RIDGEWAY – It’s time for the 14th Annual Arts on the Ridge – “See It, Hear It, Experience It in Ridgeway” outdoor festival.
Expect a bevy of published authors, talented artists and artisans and live bluegrass entertainment from The Good Ole Boys and A Southern Belle from Blackstock Station. The event will be held in the open air and sunshine in the downtown Cotton Yard. Free admission and free parking, from 10 am to 2 pm.
“We are excited to have 18 local published authors participating in the festival this year,” said festival coordinator and published author Wanda Craig, who writes as mystery author Raegan Teller.
Local authors Anne Catharine Blake, Candace Carter, Stephen Gordy, Halina Schafer, Bonnie Standard, John Starino, Raegan Teller, Arthur Turfa, Rex Hurst, Kasie Whitener and Tricia Durrant are all sponsors for the literary event and will be among the authors on hand to visit with festival goers.
“It presents a wonderful opportunity for readers to meet and greet and ask questions directly to some of their favorite authors,” AOTR Chair Phyllis Gutierrez said.
Art and hand-crafted treasures from multiple venues will be on display and for sale. Acrylics, oils, landscapes, portraits, pour painting, plein air artists, unique wooden handcrafted art, woven pine needle baskets, crochet and needlepoint items, hand-crafted jewelry and candles, and lots more handmade and handcrafted choices will be available.
Old-time country music will waft over the town. Fans of Conway Twitty, George Jones or the Hank Williams era, country music from the 1940s to the 1980s, will be treated to a day of live music from the Blackstock Station Band. James Austin, Noah Smith, Frank Hall, Carol Hall, Scott Ferrell and Janice Talbert will be performing with acoustic guitars, electric guitars and an electric bass to encourage visitors to bring a chair and sit a spell to enjoy some good old-fashioned bluegrass music.
Event and merchant sponsors include: Town of Ridgeway, ByFarr Designs, Pig on the Ridge, Write On SC, Fairfield County Arts Council, Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce, Olde Town Hall Restaurant, The Ivy Veranda, Bella & Blue Boutique, Palmer Street Market, The Cotton Yard Market, Laura’s Tea Room, Grandma’s Attic, Slightly North of Charleston, Sarah & Geo’s Pizza, Bows & Ties Pet Grooming, and Vintage Event. Mary Chadwell’s ‘Ridgeway’ book will be on sale at Ruff Hardware and Ruff Furniture.
Plan to spend the day and enjoy some outstanding food choices and uniquely Ridgeway shopping experiences. Visit the Welcome Center in the World’s Smallest Police Station and pick up a free brochure for a self-guided Historic Ridgeway Walking Tour of historically significant features in this little southern town, settled in 1799.
Masks and social distancing are encouraged. For additional information contact event chair Phyllis Gutierrez at 803-239-7238.
