The Belton Standpipe Festival will be held Saturday, October 6 from 10am to 10 pm.
Considered one of South Carolina’s premier events, the Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival takes place in the heart of Belton.
Featuring local and regional entertainers offering live onstage acts, unique arts and crafts from all over the USA, local food venues, and more, this festival is the longest continuously running fall festival in Anderson County.
This year’s festival is sponsored in part by the City of Belton, Waste Connections, Clinkscales Chevrolet, Anderson County, and Superior Engineering. Admission and parking are free.
Thursday and Friday, October 4 and 5 Education Days at Heritage Days at the Depot Over 2000 school children will enjoy interactive and hands-on instruction in the skills and artistry of our ancestors. School groups and homeschoolers will attend sessions from 8:45 – 2 PM each day.
Friday, Oct. 5 – Sunday, Oct. 7 SC Men’s Collegiate Championships (Belton Tennis Center, Leda Poore Park, BHP High School, 8 AM – 5 PM) — Collegiate men’s tennis stars from many state colleges will be hitting the courts early Saturday for the South Carolina Men’s Collegiate Invitational which officially begins on Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday. The tournament is being held in memory of Big Jim Russell, a longtime tennis volunteer and official for USTA and collegiate events. Players from Clemson, SC State, North Greenville, Winthrop, Newberry, USC, Wofford, Furman, The Citadel, Presbyterian, Anderson University, USC Sumter, and Lander will be competing. Sponsored by the Belton Tennis Association.
Some of the highlighted activities for Festival Day, Saturday, October 6 include:
Standpipe Festival 5K Run & 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk – Starting location is Belton First Baptist Church parking lot, Brown Ave. One Mile Fun Run/Walk begins at 8:00 am; 5K Meter Run begins at 8:30 am. $20 Entry fee, t-shirts, and prizes. For more information, contact Renea Rowland at 864-338-1600.
Open Car Show – (Belton Square, registration 8:30 AM – 12 PM, awards presentations at 3:00 PM) — Vintage and antique automobiles as well as newer models will be entered into competition for cash prizes and trophies. Overall winner and Top 20. $20 entry fee per vehicle. Cash prize raffle, door prize raffle, 50/50 raffle. Traditionally, over 100 cars participate each year in this renowned cruise in. Sponsored by Clinkscales Chevrolet.
Locomotive Tours: (Belton Depot, 10 AM – 2 PM)—All Aboard! Everyone is invited to hop on board a real locomotive. Pickens Railway personnel will be available to answer questions and hand out safety materials to patrons.
SC Men’s Collegiate Championships (Belton Tennis Center, Leda Poore Park, BHP High School, 8 AM – 5 PM) — Collegiate men’s tennis stars from many state colleges will be hitting the courts early Saturday. Come check out their amazing skills and talent on the courts.
Live Entertainment: (Main Stage, Belton Square, 10 AM – 7:00 PM) — Free to the public; various performances and demonstrations will take place throughout the day. Performers include the Belton Middle School Music IDEALS, the Honea Path Middle School Music IDEALS, the Beech Springs Praise Band, Adrienne Nicole, Wilson Banjo Company, and Tyler Jordan. Other presentations feature the Belton Rec Dancers and the Critter Keepers exotic animal show.
Belton Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival Juried Art Show and Market (Belton Center for the Arts, 10 AM – 3 PM) — Free to the public; come see contemporary art representing all mediums and styles created by artists from three states. In addition, patrons are able to browse artwork for sale which benefits the BCA.
BCA Children’s Art Activities: (Belton Center for the Arts, Belton Square, 10 AM – 3 PM) — Free to the public; youngsters can enjoy creating fun fall crafts.
Children’s Play Area: (Belton City Square, 10 AM – 10 PM) — Inflatable bounces and games, fee for armband which entitles children to unlimited access.
Mechanical Bull Riding: (Belton City Square, 10 AM – 10 PM)—For $8 you can try your skill at taming the bull. Fun for everyone, including the audience!
Pony Rides and Petting Zoo: (Library grounds, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM) — Led by trained horsemen of the EZ Horsemanship Club, adults and children ages 3 and up can take a wonderful horse/pony ride for a minimal fee; exotic and farm animals will be on hand to feed and touch, to the delight of children of all ages. All proceeds benefit The American Heart Association.
City of Belton Fire Truck Rides: (Belton Square, 1 PM – 8:00 PM) — $2 ticket for this fun ride; proceeds benefit the Fire Safety Education programs.
Museum Exhibit—Portraits: An Historical Lens (Historic Belton Train Depot, North End Gallery, 10 AM – 4 PM) — The exhibit features portraits from daguerreotypes to modern photography examples. Interesting stories and anecdotes are included about the people, both ordinary and famous, who appear in the portraits. Vintage and antique camera equipment is also on display. Interactive activities including a photo booth with historic clothing and accessories to wear, a selfie mosaic, and a mix and match facial collage make the exhibit fun for all ages. Sponsored by Spartan Photo Center, Anderson County, City of Belton HTAX, Walmart, and the Legacy of Anderson.
Heritage Days at the Depot: (Greenspace surrounding Historic Belton Train Depot, 9:30AM – 3:30 PM) — Free to the public, this Certified SC Arts and Agriculture Event celebrates our folk heritage through demonstrations and presentations by 15 traditional skills artisans and historical interpreters. Presenters include a Civil War soldier, a traditional wood crafter, a luthier, herbalists, a sweetgrass basket sewer, a Native American silversmith, a quilter, a Gullah story teller, a Native American foodways exhibitor, a paper maker, a leather crafter, a decoy carver, a Catawba storyteller, an indigo dyer, and a tatter/lacemaker. Sponsored by First Quality, Publix, City of Belton HTAX, WebbCraft Family Foundation, the SC Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, SC Humanities, Waste Connections, Anderson County, Foothills Community Foundation, Darby Metalworks, Inc., Commercial Bank, BestBuy, Anderson County ATAX, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds, KFC, and Hardees.
BAMA Antique Market and Showcase: (Belton Depot, 10 AM – 4 PM) — The public is invited to browse through and purchase antiques offered for sale by acclaimed collectors. Located in the center section of the historic Belton Train Depot, booths will be selling items including collectible curiosities, hand-made jewelry, affordable antique furniture, china, glassware, southern pottery, silver, and many other items that would appeal to a wide range of collectors.
