By now, most everyone knows the esteemed history of the Spittoono festival that takes place each year in Clemson. But for those who don’t, here’s an abbreviated lesson for you:

Close to 30 years ago, a group of regulars of the Esso Club in Clemson — under the influence of a few libations, to be sure — thought it would be a good idea to give their beloved hometown a redneck version of the Spoletto Festival that Charleston hosts each year. So, with the help of each other and a whole bunch of backwoods traditions, this “group” put together Spittoono, a celebration of all things redneck.

Today, as the 28th such festival approaches, Spittoono is one of the most anticipated events to take place in the Upstate. Not only that, but tens of thousands of dollars are donated to charities thanks to this event.

This Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the National Guard Armory in Clemson will be awash with hillbillies and non-hillbillies alike as the 28th annual Spittoono festival kicks into high gear.

The last couple years have been ones of transition for Spittoono. The founders of the event have passed the spittoon on to a younger generation in an effort to keep the community service they do going. With that shift often comes a little change. A change the new organizers feel will be for the better.

“A big part of our goal this year is to bring in younger crowds,” said Justin Rakey, a rising senior at Clemson and promotions manager for Spittoono. “We are not changing the format of the festival, but showing that younger people can have fun there too.”

The bands remain, as do the shirts, the food, the fun and, of course, the beer. But rather than banking on the same people to come, they want Spittoono to grow. And growth means new people.

To do that, Rakey said they are getting the Rise Guys from 93.3-FM to come down on Saturday for a time as well as advertising all over the Upstate and Clemson University campus. Rakey said they see this as an opportunity to meld the local culture with the student base at CU for a good time from start to finish.

Bands like Apollo Creed, The Drovers Old Time Medicine Show and Fighters for Love will be there, as well as old favorites who have been playing the fest since the beginning. It’s a way, Rakey explained, of mixing old and new into something that will be successful for a long time to come.

“We are thinking of the charities throughout this whole thing,” he said. “The more people come the more shirts and beer we sell and that’s where we make our money for the charities.”

The charities have not yet been selected and will be announced at the end of fall or early winter. Admission to the event is free and bands will begin playing at 6 p.m. and go until 2 a.m.

Rakey said last year’s event was one of the biggest ever as more than 10,000 people streamed through. He hopes to beat that total this year.

Spittoono will be Thursday night and Friday and Saturday all day and night. For more information, go online to www.spittoono.org.