Uncommon Patriotism Honored through Sumter’s Memorial Day Festivities

This holiday weekend marks the beginning of the busy summer season as the Sumter community honors Memorial Day.  Family friendly events will pay tribute to all the dedicated members of the American military who sacrifice their lives in the name of freedom.

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We start off the weekend with the Sumter Iris Festival, but more importantly (at least for this post), the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. The wall will be escorted into Swan Lake Iris Gardens (822 W. Liberty Street) on Wednesday (today), but it will not officially open to the public until Friday, May 24^th at 10 a.m. and remain through Monday, May 27^th at 7 p.m. Not only can you visit the wall during this time, you can also preserve a name on the wall by performing a “rubbing” (it’s important to note that all necessary materials to perform rubbing will be supplied to you upon your arrival to the wall and they are complementary), and you can view a unique collection of Vietnam era military memorabilia at the Swan Lake Visitors Center, including the actual pen that was used to sign the Paris Peace Treaty in 1973. Also, beginning at 11 a.m. on Monday will be a special ceremony in honor of Memorial Day. Most Sumterites will find the Monday ceremony familiar, as this is the event that typically takes place at the General George Mabry Memorial Park on US 76/378 outside Shaw Air Force Base. Because of the Wall presence, this year, Vietnam Veterans Association has moved the ceremony to Visitors Center lawn at Swan Lake. Again, the event starts at 11 a.m. on Monday and will have a host of keynote speakers, including Purple Heart recipient Dave Nesbitt (who can also be viewed in a recent YouTube video produced by the City of Sumter on Vietnam Veterans).

Next, spend your afternoon at the Veterans Appreciation Community Fish Fry, which will be held at South Sumter Park (630 South Sumter Street) on Monday, May 27^th from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. It is hosted by the various South Sumter Neighborhood Associations as well as many of the area churches. This event is sure to please all of your senses, with great food, entertainment, basketball games, Splash Park, children’s activities and more fun for the entire family.

Make sure to round out the day at the Sumter County Military Display, located on the first floor of the James E. Clyburn Transportation Center, 129 S. Harvin Street. Local historian Sammy Way, who operates the museum, will open the doors from 2-5 p.m. to share the history of veterans from all walks of life and branches of the military. The display features 18 cases full of military memorabilia, 80 uniform displays and more than 3000 photos, most of which have been acquired from Sumter area residents both past and present. I went on my own tour of this display a few weeks ago and I will say that coming from a town the size of Sumter, it is an impressive collection of artifacts, ranging from WWI up to the Afghan War, and one that everyone in Sumter needs to experience. Sammy is a wealth of knowledge, too, and happy to share all of the stories passed on to him by families and friends who have donated items to the collection. Music and refreshments will also be served.

All events are free and open to the public. So please take the opportunity to demonstrate Sumter’s “uncommon patriotism” by honoring those who have and continue to serve our country, as well as by supporting these worthwhile community-wide Memorial Day events.

I wish each of you a safe holiday weekend.

by Shelley Kile

2013 Sumter Iris Festival This Week!

As I look out my office window on Monday afternoon, it’s 77 degrees and raining—after having already rained all weekend.  But although it might be inconvenient for people, Swan Lake’s famous Japanese iris gardens are loving it!  Iris ensata thrive in damp, acid soil, so today’s messy weather is actually just what they need to be at their absolute best for the Sumter Iris Festival.

The celebration kicks off on Thursday, May 23, with the Opening Ceremony/Crowning of the King & Queen at the Heath Pavilion beginning at 5:15, followed by the Taste at the Gardens featuring Sumter’s own Chief Complaint (admission fee required).  From Friday, May 24, to Sunday, May 26, 2013, Swan Lake Iris Gardens will be home to tens of thousands of people enjoying arts and crafts, music, food, flowers, and family fun.  With the return of annual favorites such as the “Just Kidding Around” childrens’ area, Art in the Gardens, Kids Connection, Shrine Day Parade, live entertainment throughout the weekend and more, we’ve spent months preparing for the one of the biggest festivals in recent memory.  And as always, admission to the festival is FREE.

Aside from the usual colorful festivities, this year’s festival features the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall.  At 3/5 scale, it’s as long as a football field and the largest of the various traveling walls outside of the Mall in Washington, D.C.  Students will come to learn its history; veterans and family members will have a chance to pause, reflect, remember…and heal.

In addition, the Festival brings the S.C. Quilts of Valor to the Visitors Center, along with local historian Sammy Way’s Vietnam War exhibition.

