Florence Center – Local Festivals

The Florence Center in Florence, South Carolina, is constantly bringing entertainment to the greater Florence area. It’s the site of the county’s state fair, professional conferences, festivals, performances, and more. The multipurpose arena contains 10,000 seats, allowing for some massive events.

In addition to the events at the Florence Center, the community creates its own share of entertainment by hosting festivals year-round. If you’re attending an event at Florence Center, you may be in town in time for one of these local festivals.

Pacing 4 Pieces and Armstrong Wealth Piece Jam Festival

Runners and onlookers alike can enjoy a day out in Florence during the Pacing 4 Pieces race, featuring a 5K and half marathon for a great cause. The event benefits All 4 Autism, an organization that raises awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder and provides resources to support the local ASD community.

The second half of the festival is the Armstrong Wealth Piece Jam Festival. During this family-friendly celebration, there’s live music, food and drink vendors, a kid’s dash, and a designated kids zone. This area is full of free activities like face painting, a bounce house, slides, and more.

Lucky Shamrock Festival

Every March, the Junior League of Florence and the Florence Downtown Development Corporation hold the Lucky Shamrock Festival, an impressive St. Patrick’s Day celebration. AmericanTowns Media named the Lucky Shamrock Festival one of the best places to celebrate the holiday in South Carolina.

This free festival contains classics like a kid’s play area, live music, and, of course, green beer. If your visit to the Florence Center falls on St. Patrick’s Day, the Lucky Shamrock Festival is the place to be.

Florence Wine & Food Festival

Are the concessions at the Florence Center not cutting it? Then you’ll enjoy the Florence Wine & Food Festival. This multi-day event celebrates Southern food, local chefs, and artfully crafted wines. The Florence Downtown Development Corporation, a local non-profit organization, holds the festival to attract new businesses to the area and to help support existing ones in Florence.

During the festival, guests can attend special events like Meat & Meander, which features meat-cooking demonstrations. Meanwhile, the Sip and Savor Wine Stroll allows guests to sample more than 20 wines and hors d’oeuvres created by talented chefs. As you can see, the Florence Wine & Food Festival is a delicious way to celebrate Downtown Florence.

Florence Area Humane Society Bone-E-Fit

Each year, the Florence Area Humane Society, or FHS for short, holds its Bone-E-Fit fundraiser. Since it started in 2007, this FHS event has raised enough money to expand their location and services.

The Bone-E-Fit takes place in Downtown Florence and is a feel-good event where attendees eat, drink, and dance while raising money for a good cause. The cost of admission includes food, beverages, live musical performances, a silent auction, and more.

Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Enjoy a fiesta you can feel good about at the Cinco De Mayo Fiesta held by the Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity. This free event celebrates Mexican culture and brings excitement to downtown. Try some traditional dishes, commemorate your visit in the photo booth, and cheer on some pups at the chihuahua race. Kids can enjoy their own designated play area, and the entire family can dance the night away as live musical performers light up the night.

Every dollar raised by the Cinco De Mayo Fiesta benefits the Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity’s next house build. The fiesta takes place in the courtyard of the Florence County Museum, which is only 12 minutes from the Florence Center.

Downtown Florence Oktoberfest

Celebrate the arrival of fall by taking part in Florence’s Downtown Florence Oktoberfest. This free event features everything German, from food, beer, and wine to music.

Downtown Florence Oktoberfest also features some of the quirky contests, such as costume contests for people and dogs, a “weenie dog” race benefiting the FHS, beer stein races, and beer barrel roll races. The winners of the stein and barrel roll races receive cash prizes to spend on delicious food and drinks at the festival.

South Carolina Pecan Festival

One of the biggest festivals in the entire state is hosted by the City of Florence. The annual South Carolina Pecan Festival is no joke; it attracts more than 50,000 attendees. This festival takes place on the first Saturday of November and has an incredible lineup of all things pecan-related. More than 250 craft and food vendors fill the area, all of whom are required to have at least one menu item that contains pecans.

Artsy attendees will love the chalk art competition and art demonstrations throughout the three-block radius of the festival. Amusement rides and a free kids zone are also included to entertain the youngsters. Auto enthusiasts can check out the antique tractor show and cast their vote in the car show and competition. Chefs can push themselves to whip up the most creative pecan dish in the festival’s cook-off. Athletes can also run or bike like a nut in the Pecan Festival’s 10K, 5K, half marathon, and bike races. There’s something for everyone at the South Carolina Pecan Festival!

Downtown Christmas Magic

Celebrate the holiday season with Florence’s annual Christmas festival, Downtown Christmas Magic. This festive event takes place just over 10 minutes from the Florence Center and is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. The festival not only has free admission but provides free hot cocoa and s’mores. Make sure you get your weird and wacky Christmas sweaters from the attic and participate in the festival’s ugly sweater contest!

Downtown Christmas Magic has a Jingle and Mingle area for kids, which is packed with activities. There, little elves can play games, make crafts, watch a holiday movie, listen to stories, and even meet Santa. Guests can also sit back and enjoy a youth choir performance or hit the ice and go skating! The entire festival culminates in a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. These activities only scratch the surface of what makes Downtown Christmas Magic special. If you’re at the Florence Center during the holidays, be sure to stop by!