Press Release Summary = South Carolina highlights destination developments inland and theme parks on the coast for this past year and the year to come.
Press Release Body = COLUMBIA, SC - Downtown and small-town destination development inland and theme parks on the coast are just a few of the local headlines in 2006, with more to come in 2007.
Below is a rundown of some of the South Carolina highlights for the year just past and the year ahead. For regular updates on what's new to do and see around the Palmetto State, make sure to keep checking South Carolina's state tourism media room at www.scmediaroom.com
ALLENDALE: Salkehatchie Arts Center The Salkehatchie Arts Center has opened in Allendale, SC. The center offers the works of artists from five counties - Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton and Hampton counties. The center offers workshops for all ages, as well as the opportunity to buy high-quality works at reasonable prices in a variety of media, including paintings, photography, jewelry, quilts, pottery and other handicrafts.
BLACKVILLE: SCNHC Region 3 Discovery Center The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor opened its Region 3 Discovery Center in 2006. Located just outside Blackville, the Discovery Center features a train-inspired museum which shares the rich history of Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell and Orangeburg counties through interactive displays, videos depicting the beautiful South Carolina countryside, and kiosks depicting the region\'s history.
CHARLESTON: Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site has been re-born, a seven-year, ongoing effort that has re-shaped the pivotal landmark's ability to share the story of the birthplace of the Carolinas and the plantation system of the American South. The $19 million renovation project features an exhibit hall that opened this summer, interpretive trail system, including a new marsh boardwalk; a reconstructed palisade wall of the size and construction and on the same location as the original; a new, working cannon embrasure guarding access by water; a garden with crops from that day; and the refurbished Animal Forest, a natural-habitat zoo that's home to species the settlers would have encountered, including pumas and bears. Interpretive programs, including artillery demonstrations, are held regularly.
Charleston Food and Wine Festival The fast-growing Charleston Food and Wine Festival now has a sponsor. The 2007 event, set for March 1-4, will officially be named the BB&T Charleston Food and Wine Festival. Showcasing the indigenous flavors of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, this four-day celebration of Charleston\'s finest features some of the country\'s best chefs, culinary authors and wine professionals.
Charleston Tea Plantation America's only tea plantation re-opened for tours after three years of dedicated efforts to preserve and restore the Wadmalaw Island farm. In addition to acres of immaculately kept tea camellias, a highlight is a state-of-the-art processing facility run by the new owner, Bigelow Tea.
From Slavery to Freedom and Beyond That's part of the official title of the slave cabin project at Magnolia Plantation. Work began in 2006 to restore four 1850s slave houses and a turn-of-the-century building also once occupied by African Americans on the property. A unique fact about these buildings: They're located side by side and were occupied almost continually from the 1850s through the late 20th century by African American families who worked on the property in South Carolina.
Hostels, Hotels and Challah Such Charleston-area standards as Market Pavilion Hotel, Charleston Place, Wentworth Mansion, French Quarter Inn, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island and the Woodlands in Summerville continued to reap top national and international honors and ratings in 2006. Some new entries on the scene include the Notso Hostel, with dormitory and private rooms and a communal kitchen set in three homes in the historic downtown, and the Broad Street Guest House, the city's first kosher bed and breakfast. Set within walking distance to the Orthodox synagogue, Sabbath meals (complete with challah bread, of course) and a full breakfast are highlights. (Interestingly, the Holy City also has been named by Porthole Cruise Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Most Romantic Ports of Call.") Southern Living magazine readers also again christened Charleston, SC as their favorite city.
Tanger Outlet Centers Along with the chic shops downtown, the Charleston area now can boast its very own Tanger Outlet Center. The 430,000-square-foot mall has opened for business in North Charleston, SC. The architecture of the outlet center is designed to remind shoppers of the historic downtown nearby with its many streets and squares. The center has five entries and six courtyards connected by covered, sky-lit, pedestrian walkways.
CHERAW: South Carolina Jazz Festival Legendary jazz trumpeter's hometown of Cheraw was the setting in October for the inaugural South Carolina Jazz Festival. Held to coincide with the late Gillespie's 89th birthday on Oct. 21, the two-day event featured a series of performances headlined by alumni of Gillespie's band. Gospel concerts, an art show and exhibits, including Gillespie's unique bent horn (formerly on exhibit at the Smithsonian) also were featured.
COLUMBIA: Columbia Festival of the Arts An inaugural event set for April 27-May 6, the Columbia Festival of the Arts will feature theater, dance, music, visual arts and museum exhibits around the city and has been created as a celebration of the arts and culture of the Midlands of South Carolina.
Columbia Museum of Art Major shows set for 2007 at the Columbia Museum of Art include "Frank Lloyd Wright and the House Beautiful" through Feb. 4 and "European Works on Paper" (March 1-June 3) featuring Picasso, Chagall, Modigliani and more. An exhibit of American photography - including Ansel Adams' iconic "Yosemite Valley, Summer" - opens in September.
