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Annual history-based festival in Spartanburg, SC is Sept. 30-Oct. 2

FestiFall - Spartanburg's annual celebration of its colonial and Revolutionary War history, will kick off Friday, Sept. 30, with the Patriots' Jubilee & Silent Auction, an Upcountry feast and celebration, and continue through Sunday, Oct. 2, with historical re-enactments of what life was like for American settlers in Upstate South Carolina in the 1700s. The outdoor festival at Walnut Grove Plantation on Spartanburg's south side will include two days of re-creating historical battles, art, food, music, dancing, religion, and everyday life. Last year, 2015, the outdoor festival was canceled because of hurricane Joaquin was dumping historic amounts of rain on the Upstate.
"Last year would have been our 24th year of presenting FestiFall," Suzanne Brooks, Executive Director of Spartanburg County Historical Association, said. "But we were rained out. It was such a great disappointment for thousands of people who look forward to this yearly event. So this year, we are pulling out all the stops and plan to have the best and biggest FestiFall ever. We've added some new events and expanded the hours -- including horse-drawn wagon rides along the road bed that was once the main stretch of transportation through the region. Spartanburg is renowned for its historical importance in our nation's timeline. FestiFall celebrates that pride. It is so appropriate that our community has been branded as being 'Revolutionary.'"
All activities are geared toward the public's enjoyment and will start that Friday night, 7-10 p.m., with the Patriots' Jubilee, a barbecue banquet with live music by local singer Fayssoux McLean and the Bluegrass Messengers. "The Jubilee is a ticketed event for adults and all proceeds will benefit the continued preservation of Walnut Grove Plantation, which is one of Spartanburg's most visited attractions," Brooks said. "It is a casual dinner party featuring Southern foods and Southern music. There will also be a silent auction. It's going to be such a nice way to start the weekend."
Family-centered fun will start Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with estate-wide demonstrations in cooking, weaving, woodworking, toy making, basketry, candle dipping, musket firing and drills, and thread spinning. Throughout the day, there will be scheduled storytelling, re-enactments of battles, and music. "This is when people can wander the grounds and enjoy life in the 1770s," Brooks said. "It's casual and easy, very informative and entertaining. These morning and afternoon hours are the heart of FestiFall. This is when we re-create what living in Upstate South Carolina was like for the settlers and the men and women who fought for our independence."
At noon, the re-enactment of "Bloody Bill" Cunningham's raid on Walnut Grove will be staged by volunteer history buffs. "This is always a local favorite," Brooks said. "To think this raid actually did happen on these grounds is just chilling, and, of course, Loyalist William "Bloody Bill" Cunningham was infamous for his ruthless hit-and-run tactics."
At 2 p.m. there will be battle demonstrations, and at 5 p.m. the public is invited to chat with re-enactors who have set up campsites on the property. "The re-enactors are such amazing and dedicated people," Brooks said. "And they love nothing more than to interact with the public... to tell people about the history they are re-creating."
New this year will be "Lanterns & Legends: Spirits of the Revolution," which will be horse-drawn wagon rides along a forgotten road bed that was once a major thoroughfare for Back Country travel and commerce. "We're bringing in two authentic wagons for this new attraction," Brooks said. "By that time of the day, it will be getting dark, and we'll use lanterns for light, giving the whole experience a new thrill." Along the way, soldiers and frontiersmen will tells stories about America's fight for independence.
On Sunday, the grounds will open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and will kick off with Backcountry Prayer Meeting. "We really try to give the public a taste of every aspect of life in the colonial times," Brooks said. "And, religion played a big role in those people's lives. So if you ever wondered how our forefathers worshiped, here your chance to experience what church was like in the 1700s."
Admission to the festival is $12 for adults, $8 for children and youths 2-17, $10 for college student and military with I.D., and free for children two years and younger. Picnics are welcome, but alcohol is prohibited. Walnut Grove Plantation is located near the intersection of I-26 and US Highway 221 at 1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck, SC. For more information, please call (864) 596-3501.
Submitted by Steve Wong


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