Page 96 - Florence County, SC Florence County 2032: Connecting Our Past, Defining Our Future

Existing County | Cultural Resources

Average Attendance at Annual

50,000+
South Carolina Pecan Festival

Visitors come to Florence County for many reasons
– to explore the natural settings of the rivers and Tourism and Community Events
parks, to visit and experience small town charm, to Florence County and its communities host several
learn about the history of the area, and to major annual festivals, events, and parades, including:
experience the community’s cultural
resources. The County is home to many festivals ▪ Pecan Festival
and events, including the South Carolina Pecan ▪ ArtFields
Festival, drawing over 50,000 people to enjoy great ▪ SC Tobacco Festival
food and entertainment. ▪ The American Heritage Festival
▪ Johnsonville Heritage Festival
In 2003, the first SC Pecan Festival was created to
bring our local community together in burgeoning ▪ Pamplico Cypress Festival
Downtown Florence for fellowship, family fun, and ▪ Olanta Gator Fest
to celebrate one of South Carolina’s favorite nuts, ▪ HippieFest
the pecan. The festival grew by leaps and bounds
over the next several years, and has since taken its place in Florence history as a time-honored and much
anticipated annual fall event held on the first Saturday in November each year.

In 2011, the SC Pecan Festival was designated as the Official South
Carolina State Pecan Festival by Act No. 9 of 2011. Since then, the festival
has been the recipient of numerous awards including several Best of the
Pee Dee Awards for Excellence as the Best Community Festival in both
2014 and 2019. In 2017, Travel + Leisure named the Pecan Festival as the
“Best Fall Festival in South Carolina.”
Admission to the festival has always been and will always be free. The SC
Pecan Music and Food Festival is a one-day outdoor festival featuring big
name entertainment across eight (8) stages, free kids and family activities,
over 250 vendors spread across seven (7) blocks in Downtown Florence,
amusement rides, pub for the grown-ups, culinary competitions, artist
displays and activities, classic car show, Run Like a Nut 5K, 10K, and
USATF-certified half marathon races, and Bike Like a Nut half century and
century bike rides.
Historic Downtown Florence offers an ideal setting for this multi-block
festival. Streets are lined with food and craft vendors, stages on each block
pulse with a diverse array of music and entertainment, and kids can enjoy a full day of activities in a space all
their own on our FMU Performing Arts Center lawn.

Florence County, SC | Comprehensive Plan pg. 95