The festival schedule will be as follows (please pay attention, because some of our menu items have changed!):

Iris Festival Ongoing Events
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 

Art in the Gardens (until 6 p.m.)
Gateway to Gardening (until 6 p.m.)
Arts & Crafts/Food Court/Marketplace/“Just Kidding Around” Children’s Area (until 7 p.m.)
Children’s Art in the Park (Friday 12-5 p.m., Saturday/Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
“Quilts of Valor” Display (Saturday until 7 p.m.; Sunday until 5 p.m.)
Military Veteran’s Display presented by Sammy Way (Saturday until 7 p.m.; Sunday until 5 p.m.)
Head Turnerz Classic Car Show (Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Sumter Cruisers Show & Shine (Sunday 10 p.m.-5 p.m.)
Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall (until 7 p.m.; Dedication Ceremony on Friday at 5:30 p.m.) The Wall is also open on Monday, May 27.

For a complete schedule of events, please click here.

Check back for frequent updates and additions this week, visit the Iris Festival or Sumter Tourism websites, or call us at (803) 436-2640.  For the latest developments as they happen, check us out on Facebook.

In case you’re wondering or just haven’t had time to check, as of today, chances of precipation this weekend are fairly low, and temperatures forecast to be in the mid-eighties will be absolutely perfect for a day trip to the crowning jewel of the Sumter community. 

See you at the festival! 

by Colette Daniels

2013 Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast–and a Little Something Extra!

Since 1952, the United States has officially observed an annual National Day of Prayer.  But long before President Harry S. Truman signed the bill into existence, other Commanders-in-Chief and national leaders had similar ideas.  The first observance even pre-dated American independence, when the Continental Congress declared July 20, 1775 as “a day of publick (sic) humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”  President John Adams declared a day of prayer in 1798; President Lincoln made a similar gesture in 1863, at the height of the Civil War.  In 1988, during the Reagan administration, the annual observance was fixed as the first Thursday of May.

This interfaith observance is celebrated in many ways by communities and people of all beliefs, but here in Sumter, the day starts early with the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast.  At 6:30 a.m. on May 2, 2013, a hearty breakfast will be served at Alice Drive Baptist Church, followed at 7:30 by a program featuring prayers and performances by community leaders, followed by keynote presenters Dale and Jena Forehand of Stained Glass Ministries.

At the heart of the Forehands’ compelling story is the disintegration and restoration of their own marriage.  Married in 1988, divorced in 1996, and remarried in 1997, it’s an amazing tale of grace, acceptance, and reconciliation.  As arrangements began for their Sumter appearance, the event soon blossomed into what Steering Committee Chair Chris Moore refers to as “something very special”—a two-day marriage seminar beginning on Friday, May 3, at the Sumter Opera House will accompany the breakfast.

As a long-time member of the Steering Committee that plans the event, I was initially concerned about having as our main speakers a couple who spend a lot of their time conducting marriage conferences.  What about the single people?  I thought.  Or the divorced, or the widowed?  Is there anything here that will speak to them?  A conference call with Dale Forehand quickly relieved my uncertainty, as he assured the group that the Forehands’ presentation definitely includes something for everyone, married or not.  A quick look at his blog shows that this is indeed the case, and the presentation will focus on the power of all human relationships—spouses, parents and children, friends, co-workers, and others.  “We have the challenges,” he said in a recent interview with The Item, “…we can put our energy into everything except our relationships.”

This is Sumter’s 12^th annual observance, and event organizers look forward to a good turnout.  It makes me sad, though, that something important will be missing—the presence of Stan Schaetzle, who lost his battle with cancer in 2012.  A community leader referred to by his son Bud as “one of those go-to guys,” Schaetzle was the primary person responsible for reviving Sumter’s Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in 2001, the 50^th anniversary of the first national observance.  A strong-minded gentleman with a contagious laugh and near-superhuman energy (I once asked him his secret, and he almost howled as he said, “Vitamins!”—I still don’t know if he was joking!), the retired Air Force fighter pilot once stated that the event “was too good to let it die.”  With the support of Mayor Joseph T. McElveen, Jr., Schaetzle grabbed the reins, rallied his troops, and brought the event back to life—bigger and far better than before.

Nor did his community involvement end there.  Schaetzle was actively involved with Relay for Life, the Military Officers Association, the Order of Daedalians, the Air Force Association, and he was one of the organizers and founding members of Immanuel Lutheran Church.  He was presented by Mayor McElveen with the Gamecock Society Award in 2012.  We members of the Steering Committee all miss Stan, but I’m sure he’ll be there with us in spirit…and if one listens closely, perhaps the echo of that laugh will be heard once more through the applause of the crowd.  I think he would be proud of this year’s program.

Tickets for the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast are $10 in advance, and may be purchased at the Swan Lake Visitors Center, Olive Tree Christian Bookstore, and Shaw AFB Chapel.  Tickets will also be available at the door for $12. Admission to the two-day marriage seminar is also $10; however, it’s free for all who attended the breakfast.  Alice Drive Baptist Church is located at 1305 Loring Mill Road; the Sumter Opera House is in downtown Sumter at 21 N. Main Street.

