Nearly 50,000 expected at the SC Pecan Festival in downtown Florence

FLORENCE, S.C. (WPDE) — Thousands of people are expected to attend the 20th annual South Carolina Pecan Festival in Florence this weekend.

The one-day event is expected to draw nearly 50,000 people and will feature food, arts and crafts, entertainment, children’s attractions, a classic car show and more.

This year’s headline band is ‘Starship’.

The festival’s website says: “This exciting one-day festival has delighted residents and visitors alike and is the largest event in the area, attracting more than 50,000 visitors each year. The festival consistently wins Best of the Pee Dee awards and has been featured in numerous national publications such as Travel + Leisure Magazine Online and AAA’s Go Magazine.”

The first SC Pecan Festival was created in 2003 to bring the local community together in burgeoning downtown Florence for socializing, family fun and to celebrate one of South Carolina’s favorite nuts: the pecan.

It grew enormously in the following years and has since taken its place in Florence’s history as a ‘time-honored and long-awaited annual autumn event’ held every year on the first Saturday of November.

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In 2011, the festival was designated as the official South Carolina State Pecan Festival by Act No. 9 of 2011.

Officials said the festival has since won numerous awards.

The multi-block festival is held in the center of Florence.

Streets are lined with food and craft vendors, stages on every block pulse with a diverse array of music and entertainment, and kids can enjoy a full day of activities in a space all their own on the lawn of our FMU Performing Arts Center.

The SC Pecan Music Festival is owned, organized and produced by Florence Downtown Development Corp., a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Florence, South Carolina that supports the revitalization of downtown Florence.

Admission is free.

More information about this year’s event can be found by clicking here.