For 36 years the Belton community has come together to celebrate hometown living in the midst of the upstate’s beautiful fall weather and foliage.  This year’s Belton Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival will combine the best of the past and infuse the event with new and fun activities that the whole family can enjoy.

Featuring local and regional entertainers with live onstage acts, unique arts and crafts from all over the United States, local food venues, and more, this festival is the longest continually running fall festival in Anderson County. The festival will take place on the square in Belton on Saturday, October 5, from 11am to 9pm.

There are many events in the week leading up to the festival. On Saturday, September 28, the Belton Center for the Arts will open its display of over 80 extraordinary pieces of artwork, curated from artists hailing from a tri-state area during their Juried Art Show & Market.  The celebration is open to the public and will be open from 10:00 to 2:00.  Children’s Art activities will be available from 11:00 to 2:00…free to the public.

The Belton Area Museum’s exhibit “Littles:  Miniature Collections” will be open from 11:00 to 4:00.  Check out the exhibit that includes everything from collectible thimbles to doll house furniture, for shot glasses to antique micro furniture made for children.  Free to the public.

Gem mining will be available from 11:00 to 8:30.  Come try your hand at this family fun adventure.  Fee for each.

Locomotive tours from 11:00 to 2:00.  Pickens Railway Company will have a locomotive on the tracks for people to view the mighty machine and learns about the newly installed rail system, train safety and history.  Free to the public.

Tours of the Historic Belton Standpipe from 11:00 to 2:00 featuring an entertaining look inside this structure which is on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, located in the Historic Belton Dept from 11:00 to 4:00.  Free to the public.

Game Day Hospitality will be available at the Sugar Hill Tap House On the Square from noon to 11:00 with ballgames on the big screen all day so no one will have withdrawal symptoms while attending the festival.  The Clemson vs. Florida State and South Carolina vs. Mississippi games will be featured.  Variety beers and wines are available for purchase.

The Blood Connection blood drive will be open from 11:oo to 4:00.  Give the gift of life by donating blood.  Receive an e-gift card for your donation.

Thursday and Friday, October 3 & 4, will be Education Days at Heritage Days at the Belton depot. Over 2000 school children will enjoy interactive and hands-on instruction in the skills and artistry of their ancestors. School groups and homeschoolers will attend sessions from 8:45am to 2pm each day.  The artisans will be on hand for public presentations on Saturday from 10:30 to 3:30 during the festival.

A children’s play area will be open from 10:30 to 8:00 with inflatable bounces and games and model train rides to make every child smile, fee for each.

The Belton Tennis Association will be hosting the Hall of Fame Classic, a tournament for high school girls.  Matches in singles and doubles begin at 9:30 at the Belton Tennis Center and Leda Poore Park.  Teams participating include Spartanburg, Greenville, JL Mann, TL Hanna, Riverside, AC Flora, Daniel and BHP.

The Clinkscales Chevrolet Open Car Show on the square from 10am to 12pm, with award presentations at 2:00. Vintage and antique automobiles as well as newer models will be entered into competition for cash prizes and trophies. Traditionally, over 100 cars have participated in the renowned cruise in each year. All exhibitors get to vote on the top 20 cars.

After the opening ceremonies at 11am on the main stage, entertainment will begin at 11:30am and continue throughout the day.

Other activities throughout the day include over 80 crafters and business booths, museum and Standpipe tours, art activities, demos by heritage skills artisans, and much more. Food offerings on the square from 12 vendors will run the gamut including barbeque, hot wings, ice cream, boa tea, freeze dried candy, Asian Fusion, hamburgers, street corn, cotton candy and funnel cakes.

The festival will end with a fireworks extravaganza at 8:30.

Admission and parking are free.  Contact Lori Maness at 864-617-9992 or [email protected] for more information.