Following the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, the annual observance of the National Day of Prayer, hosted by the Sumter Ministerial Association, will be held at noon on the Sumter County Courthouse lawn (141 N. Main St.).  To find out what other events may be taking place, please contact your preferred house of worship.

If you would like to become a program sponsor, contact Bronwyn McElveen at (864) 430-4540. Otherwise, for more info, please call the Visitors Center at (803) 436-2640 or check out the event website at www.sumterprays.com.

by Colette Daniels

Got Green? 2013 Truckload Sale to be Held This Saturday

Does anyone out there have a green thumb that I can borrow?  Or perhaps what I really need is a purple one, because most of my favorite flowers are purple, blue, or white.

My Siberian irises have come into full bloom over the last few days, and there are buds on the bearded irises.  This makes me happy, because as many people do, I enjoy gardening.  The relaxing and agreeable physical activity, the pleasure (well, usually…) of caring for my plants, and the reward of seeing something beautiful come as the result of a labor of love—that’s pretty heady stuff.

My new flowers likewise reminded me that it’s almost time for the annual Sumter Green Spring Truckload Sale.  Sumter Green is a non-profit organization that works to keep Sumter’s community entryways and other public spaces beautiful, with masses of seasonal plantings that are enjoyed by visitors as well as residents.  They also recognize businesses and citizens who have worked to make their green spaces particularly attractive, and the organization hosts several community events.

As you can probably imagine, this is time consuming—and it’s expensive.  To help defray the costs, Sumter Green sponsors two major fundraisers each year, the Spring Truckload Sale and the Fall Feast.  The money raised from these two events goes towards paying for plants, labor and upkeep—all adding up to enhancing Sumter’s quality of life.

The Truckload Sale takes place on Saturday, April 20, 2013.  Along with the Recovery Road Race, it’s part of our annual community Earth Day celebration at Swan Lake Iris Gardens.  From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be a variety of bedding plants, hanging baskets, potted plants, shrubs, and ornamental flowering trees for sale at the most incredible prices.  The selection changes from one year to the next, so shopping can be a small adventure—last year, I picked up a tibouchina, something I’d never even heard of, but it was so beautiful, and so inexpensive, that I couldn’t resist…and it did great in my yard!

This is a wonderful time to stock up on the tried-and-true, or on something that you’ve always wanted to plant but haven’t been too sure about (believe me, the prices will assuage the guilt for any failed experiments).  In the meantime, you’re supporting ongoing and future beautification efforts within the Sumter community.

Come out and join the members of Sumter Green next Saturday—and you can join the organization at this time, too.  Please note that the location of the sale has been changed from previous years.  It will be held on the north (Bland) side of the gardens, at the corner of Bland and West Liberty Streets.  For more information, please call the Swan Lake Visitors Center at (803) 436-2640.

With great plants, great prices, and a great crowd, it’ll be one of the best shopping sprees you’ll enjoy this spring!

by Colette Daniels

Celebrate Diversity!

Sumter has always been a place of cultural diversity.  In the US Census of 1850, five years after the town of Sumterville was incorporated, the population was divided about 60/40 between citizens of European origin and those of African descent.  Slaves began to be emancipated as early as 1783, with some becoming quite prosperous.  One notable example is William Ellison, who by 1848 had amassed a plantation encompassing nearly half of Stateburg, and according to Anne King Gregorie’s History of Sumter County, had a net worth of $80-$100,000—nearly $3 million in today’s money, certainly no small accomplishment!

Interestingly, Sumter’s demographic makeup hasn’t changed all that much since the census count of 160 years ago.  Today, according to the 2010 Federal Census, we are not quite half white, not quite half black, and a little more than five percent Asian, Latino, or multiracial.  Each group brings its own unique opportunities for celebration, education, and promotion of understanding and friendship among the races.  In coming weeks, we have three festivals dedicated to the history and accomplishments of African-Americans in Sumter County.

This Saturday, April 6, 2013, Sumter’s Sankofa Connection presents its 7th Annual Cultural Festival.  From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah AME Church (corner of South Washington and Bartlette Streets), various ceremonies, performances and vendors will, in the words of event organizer Natalie Williams, “promote cultural awareness and stimulate historical learning.”  The word “sankofa,” which comes from Ghana, means “remembering the past to build the future.”

Members of the Ibile Drummers will introduce the Festival Queens, Nefertiti, Tiye, Ethiopia’s Candaces, Nzhinga, Hatshepsut, and Makeda.  A couple of these names may be familiar to history students—Hatshepsut ruled as ancient Egypt’s most powerful female Pharaoh, and Makeda is otherwise known as the Queen of Sheba.

