Spring Water Festival returns August 27 & 28

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The 40th Annual Spring Water Festival will be held August 27 & 28 in Williamston’s Mineral Spring Park.
The event celebrates the founding of the town that was once a popular tourist destination, with the state’s largest hotel, drawing people from across the state to enjoy the benefits of a mineral spring which reportedly had medicinal qualities. The spring around which the town was built still flows, offering visitors a cool, refreshing drink of spring water in Mineral Spring Park, one of the oldest public parks in the country.

The two day festival, after taking a year off during COVID, will feature free kids activities, amusement rides, more than 70 business and craft vendors, antique and classic auto show, live music and other special attractions.

The festival features a variety of performers on the Park’s Center Stage and the Amphitheater Stage.

The 2021 Spring Water Festival will kick off on Friday evening with live music by Blue Sky Blues Band and the Carolina Coast Band. Ten special selected food vendors will offer a variety of delicious festival food items and specialties.

On Saturday, activities will begin with an Opening Ceremony at 9:15 a.m. Music lovers are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy a day of music and other activities.

Slated to perform are Easton Gowan, Andrew Crawford, Marvin King, Odyssey Band and Show and the Brooks Dixon Band.

New this year will be a Golf Cart parade. ABC Amusements will bring a variety of new rides. Alive Wesleyan Church will provide an expanded area of free children’s games and activities. Guthrie Grove Church will return with a puppet show, games and other activities for children.

Bob Seymore of Atlanta will bring the fantastic world of STATUARY back to Williamston depicting the town’s founder West Allen Williams.

Vendors from the Upstate and surrounding states will join local vendors to display and sell handmade items in the craft area while local and regional businesses and non-profits will provide information in the display section along the sidewalk.

The festival will again feature one of the upstate’s largest antique and classic auto shows. There will be awards in a number of categories.

The Williamston Fire Department organizes the car show which features more than 100 vehicles and they will offer rides on the restored 1936 firetruck, a festival favorite.

Hours for the festival this year will be 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday followed by an After-Party from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Beer and wine will be available during the evening hours on both days of the festival.

The Spring Water Festival was organized in 1981 as a funding source for the town’s winter holiday attraction, the Christmas Park in December. Parking and admission is free. Additional details and entertainment schedules will be published in a Special Program Tabloid August 25 and posted on the festival website at www.springwaterfestival.com.