Williamston Spring Water Festival celebrates history and community

More than a century ago, Williamston was a destination for folks from the Lowlands and the Midlands of South Carolina. People would travel for days to arrive at the small, Upstate town and take a drink from the free-flowing mineral spring that gushed in the middle of the village.

The spring was revered as having medicinal qualities that might help what ailed you. It’s fresh taste and cool refreshment kept people coming for years.

Fast-forward a century and the people weren’t coming as much anymore. That’s when organizers created the first Spring Water Festival to celebrate the spring, the town’s history and to give back to a community that had given so much for so many years.

This year, that same Spring Water Festival celebrates its 28th anniversary at the Mineral Spring Park in Williamston. On Saturday, thousands of people will come to drink from the spring, enjoy a full day of activities and revel in what makes Williamston so special in the first place: its people.

“Since this first started, the Spring Water Festival has been a family festival,” said David Meade, managing editor of the Williamston Journal and coordinator for the event. “The committee has tried to improve and bring better things in year after year, but the families keep it going.”

Live entertainment, games and rides for the kids and plenty of food have always marked the Spring Water Festival. This year, Meade said, the committee decided to up the ante a bit on the live music, providing tunes from start to finish with big names in the area.

Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues will headline the event and play alongside Marvin King, Southern Crescent, The Royal Scotsman Band and more. There will also be a gospel stage featuring Travis Harvey and Catlin Tierce and The EagleHeart Band, as well as a community stage with clowns, gymnastic teams and martial arts demonstrations.

“We have tried to expand the entertainment for the last two years,” Meade said. “It’s an all-day event and we want to fill every part of that.”

In addition, arts and crafts vendors pepper the park grounds selling everything from paintings and pottery to jewelry and handbags. Everything is handmade by local sellers.

History is also a large part of the Spring Water Festival and will be showcased with firing of a Civil War era cannon by the McBeth Light Artillery CSA on Saturday evening.

“The whole purpose of the festival is to bring attention to the town and its history,” Meade said. “The Mineral Spring is the centerpiece and still runs to this day. It’s the whole reason for this celebration.”

The Spring Water Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Mineral Spring park in Williamston. For more information, go online to www.springwaterfestival.com.