Following the ceremonial greeting of the queens, the festival gets underway with African drumming and dancing, performances by Dreamworks Dance Studio, the Crestwood High School Band, poet William Nesmith, and dancers representing the Thai and Filipino cultures.  And because a festival is just not a festival without foods to try and things to buy, there will also be handmade African dolls, traditional African attire, and several food vendors—one featuring authentic Gullah dishes.  Among the exhibitors will be the South Carolina State Museum.  Participants will even provide dance lessons and an opportunity to learn a few words of Swahili!

Admission to the festival is free; refreshments will be for sale—and be sure to bring a lawn chair, as there will be plenty to watch!  Mt. Pisgah AME Church is located at 217 West Bartlette Street.  For more information, please call Ms. Natalie Williams at (803) 406-0832.

No time to settle after this event, because the following weekend will be the annual Festival on the Avenue, held on Manning Avenue in South Sumter.  From April 11-13, there will be a golf tournament, Living Museum, a large parade, and “A Taste of Soul on the Avenue,” along with live music (jazz, soul, and gospel), lots of food, crafts, merchandise, and educational exhibits for the entire family.  Admission is free.  For more info, please call (803) 436-2276, (803) 775-4032 or check it out online.

There.  Now you can rest for a moment (actually, a couple of weeks!) before the action starts again with “The Black Cowboy: Man or Myth?” African-American Cultural Festival at Greenfield Farms in Rembert.  Sponsored by the Black Cultural Enlightment Society, this year’s event will run from May 2 to May 5.  The 16^th annual tribute to the untold story of those men who helped settle America’s western frontier will feature workshops (including showing how to prepare cracklins or make your own soap), seminars, farrier and blacksmithing demonstrations, storytelling, and a documentary screening.  But aside from the fascinating educational opportunities, there’s also a lot of pure fun to be had, including a fish fry, Cowboy Breakfast, trail ride, line dancing, and a Western Dinner and Dance on Friday, May 3 from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m.  Horse shows, arts and crafts, music, African drums and dance, food (including chitlins, greens, cornbread, and sweet potato pie), kids’ entertainment and more will round out the offerings.

Event founders Mark and Sandra Myers were featured in the 2004  South Carolina African-American Calendar for their tireless promotion of education in African-American Cowboy culture.

Greenfield Farms is located at 4585 Spencer Road in Rembert, SC, 29128.  Admission for adults begins at $15; tickets may be purchased online here.  Campers are welcome.  Get more info online, call (803) 499-9658, or e-mail bcesociety@aol.com. 

Sumter has always had the good fortune of being uniquely diverse, especially for a Southern town that began with its roots in the soil and the railroads.  Join in the fun as we celebrate the cosmopolitan community that we are today!

by Colette Daniels

Coming Up: Preparations Underway for Iris Festival 2013

If you’re a regular reader (and I hope you are!), you may have noticed that our blog postings have been a bit scarce lately.  First, please let me assure you that this is definitely a temporary situation.  Second, allow me to offer a couple of words of explanation:

Iris Festival.

Although the Festival does not take place until Memorial Day weekend (May 24-26), planning and preparations begin months ahead of time.  Our tourism personnel have been going like the Energizer Bunny around here, making plans and arranging marketing strategies so that people outside the Sumter community will know well in advance that this is an event worth celebrating—and worth traveling to attend.  Over the next couple of months, there will be magazine and online ads, billboards, and a lot of other information spread throughout South Carolina and our neighboring states to promote Sumter’s biggest annual event.  This year, it’s been extra time-consuming because the Festival itself will be extra-special, featuring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall (at the gardens May 24-27).

In the meantime, there is still plenty to see and do, and several good ways to stay on top of things.  The easiest thing to do is visit us online at www.sumtertourism.com and click on the Calendar of Events to find out what’s happening in the area.  You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter by sending an e-mail to events@sumter-sc.com.  There are also the options of following our Twitter page, or “liking” us on Facebook.  Finally, you can pick up the phone any time Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and the friendly staff at the Swan Lake Visitors Center will gladly keep you in the know.

Things here should settle down soon, and we’ll be back to our normal bi-weekly schedule.  But don’t miss out—please take advantage of our other resources for spreading the word about the great things happening in Sumter. 

And we’ll see you here again soon!

by Colette Daniels

The Hunt Is On! Annual Easter Egg Event at Swan Lake on March 23

All right—I’m sure that I am not alone in having a bone to pick with Punxsutawney Phil this year.  But the Easter Bunny is always right, and right on time!  It’s going to be chilly with a chance of rain showers, so bundle up and come on out to Swan Lake Iris Gardens for the annual Easter Egg Hunt from noon to 1:30 p.m.  For more info, please call the Sumter County Recreation Department at (803) 436-2248.

Happy hunting!