SWU News:

September 27, 2004

Central prepares for Oct. 2 Heritage Festival

Central Heritage Festival committee members prepare for the event, coming Oct. 2 in downtown Central. Standing, from left, are Janelle Beamer, Floyd Cousins, Ralph Hayes, Lynn Martin and David Donald. Seated, from left, are Elizabeth Owens and Beverly Cureton. Click here for the Central Heritage Festival Poster

The Central Heritage Festival is a community-wide celebration for the young and the young at heart.

The all-day event will take place Oct. 2 in downtown Central, S.C., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival celebrates the rich history of the Central area and includes arts and crafts, food, a children’s play area, all-day entertainment, demonstrations and displays at the Central History Museum.

At the museum, featured demonstrations include a wood carver, a beef jerky maker, a bee keeper, a quilter, wooden bowl makers and more. Area churches will be selling baked goods and the museum will feature a model of downtown Central in the 1930s, as well as a display depicting the history of churches in the Central area. Museum tours are $2 for adults and $1 for children.

At the festival’s craft tables, festival-goers can shop for items such as Christmas decorations, magnets, floral arrangements, handbags, jewelry, teacarts, Tupperware, tote bags, art, Mary Kay cosmetics, plants and bird feeders. Food vendors will feature hot dogs, barbecue, funnel cakes, fried okra, ice cream, handmade lollipops, boiled peanuts, corn on the cob and more.

Entertainment throughout the day will include The Difference from Southern Wesleyan University, 3-N-1, Marlene Nations, the Drovers, Possum & The Good Time Gang, Davis Quinn, Foothills Bluegrass and Gospel, and many others. There will also be karate demonstrations and a clogging performance.

Another part of the all-day entertainment is the dunking booth, which will feature area elementary school administrators, local pastors, faculty of Southern Wesleyan University, Central Chief of Police Joe Gibbs, Central Town Councilman David Donald and Central Wal-Mart Manager Gene Jacobs. Each group or individual will be donating the proceeds from their time in the dunking booth to a charity. A $10 donation guarantees a dunk.

The festival will also have the Bloodmobile available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for those who wish to donate blood.

The date of the festival coincides with the Central Recreation Department’s Super Saturday Little League Football event. The festival provides additional entertainment and activities for the families that attend the football activities, as well as attracting festival-goers from throughout the region.

For details, call (864) 639-6381.