Downtown development Hotel development, both new construction and conversion of architectural landmarks, continues apace in the capital city. The Columbia Convention Center is one spur for the activity, with 222-room Hilton, about to open next door. The Vista area also continues to boom and now has more than 35 restaurants and a wide array of upscale retailers and galleries joining the convention center and the Colonial Center. The University of South Carolina also has announced plans for a 500-acre research campus expansion that includes a 47-acre park on the Congaree River. Condominiums have become part of the scene surrounding Williams-Brice Stadium and the university also is adding a 6,000-seat baseball stadium to the downtown scene. Additions continue to be made to the River Alliance's series of walkways along the Congaree, Saluda and Broad rivers on both the Lexington and Richland county sides.
South Carolina State Museum A 12-foot tall animatronic visitor is one star of "Aliens: Worlds of Possibilities," a traveling exhibit with more than 20 interactive stations that will be at the South Carolina State Museum from Feb. 9 to Sept. 3. A NASA-sponsored exhibit on the Hubble space telescope will be featured through June 30. The museum also will participate in a series of presentations on World War I, set for May 18-June 1, and will present "Visions of Victory," a series of 147 images by such photographers as Annie Leibovitz of subjects such as Arthur Ashe and Babe Ruth.
CONWAY: Conway Remembers Pavilion One of South Carolina's Grand Strand's most memorable landmarks is no more. The Pavilion in downtown Myrtle Beach, SC closed in 2006 but its memory lives in on a series pen-and-ink and watercolor sketches by Lon Calhoun, owner of Moegan's gallery and studio in Conway. The historic river town has seen a downtown renaissance driven by galleries, shops and cafes, including Moegan's, which moved in September to the new Rivertown Market Place.
GREENVILLE: Freedom Weekend Aloft The popular Freedom Weekend Aloft balloon festival has moved back to Greenville County, SC and will be held May 25-28 at Heritage Park in Simpsonville. Balloon rides and competition, live entertainment, children's activities, a Frisbee dog competition and more are on tap.
Scottish Games & Highland Festival Story telling, Highland dancing competition, a children's Celtic scavenger hunt, sheep-herding exhibitions, weaving and sword-making, re-enactors, food and the skirl of bagpipes. Must be the second annual Scottish Games & Highland Festival set for June 10 at Furman University in Greenville, SC.
Southern Exposure Set for Sept. 14-16 in Falls Park and along the Reedy River, Southern Exposure is a three-day food and wine celebration with celebrity chefs, tasting events and musical performances. The festival also aims to bring together wines of the world and traditional and gourmet Southern food from local restaurants in a festive setting. An outdoor jazz brunch is but one of the highlights of this South Carolina adventure.
USA Pro Cycling Championship The Greenville area has become a hot spot for bicycling and Labor Day weekend will mark the second of a three-year hitch for the USA Pro Cycling National Championship. A fleet of top pro riders, including Tour de France veterans, will compete for the coveted stars-and-stripes jersey. The 131-mile road race through the Blue Ridge includes several passes through Paris Mountain State Park, a prized mountain-biking destination which itself is celebrating the renovation of its picturesque, historic bath house. Downtown Greenville, SC plans to go all out again for the race weekend with a full schedule of special events.
GREENWOOD: The Emerald Triangle The Emerald Triangle Arts & Cultural District continues to develop. In 2006, a 3,300-square-foot art gallery with monthly exhibits, a reception hall and gift shop opened in the Federal Building. Spring 2007, meanwhile, should see the opening of a Lower Piedmont digital tourism kiosk in the Federal Building and the completed renovation of the Greenwood Community Theater. An overhaul of the two streets within the Emerald Triangle also is about to begin and will result in a new streetscape, lighting and façade improvements for 26 buildings. The Museum in Greenwood also is undergoing renovations.
MYRTLE BEACH: Hard Rock Park Ground was broken in July for Hard Rock Park, a 140-acre rock n' roll theme park that will be the first of its kind in the world. More than 40 attractions will be part of the nearly $400 million development, including an amphitheater, restaurants, rides and other celebrations of rock music's culture, legends and history. The park is scheduled to open in spring 2008.
Hilton Golf Academy The push for luxury development and high-end attractions also continues on the Grand Strand of South Carolina. For instance, the Hilton Golf Academy opened its third location, and first on the East Coast, at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort in April. Personalized instruction and playing packages are featured. The 145-acre resort is anchored by a 385-room Hilton hotel.
The Ripken Experience - Myrtle Beach Spearheaded by the legendary Cal Ripken Jr., this park opened its doors in June and features state-of-the-art synthetic fields designed after historic ballparks such as Comiskey and the Polo Grounds. Youth and regulation-size fields, training facilities and more are attracting baseball campers and tournament players from around the country.
WINNSBORO: Carolina Adventure World Set on more than 2,000 acres of rolling Midlands pine forest near Winnsboro, Carolina Adventure World is set to ramp up in 2007 with about 100 miles of all-terrain and motocross trails, a national championship motocross track, large mud bog, the country's only permanent Enduro motorcycle course, go-kart trails, nature trails and the first of its kind in the United States: a canopy walk 100 feet up in the trees. Enjoy all the adventures of your South Carolina vacation.
Updates at www.scmediaroom.com Additional story ideas at www.SouthCarolinaStoryIdeas.com
Web Site = http://www.SouthCarolinaParks.com
Contact Details = SC Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Marion Edmonds 803-734-1370 medmonds@scprt.com
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