costume contest, snacks and a cash bar with colonial cocktails for those 21 and up at 222 Broad St., Camden. Get your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/2p9uyupd.
Put the Camden Horse and Hound weekend-long event on your calendar for Oct. 18-20. This third edition of the event will be hosted in partnership by The Camden Hunt and Hickory Top Farm. On that Friday, Oct. 18, attend a cocktail party at the Bloomsbury, then watch the Charity Polo Cup on Saturday, which will benefit Hickory Top Farm's therapeutic horsemanship programs. On Sunday, there will be food trucks, vendors, and family fun at the Horse and Hound Expo. For more information, email therealcamdenhunt@gmail.com or visit https://camdenhorseandhound.com. The event is at Camden Polo Field, 609 Polo Lane, Camden.
UPSTATE
The South Carolina Bigfoot Festival is returning to Westminster on Oct. 11-12. Since 2019, thousands of people descend on this small town during the month of October to celebrate and learn about the most well know mysterious creature in the world - Bigfoot! People from all over the United States have come to the festival since 2019 and many have returned every year. Whether or not you believe in the Big Fella, you will have fun listening to expert Bigfoot researchers, tapping your feet to live music, participating in or watching the multiple contests, or perusing the many vendors up and down Main Street Westminster. Vendors may apply to participate by going to www.scbigfootfestival.com or emailing scbigfootfestival@hotmail.com.