Friday afternoon saw crowds descend upon Newberry Street in Aiken for a food festival featuring tacos, pizza, and funnel cakes from various local vendors and food trucks. Event organizers described it as an exciting spectacle of tasty delights!
This five-day event boasts tastings, culinary village booths featuring celebrity chefs, and educational seminars.
South Carolina’s Best Food Festivals
South Carolina food festivals showcase our state’s diverse culture and cuisine – from Lowcountry dishes like Lowcountry seafood boils, soul food dishes, and country cooking to unique Lowcountry fare such as crab cakes. You won’t want to miss these exciting events!
These events showcase the best of Southern cuisine. As an amalgamation of African, European, and Native American traditions, South Carolina’s culinary scene is truly unparalleled.
Since 2005, this festival has established Charleston as a culinary mecca. Bring chefs, cookbook authors, and other food celebrities together for tastings, dinners, and cooking demonstrations.
Boiled peanuts are a staple snack food of Southern culture; no soul food experience is complete without one! This two-day event promises an irresistibly tasty, visually and appetizingly delicious feast for visitors of both genders!
During this family-friendly festival, Aiken’s Newberry Street transforms into a culinary mecca that brings people together through food and culture. Organized by Foodies – an organization that strives to increase cultural understanding through food – the festival features live music performances, arts & crafts vendors, and kids’ activities.
Pee Dee Seafood Festival
Aiken, South Carolina, is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of thoroughbred racing and offers visitors historic sites and outdoor activities. The bustling downtown district features boutiques, galleries, and restaurants; Hitchcock Woods (one of the nation’s most extensive urban forests) offers hiking and horseback riding trails for exploration.
Lowcountry Heritage Festival features a weekend full of shrimp, oysters, and barbecue. Sample steamed, fried, or stewed mollusks, local beer at a craft brew fest, and watch a shrimp race! Children’s activities, such as marshmallow roasting or sports lounges, provide additional activities.
This annual event in Florence will celebrate pecans, that versatile brown nut found in everything from pies and stuffing to bourbon iced coffee. Enjoy sampling recipes using pecans while watching a small-town parade complete with high school marching bands, beauty queens, floats, food vendors, and live entertainment throughout the day.
Greenville Wine & Food Festival
Euphoria, Greenville’s award-winning food, wine, and music festival, kicked off Thursday and will run through Sunday. Euphoria seeks to celebrate culinary excellence and charm found throughout the Upstate while using proceeds as grants for local charities.
This year’s lineup includes chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants teaming up for guest chef dinners. Furthermore, organizers emphasize their focus on smaller, locally-owned eateries.
One of the festival’s highlights is Fluor Field’s Culinary Village, where attendees can sample over 50 wines along with mimosas, seltzer, and beer samples – and ticket holders even receive a souvenir acrylic glass. Live music will be provided by Solution and DJ Chill Will to add an enjoyable musical backdrop as they sip.
Notable events during Greenville Beer Week include tasting tents at local breweries, where visitors can sample an impressive array of craft beers; sweeter treats can be found at Poppington’s in downtown Greenville for its famous Greenville Mint Chocolate Caramel popcorn; workshops are being hosted at Greenville County Museum of Art by post-impressionist artist Alice Williams for three days only!
Aiken’s Makin’
Since 1976, Aiken’s downtown Aiken Arts and Crafts Show has become a longstanding tradition, hosting over 200 artisans and 22 food vendors from Aiken County and beyond. Tens of thousands attend over its two days. Attendees can browse colorful paintings and handcrafted crafts, indulge in funnel cakes and kettle corn smells, or look forward to an enjoyable two-day event experience.
Application processes for this event typically open early every year, so interested crafters should contact the Aiken Chamber of Commerce for details. I was there Thursday evening and noticed 150 vendors lined up quickly to receive credentials, maps, parking passes, and show publications – an exemplary display! All Southeastern craft shows should follow suit!
Visitors to this free festival can sample various Mexican, Jamaican, Caribbean, and American foods while participating in live entertainment such as clogging and gospel performances. Admission is free; proceeds help support exhibits and educational programs at Aiken County Historical Museum. For more information, visit their website or attend this event from 1-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Master Automotive
Master Automotive serves the Augusta, Aiken, and North Augusta areas by offering quality used car dealers for purchase or lease in all makes and models of new and pre-owned vehicles. Their friendly sales staff can assist in selecting a car best suited to their customer’s needs.
This weekend marks the Foodees South Carolina Food and Culture Festival’s return to Historic Downtown Aiken as it takes over Newberry Street from April 14-16. Running from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Friday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm Sunday, this free-to-attend festival features world-class cuisine from various cultures and local artists. Although entry to this event is free of charge, guests must purchase tickets for rides before attending.
