The 32nd Annual Spring Water Festival will be held this Friday and Saturday in Williamston’s Mineral Spring Park. Several special events are planned for this year. The Palmetto Marching Regiment will entertain prior to an opening ceremony which will be held at the Park’s Center (Gospel) Stage on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Following at 10 a.m. there will be a special dedication of a memorial plaque honoring Dr. Dwight Smith. The dedication will be held at the Mineral Spring.
At 11 a.m. Williamston Mayor Mack Durham and Councilmembers will hold a Tippin’ of the Cup at the Mineral Spring. The mayor will welcome guests and offer samples of mineral spring water.
The Piedmont Emergency Relief Center (PERC) will be accepting donations of food and money during the Spring Water Festival on Friday and Saturday.
As in the past the festival will feature an antique auto show, informative displays, live entertainment, children’s activities, amusement rides, displays, craft demonstrations, handmade crafts and great food selections from 14 vendors.
More than 40 crafter vendors from across the upstate and several from Georgia and North Carolina will offer unique, fun and specialty items. From Mason jar sippers and mail box covers to woodcrafts and jewelry, there is sure to be something of interest for most anyone.
Frank Morris of Anderson, a longtime festival favorite, will return with art prints and portraits and local artist Thomas Addison will offer his limited and signed prints and original artwork.
Joyce Robbins, of Forest City, NC will offer wooden frogs, pigs and owls along with turkey calls and marshmallow blow guns.
A glass blower, Patrick Winston of Atlanta, Ga will make items on site. Ross Norton and Lew Anne Pilgrim (also known as the Lollipop Lady) of Central will return with their handmade lollipops.
The festival will include a variety of entertainment including “Beach Music” with the Original Out-of-Towners on Friday night and Jazz/Contemporary and R&B with South Carolina’s “First Lady of Song” Loretta Holloway on Saturday.
Hendersonville singer/songwriter Tom Fisch will perform an acoustic set. His songs have been recorded by a number of artists, including the Oak Ridge Boys. Fisch will also be on the Children’s Stage performing traditional children’s favorites.
Saturday entertainment will include local favorites the Royal Scotsmen Band and Odyssey. Also appearing will be Blue Sky, a blues band from Powdersville and Pelzer teen Cameron Owens-Hunter (ChoirBoi Cam) who was named Gospel Music Recording artist of the year by the SC Music Awards show held recently in Greenville.
There will be an all day gospel showcase with 10 different groups and special children’s entertainment by Jack’s Drum Shack, K&M Dance, Chad Allen Fight Club, Tiger Paw Martial Arts and Buttons the Clown.
A new T-Shirt design in two popular colors. The shirt is available in blue or tangerine and features a Spring House logo. Runners can still enter the 5K Spring Water Run and the antique auto show. There will be drawings every hour for registered car show entrants with the opportunity to win $100 in cash each drawing and other specialty awards.
Related stories:
Loretta Holloway – An Anderson County Treasure
Spring Water Festival offers entertaiment, fun
Spring Water Festival to offer variety of music
Complete information on the festival is included in a special Program Tabloid in this week’s Journal.
