Auntie Em's Fall Harvest Festival

Celebrate the beginning of fall with Auntie Em, Dorothy and friends at the South Carolina State Museum, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The festival presents a mixture of opportunities for guests to enjoy South Carolina barbeque and food, craft beer, live bluegrass music, artist demonstrations, kid friendly Wizard of Oz activities and more outside and inside the museum.

The festival will feature a variety of barbeque made by award-winning South Carolina pit masters cooked on-site at the event including mustard-based sauce by Jim Hayes of West Columbia, light tomato sauce by Buddy Rogers of Marion, and vinegar and pepper sauce by David Elliott of Hemingway. In addition, chicken bog, delicious sides and local craft beer will be available for guests.

Returning this year, the Sunny Plain Antique Power association will have a tractor parade at 11 a.m. in the museum parking lot. There will also be live music from a variety of bluegrass bands, including Steam Drill, Pinehill Ramblers, Flatland Express, West End String Band, Blackwater and Willie Wells and the Blue Ridge Mountain Grass. At 11:15 a.m., the Capital City Cloggers will showcase their talents during a live performance.

A number of accomplished artists and craftspeople from across the state will be demonstrating and discussing their techniques, including folk artist Herman Thompson, blacksmith Heyward Haltiwanger, woodcarver Joda Snipes, painter Rick Wells, sweetgrass basket maker Sarah Edwards-Hammond, acrylic memory painter Geraldine Smith, decoy artist Tom Boozer, luthier/guitar maker Jack Bouknight and more.

Guests can head inside the Museum of Oz for a chance to meet Wizard of Oz characters, hands-on activities, face painting by Abigail McNeely and see The Wizard of Oz 4-D Experience™ and Skies over Oz. The museum will also conduct a “Bed Turning,” presenting quilts as they were meant to be seen. JoAnn Zeise, State Museum curator of history, will showcase quilts from the State Museum’s collection, revealing their history, pattern, significance and backing.

Auntie Em’s Fall Harvest Festival will take place in front of the museum, as well in the lobby and in areas throughout the museum. Guests are welcome to bring their own chair or blanket to enjoy some of the bands playing outside.

All Auntie Em’s Fall Harvest Festival activities are included with museum general admission or membership, except for food, beverages, planetarium/4D shows and art purchases. Visit scmuseum.org for more information about the event.