Calendar

ANNUAL EVENTS IN LAURENS COUNTY

• The Little River Run draws hundreds of runners to Laurens each March.  The event is organized by Main Street Laurens.
• The Laurens County Community Theatre presents productions throughout the year including several children’s shows.
• Musgrove Mill State Historic Site celebrates our Revolutionary War heritage with several living history events throughout the year including a Christmas candlelight tour.
• Celebrate Clinton is a month-long cultural celebration.
• Joanna Festival occurs each April and offers crafts, rides for children, food vendors and live entertainment.
• The Presbyterian College Performing Arts Series brings national and international acts to Laurens County.
• The March of Dimes “March for Babies” is held each April in Laurens.  Little River Park is the launching site and plays host to a number of family oriented activities throughout the event.
• Main Street Laurens USA hosts a wine tasting event each spring.
  The banks of the Saluda River is the setting for the Catfish Feastival each year in Ware Shoals. This unique celebration draws thousands of people to enjoy a wide variety of events during Memorial Day weekend.
• The Laurens County Chorale presents spring and fall concerts annually.
• The town of Joanna, formerly known as Goldville, hosts the annual Goldville Reunion each June. The event allows current and former residents a time to reminisce of days gone by and to catch up on each other’s lives.
• Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observation of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the county.  The event is celebrated each June with day-long activities at Little River Park in Laurens.
• The Harper Art Gallery on the campus of Presbyterian College in Clinton hosts a number of exciting exhibits each year.
• The Laurens County Relay for Life, the signature activity of the American Cancer Society, is an annual event held in May. The 12-hour celebration is filled with entertainment, food and camaraderie. The opening ceremony is the Cancer Survivors’ Victory Lap with the highlight of the evening, the Luminary Ceremony, held after dark.
• Town Rhythms, a multi-concert summer music series, is held each summer in downtown Clinton. The City of Laurens also holds a summer concert series at the Little River Amphitheater.   Laurens Idol, a musical competition that begins each June, has grown into one of the area’s most popular events.
• The heat of August does not deter hundreds of bike riders from traversing the local highways and back roads as part of the annual Flight of the Dove, a biking event that supports Hospice of Laurens County.
• The I.P.R.A. World Championship Rodeo is held each August in Laurens and features farm exhibits, a petting zoo, music , rides and food in addition to the rodeo competition. 
  Each year, New Kids on the Block welcomes Presbyterian College students to Clinton during orientation week in August.
• Coming Home to Cross Hill is held on the Saturday prior to Labor Day. You can enjoy crafts, carnival rides, live entertainment, a parade and lots of food at this annual event.
  Pioneer Day is held annually on the second Saturday in September in Owings.  Hosted by the Gray Court-Owings Historical Society, the day is filled with celebrations of our rich pioneer heritage.
• Fountain Inn is the site of the annual Aunt Het Festival held in early October.
• The Laurens County Museum, The Clinton Museum, and the Gray Court-Owings Historical Society Museum offer interesting revolving exhibits throughout the year.
  The city of Laurens highlights a variety of local barbecue during the annual Squealin’ on the Square in October.
• The Carolina-Clemson Oyster Roast is a popular event held each October at the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce.
• The town of Gray Court hosts a community festival each October celebrating gospel music. The event features a carnival and food court.
• Laurens Lights runs from early December through New Year’s Day. Join county residents as they stroll along Little River and enjoy thousands of holiday lights and tours of the historic district, learn about President Andrew Johnson’s life in Laurens, and see homes dating back to 1812. The slate of holiday activities also includes the annual Reindeer Run.
• Fountain Inn hosts the popular Spirit of Christmas Past each December. The month-long celebration includes carriage rides, concerts and a tour of homes.
• The South Harper Street Neighborhood Association sponsors an annual Christmas tour of homes in Laurens.
• Laurens County hosts seven Christmas parades in early December in Clinton, Fountain Inn, Gray Court, Joanna, Laurens, Ware Shoals and at Whitten Center.