Things to do across the Midlands: Grab a slider at Palmetto Optimist Club's Burger Cookoff, a beer at fest in Lake City or join Power Comicon in Florence, all on Sept. 14

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SUMTER COUNTY

The Palmetto Optimist Club's Burger Cookoff event returns to downtown Sumter's Rotary Plaza on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 2 to 7 p.m. for the third year to help raise money for families battling childhood cancer. All money will help support Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas, with the money raised going to children in Sumter and Clarendon battling cancer. Burgers are slider size and will cost three tickets each. Tickets may also be used to purchase Optimist fries, soft drinks, water and cotton candy. Beer and wine for cash sale will be available. This is a rain or shine event. No refunds. Burgers available while supplies last. Visit www.palmettooptimistclub.com/s-projects-basic.

Women in Sumter are invited to join Dr. Geraldine Mack on Saturday, Sept. 14, for a Teatime Table Talk Tea Party to build relationships and learn from each other. Check-in time is 10:30 to 11 a.m., and the event starts at 11 a.m. at Mack's Manor, 3 Lewis Circle, Sumter, going until 3 p.m. You're encouraged to wear comfortable tea party attire for the outdoors, including a fascinator, big hat or unique, decorated hat and comfortable flat shoes. The event is free, but seating is limited, so reserve your spot at https://tinyurl.com/3mhwt2sz.

The Sumter High Steppers Annual Trail Ride is coming up on Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 12-14 at Greenfield Farms, 4585 Spencer Road, Rembert. Gates open at noon, and admission is $10 per day. There will be RV hookups available. Friday includes a fish fry from 6 to 8 p.m. and a night ATV ride, and on Saturday, there will be a trail ride at 10 a.m., barrel racing, pole bending, a bloomer race, hayrides, kids' games and more. DJ D Reese will also be there, along with emcee Big Clint and DJ Not Not Bang Bang and Honey & the New Era Band.

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.

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.

CLARENDON COUNTY

Add the End of Summer concert to your calendar for Thursday, Sept. 12. The downtown Manning concert organized by the City of Manning will start at 6:30 p.m. on Brooks Street between Rigby and Boyce streets. Food trucks will be on hand serving a variety of delicious street fare. Email ctrebil@cityofmanning.org or call (803) 435-8477 for more information.

Veterans, active-duty service members, first responders and their families are invited to the Heroes on the Water Catfish Craze at the Borrow Pit to kayak and fish and enjoy the outdoors to help with their healing journeys, part of the Lowcountry Heroes on the Water group's events. "We understand that every healing journey is unique, and our goal is to make every experience as comfortable as possible," according to the group. The event is on Saturday, Sept. 14. Everyone will be paired with a HOW volunteer, and the day starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. at Borrow Pit Launch, 13668 S.C. 260, Manning. Learn more about the event at https://tinyurl.com/ys7pj8cf.

Grab your fishing gear and get ready to hit the tournaments out of John C. Land III Landing, 4404 Greenall Road, Summerton.

In September: 9/12-9/14 - Major League Fishing Toyota Series; 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.)

In October: 10/5 - South Carolina High School Bass Challenge with weigh-in at 2 p.m.; 10/10-10/12 - Major League Fishing BFL Regional Championship with weigh-ins at 3 p.m.; 10/18-10-19 - Fishers of Men District 3 with weigh-ins at 3 p.m.; 10/26 - ABA Couples Championship; 10/26 - Carolina Anglers Team Trail

In November: 11/6-11/8 - Hobie Bass Open Series Tournament of Champions; 11/9 - Carolina Anglers Team Trail; 11/16 - Dynamic Marine Bass Trail; and 11/23 - Carolina Anglers Team Trail

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.

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. Enjoy rides, games, exhibits, grandstand entertainment and stages with a variety of acts such as comedy, bands, dancers, local entertainment and entertainment from schools across the state. 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. 15 - David Rodriguez and the Latin Hustle, co-presented with Palmetto Luna Arts; 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.

LAKE CITY

Travel to breweries across the Southeast by just visiting Moore Farms Botanical Garden's scenic grounds during the 10th-annual MFBG Beer Fest from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. More than 20 local and regional craft breweries will be represented, offering a variety of beers and ciders. There will be local eats and live music also. The garden is at 100 New Zion Road, Lake City (off U.S. 378, just 4 miles from downtown Lake City.) For additional information, visit https://tinyurl.com/wnytwd58.

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.